> I've also heard horror stories of being presented with a non-compete to sign after starting the new job and leaving previous employment. That kind of behavior

> I've also heard horror stories of being presented with a non-compete to sign after starting the new job and leaving previous employment. That kind of behavior seems especially devious, but it seems pretty common as well. It seems Texas is at-will employment and non-compete are enforceable there, which is IMHO why BS like this flies. This is luckily not common in most of the world. > Should I pass on a new job because they want me to sign a non-compete? You can always negotiate any part of the contract: - Tell them you don't sign no-competes, so you can only work with them without one. Let them reject you. - Ask for the agreement to be more strict. E.g. limit it to a sub-category, like "FX trading software". - Ask for the agreement to be a lot shorter. E.g. 1-3 months. Note that in practical term this might be the same. - Ask to be paid for the no-compete time. Good luck with that though. Of course depending on the employer and how much they want/need you, they might accept the negotiation or not.