Interview advise

[Cowgirlroy]

Hey dissers
got a question. My fiancé finished school last year and has had a tough time finding a fulltime job with the whole market thing . Anyway the three month contract he has is almost up and he got an interview coming up for fulltime. We have a dcl booked end of April. He is worried this trip may effect him getting a job. I told him as long as u are honest and tell them striaght up about the trip coming up it should not be a problem. Any of u encounter this before? What you think?
Seems too late to cancel.
Should point out we 25 years old. I worked for the same place for four years and this wasn't an issue in my interview. Anyway just need some reasuring I guess.

 

[handinpocket]

My advice is to scratch the vacation and take the job. In this economy, it would be insane to even mention a vacation if you are a new hire. jmo.

 

[Cowgirlroy]

It is still an interview there is no gurantee and all the money would be lost at this point that we saved up. Our economy in Canada isn't as bad as it is in the states. I should point these out too.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I think if they want him badly enough, then the vacation will not matter. I would still be up front about the vacation, but not until the talks with the company begin to get serious. I wouldn't blurt it out in the first five minutes of the first interview, but mention it in the second interview - maybe around the time when they're talking about when the job officially starts. He can offer up a cancellation, but I wouldn't do anything drastic until a job offer is made. Hope it goes well for him.

 

[handinpocket]

Well, if you guys aren't hurting, then I would just be up front and ask if the vacation would be a problem. Hopefully, it won't be and you guys can still have a great time!

 

[FireDancer]

When I took my current job I had a couple of trips planned. I let them know about them and that I would appreciate it if I could still take the time needed for them but also let them know that if it was not an option I would gladly cancel them. Some of it is all in the delivery. Make sure you tell them about it in a way that sounds like you really don't care if you have to cancel instead of in a way that sounds like you are begging them to still let you take it. Like everything else in the interview how you say what you say is just as important as what you say.

I see no reason why this would impact your likelihood of getting the job if you are the candidate they want. If they don't mind you taking the time you still get to go on the trip. If they can't let you have the time but want you they know you will cancel the trip for the job and you can make that decision when the job is a definite instead of a possibility.

 

[pilotwife_02]

When I took my current job I had a couple of trips planned. I let them know about them and that I would appreciate it if I could still take the time needed for them but also let them know that if it was not an option I would gladly cancel them. Some of it is all in the delivery. Make sure you tell them about it in a way that sounds like you really don't care if you have to cancel instead of in a way that sounds like you are begging them to still let you take it. Like everything else in the interview how you say what you say is just as important as what you say.

I see no reason why this would impact your likelihood of getting the job if you are the candidate they want. If they don't mind you taking the time you still get to go on the trip. If they can't let you have the time but want you they know you will cancel the trip for the job and you can make that decision when the job is a definite instead of a possibility.

I agree with this. I have a 2 week Disney trip planned in May just 2 months into my new job that I start on Monday I didn't tell them until my second interview. I mentioned it casually and thankfully they said "of course, it's summer, everyone has vacations, it's not an issue." The lady asked "Where are going?" When I told her Disney. She said "for 2 weeks, are you crazy?" I said "I might be"

Anyway, I told them that was the only vacation I had planned for the year. Thankfully that are a VERY family friendly company and they understood and still offered me the job!! I honestly wasn't going to cancel my trip for the job, we have family going we have a lot of money already invested in the trip, etc. but it's nice to not have to give up a job!

Good luck to your fiance!

 

[golfgal]

I would NOT discuss this in the first interview or even subsequent interviews until they actually present him with a job offer. They will most likely ask about any days you know you need off anyway at that point and time--employers are smart that way. If they give him a hard time about it that might give you pause to actually wanting to work for that company honestly.

If he talks about this in an interview it is going to give the company the wrong impression.

 

[Forevryoung]

I was in a "similar position" at the beginning of February when I had a job interview. I had scheduled a conference out of town for the first week in March and was worried that it would be a conflict.

By the time the company gave me an answer, it was already the first week in March and wasn't an issue. However, my start date was 3 weeks (now 2 weeks) away at the END of March.

I don't know when in April your trip is or how soon your Fiance would be asked to start. It might just be a moot point (and start after the trip naturally).

 

[Disney Doll]

Everyone I've ever known who has been in this situation of job hunting with a vacation planned as just been honest and told the company when they got to the point of a job offer, and it hasn't been a problem.

I know it's a tough job market and all, but any employer who would take issue with doing a normal thing like vacationing is one I'd probably think twice about working for. It's called work/life balance and we all need it, even in hard times.

 

[LuvOrlando]

There was a time when everyone I knew took jobs with pre-planned vacations and it was no big deal, but things have changed and people are desperate. What if it's a choice between your guy and someone who tells them about having a family dependent on them ect, do you really want to give the impression you guys don't need the money? I wouldn't bring it up until given a job offer. Jobs are too hard to come by and with hundreds of applicants for every position I can't see how it would be good idea to give someone a negative up front when there are people who would give up anything for a shot at a job. If they like him, and offer him a job, and he starts THEN he could mention that he has a trip planned but even then I wouldn't say where.

We went to WDW last week and I was outright embarrassed to tell certain people I was going... I even had one or 2 people call me 'rich' because of it saying, "It must be nice to be rich enough to do stuff like that" which made me feel I was just happy to do what I always do, but the fact is many people are hurting and some things we used to take for granted are now luxuries perceived like bragging. It hurt me to realize I had hurt my friends. The last thing you want to do is foster resentment from a new boss or co-workers who may have very big problems on their plates KWIM.

We're going away again in June and have decided to keep my mouth shut about it because of the way things are.

 

[Disney Doll]

I never apologize for taking vacations.