Accepting a new job is a terrific feeling. But if you have been looking for a while, or if you have gotten the offer for a dream job, you may be skittish about answering the impending question: “when can you start?” You may want to tell the company that you can start tomorrow, and then are stuck not giving your current employer any notice. This is not a good business practice and can cause problems later on.

Employers will understand if their newly hired candidate needs two weeks to give their current employer proper notice. In fact, many employers will see this as a sign of respect on the part of the new hire. They will know you take the company’s policies into consideration with your decisions, and this will make you even more attractive as an employee.