Got the job: choosing the day to sign and the day to start

The best news in a job search is "we'd like to hire you". The next question is "when can you start?" Most of us say "as soon as possible", when there may be a better option in the same week.

What the calendar looks at

The good-days calendar rates each of the next 14 days from the lunar calendar and your birth details, per event: signing a contract, the first day at work, an interview, negotiating salary. Each day is excellent, good, fair or best avoided, and some are marked as not to be used at all.

For the day you pick it also shows the "golden windows", ideal for signing documents in the morning or afternoon.

Negotiating the start date

Most employers can move a start date by a few days. The way to ask without explaining timing is to propose a specific day with an ordinary reason:

"Could I start on Wednesday the 5th? I'd like to hand over my current work properly first."

If the company has set a date that can't move, use that day's golden window instead: start at the usual time, but do the important things, such as signing or meeting your manager, inside the window.

The signing day

An employment contract stays with you for a long time. Pick a day rated "good" or better, and read every clause before signing. A good day helps with timing; a bad clause isn't fixed by any day.