re: Potential employer asking me to sign an NDA

NDA's are routine in firms that have unique service or technology and they are just making sure you dont run and sell the Coco Cola formula to Pepsi... Non Competes are a different issue. I know several people who have been put in a bind because their business was sold and in order to be retained they had to sign NC's. They got disgruntled and left and had to find other opportunities until these docs expired and they could go open another business or go to work for competitor.