How to answer: “When can you start?”

What they’re actually asking

Sounds logistical, but it's an integrity probe: candidates who'd ditch a two-week notice to start Monday are showing this employer exactly how they'll one day leave THEM. The right answer balances eagerness with professionalism — and doesn't accidentally negotiate away thinking time on an offer.

How to structure your answer

If employed: enthusiasm first, then the honest notice period, framed as the professionalism it is. If not employed: quickly, but claim any real gap you need without apology. Either way, distinguish 'when I can start' from 'I accept' — this question sometimes arrives before the offer does, and answering it isn't accepting anything.

Example answer

“I'm excited to get going, so here's the honest math: I owe my current team two weeks' notice, and I'll finish the project I'm leading mid-transition rather than dropping it on a teammate — that's about three weeks total. I'd want to be remembered there the way I intend to be here. So: three weeks from a signed offer. And I'll flag the obvious — that timeline starts once we've closed the offer itself, which I'm hoping we're close on.”

What sinks people

• "Tomorrow!" while currently employed — they hear how you’ll eventually quit on them
• Apologizing for a notice period. It’s evidence of professionalism, not an obstacle.
• Treating the question as an accepted offer and negotiating start dates before terms