Your non-compete...Did you really read it before you signed it?

What happens when your love-affair with the company you are working for wears off?
What happens when your competitor is offering you more money, better working conditions and a happier life?

Well...if you didn't sign a non-compete, you go to work where you will be happiest.

But if you did, in the rush of emotions & excitement of joining your old employer, sign a non-compete...Well...You may be in job-purgatory!

Did you even read the thing before you signed it? Did you really rationalize what would happen if you decided to move on? If you are like most folks when getting a new job, PROBABLY NOT.

These things can inflict hardships on you that you would have never imagined. Financial strife, the inability to work in the field that you call home and the agony of watching your new-found dream job slip away to another candidate.

Non-competes are never geared to benefit the employee. If so, you would have YOUR lawyer draw up the paper work. Instead, the company's team of hot-shot lawyers draws it up and you, in all your excitement, signed it like a sheep headed to slaughter.

Non-competes are a sure sign of insecurity & paranoia of a company. It says a lot about the company who is hiring you. They know, that their competitor can make you a better offer than they can. So...Why not go explore those competitors' opportunities before you sign on the dotted line?

They can & will hold up in court (mostly). They can & will keep you from pursuing your future (mostly). They can & will keep you up at night wondering why you ever signed the thing (mostly). They are, in my opinion, immoral & unethical (ALWAYS).

I say don't sign one. Don't go to work for someone who demands you sign one. And if you are working for someone for a while and then they ask you to sign one, insist on getting legal advice first.

But if you have no other choice but to sign one...Read it. Have your attorney read it. Think about it very carefully. Your future endeavors are in jeopardy.