How long would an employer be prepared to wait?

[LFagan]

I've just accepted a short term role with an NGO, working on a project very relevant to my area of expertise. It's a 6 month fixed term contract and unlikely to be extended due to the nature of the work.

At the same time I've seen a really interesting role come up at a university in London. I was considering whether to apply, with the intention of having something lined up for when the other role finished, but wondered how long I could feasibly expect a potential employer to wait for me to start.

It's not an academic role per se, the job title is policy officer, which I'm guessing may also make them less flexible in regards to notice periods. Does anyone have experience of academic institutions being willing to take on a candidate with what will likely be a 4-5 month notice period? I know it's probably a bit of a cheeky request, but I'm wondering if it would be worth a try.

 

  

[ticktick]

Did you apply? I was about to answer, but know I am too late. 

I hope you took the chance and applied. 

[juilletmercredi]

For posterity, this depends on the employer. Most employers aren't going to be willing to wait more than a few weeks. But employers/teams that are used to hiring academics and PhDs are sometimes willing to wait a little longer, although usually not more than a few months (2-3 max, usually). Four to five months would be too long for most employers, but this is a university, and they might be more or less expecting you to start on an academic year schedule anyway.