[tobiasSoftware]

I really want an answer to this too. I just graduated, am nearly broke so I need my first job. However, I have several ideas for a startup that I want to implement soon, I'm at the point where I can have a working business within a couple months. The problem is that I know getting a startup to the point where you can live off of it will take much longer, thus I NEED a real job, and want the startup just to be a few hours a week on the side for the next couple years. However, this startup is my life dream, I don't care if I can't live off of it but I need to get it out there and see what happens at least, and I am pretty sure I would turn down a job if it prevented me from doing that. So I'm kind of stuck if companies will truly demand me to turn over any programming that I do during my employment with them.

[rmc]

There is no hard and fast rule. There are loads of Real Jobs™ that don't require any sort of NDA/IP thing. It is definitly not 'standard' for all tech jobs to include that. Also, if a contract has that stuff, you are free to negotiate that. There is no philosophical difference between negotiating about salary, and negotiating about out of hours work.

There is a shortage of IT talent. Ergo you are in a strong bargaining position.