Verified answer

in the US under almost every set of circumstances non-competes are not enforceable and are actually illegal in some states.

a former employer can not interfere with your ability to work in your field of expertise.

if you deal with proprietary information, bona fide trade secrets etcetera these contracts under very strict guidelines can be enforced.

there is also the question of what the employer has invested and they must prove there would be a financial loss for them to file a civil suit and win a monetary judgment.

with what you have explained it is very safe to say you have nothing to worry about but speaking with an attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction may be wise if you are uncomfortable with your decision.

If you haven't signed it yet, then ask a lawyer. Most lawyers will answer a question, but otherwise there are free law services available in most communities. They will most likely need to see what the contract says exactly.

Personally, I would never sign one. Most of them say they can take you to court and you'll be responsible for paying court costs AND their lawyer fees, which is really bad to be stuck with.

I was asked to sign one for a small print shop (franchise) years ago... sold to a new manager after being there 2 months, and the new guy's non compete agreement said I couldn't take any similiar position for ANY company with a 10 mi radius! I only lived 3 miles from them and have been doing this type of job for over 20 years... I wasn't going to let them keep me from making a living doing what I do! They actually made the girl who ran the copier sign one too! She said she knew it was dumb to sign it, but she did it anyway. So she couldn't run a copy machine within a 10 mi radius... how dumb!

I don't know what your position at CC is or how similar it would be to the PC job, but I'd have that agreement looked at by a lawyer before you do anything!

I think if you go to a competitor no matter what the job title you will hold, you could be considered to be in violation of the non compete clause of the original contract.

If I was on a jury, I'd say your guilty of breech of contract.

I'd side with your former company.

They're just afraid that you'll take what you know about your ex-employer and share it with your new employer. Personally, I wouldn't sign a non-compete contract.