Non-competes don't prevent you from working at other companies. They only prevent you from actively pursuing work elsewhere. If you signed a non-compete for wor

Non-competes don't prevent you from working at other companies. They only prevent you from actively pursuing work elsewhere. If you signed a non-compete for working on the iPhone you would be allowed to accept a job at HTC, but you couldn't go "I work at Apple and know all their secrets so hire me!" Additionally they can't prevent you from finding work. If you had a very specific expertise on phone antennas, and you had a non-compete for working on the iPhone, the contract would virtually have no relevance.