Notice periods, counter-offers and choosing between offers

In a job switch, a long notice period is handled by being accurate about it from the first call, knowing what your own contract allows on buyout and early release, and resigning only once a written offer is in hand. A counter-offer should be judged on whether it fixes the reason you looked elsewhere, and competing offers should be compared on the work, the manager, growth and stability as well as pay.

How do you handle a long notice period when switching jobs?

You handle a long notice period by treating it as a fact to plan around, not something to hide. Long notice periods are common at Indian service companies, and recruiters at Global Capability Centres deal with them regularly. What causes trouble is not the length; it is a candidate whose stated notice period changes between rounds.

Three things help. First, state the notice period exactly as written in your contract, and say separately what might be negotiable. "My notice period is 90 days; I will ask about early release once I resign, but I cannot promise it" is an answer a recruiter can work with. Second, start your search with the timeline in mind: roles that must be filled immediately are a poor fit, while planned hiring and larger teams can usually wait. Third, give the hiring team reasons to wait: a team that wants a specific person is far more flexible on dates than a team filling a seat.

Where the notice question first comes up, and how the rounds run, is set out in the GCC AI interview process.

What is a notice period buyout, and how does it work?

A notice period buyout is an arrangement in which the notice period is shortened in exchange for a payment, where the employment contract or company policy allows it. In general terms there are three possibilities, and which applies to you depends on your own documents and on agreement between the parties.

• You pay your current employer for the unserved days, if your contract gives that option.
• Your new employer covers the cost, either by paying directly or by reimbursing you. This is negotiated as part of the offer and is at the new employer's discretion.
• Your current employer releases you early without payment, usually once handover is complete. This is also discretionary.

Before you discuss buyout with anyone, read your offer letter, employment agreement and the separation policy. Look for the notice length, whether payment in lieu of notice is permitted and at whose discretion, any clause on recovering training costs or bonuses if you leave before a set date, and how leave is treated. If a new employer agrees to cover a buyout, ask for that commitment in writing in the offer, including any condition that you repay the amount if you leave within a stated period.

How do you ask for an early release?

Ask for an early release after you resign, with a handover plan that makes saying yes easy. Managers resist early release mainly because of the gap you leave, so reduce the gap.

Work at full effort through the notice period, because your manager and colleagues are future references. Leaving without serving notice or without a formal release can affect your relieving documents and background verification, so do not treat it as an option without understanding the consequences in your contract.

Should you accept a counter-offer?

Accept a counter-offer only if it fixes the actual reason you started looking, and the fix is specific and believable. A counter-offer is your current employer's response to your resignation: more pay, a new title, a different project or a promise of one.

The useful test is to write down, before you resign, why you are leaving. If the reason was pay alone and the counter-offer closes the gap, staying can be reasonable. If the reason was the type of work, such as wanting to own a product or do real AI engineering instead of client delivery, more money does not change the work, and the same dissatisfaction tends to return.

If you decline the counter-offer, do it briefly and warmly, then move straight to the handover.

How do you compare two job offers?

Compare two job offers on six factors, with pay as one of them. Pay is the easiest factor to compare, which is why it gets too much weight; the factors that decide whether you are glad of the move a year later are mostly the others.

On compensation, compare like with like. Separate the fixed part from variable pay that depends on performance or company results, and note any joining bonus that must be repaid if you leave early. How to discuss the numbers themselves is covered in salary negotiation at GCCs.

For someone moving into AI, the first factor deserves the most weight. Real model or LLM work builds skills that raise every later offer. The questions that reveal this are listed in what the hiring manager round decides. If one offer is from a GCC and one from a service company, the structural differences are in GCC vs service company.

How do you manage offer deadlines and several processes at once?

Manage offer deadlines by being open about your timeline with every recruiter. If one company makes an offer while another is still interviewing you, tell the second recruiter that you have an offer and a date by which you must respond, and ask whether the remaining rounds can be brought forward.

If you need more time on an offer, ask for a specific extension and give the reason. Do not invent a competing offer to gain time or pay; recruiters ask for details, and being caught ends the process.

What should you do during the notice period?

Use the notice period to hand over well and, after work hours, to close the skill gaps your interviews exposed. The full plan for the move, from first preparation to joining, is in moving from a service company to a GCC. If you are still at the stage of deciding what to learn, the free readiness check and roadmap on The GCC Engineer shows where to start for your target role.