My current job wants 4 weeks' notice, but the new place is only giving me 2 weeks
What should I do in this situation? My current job at a small law office expects 4 weeks' notice from me. Earlier today, I got a phone call with an offer for a role I interviewed for a few weeks ago. The new employer said they want me to start in 2 weeks. When I told him that my current employer requires 4 weeks' notice, he basically said: "Look... We usually only give about 2 weeks. We still need to do a background check for you, and that's usually the part that slows things down, but if you think nothing will come up, I suggest you give notice now."
That confused me a bit. Is it smart for me to give notice now when I still don't have the offer in writing? They said the written offer should come to me by email at the end of this week. Right now, they need me to send them my transcript and schedule the background check appointment. After that, they'll give me the official start date.
This is my first real full-time job, so I haven't dealt with anything like this before. Honestly, I don't know what the right thing to do is. Help me!