This is for those of you that do the hiring at your job

[kydisneyfans]

Don't need to know in round 1, should be mentioned in any followup/offer. I agree that 2 vacations within the first 5-6 months is pushing things, when there are other qualified people available without those plans.

I would also stay away from any type of retail, you won't get any time off in December.

 

[quentina]

I have been self employed for many, many years, but in the last year or so, many of my regular clients have cut drastically back. I understand this completely, as I have done so with my own budget. So, I am not earning as much as I have earned in the past. Something I know we can all feel, at times, with the current state of the economy between our wages and benefits. I am entertaining the idea of perhaps working for someone else to supplement my income. My hesitation is that I want to be able to keep our scheduled WDW vacations for December and next March. DH is the breadwinner, so please no flames about being thankful to have any job and my being obnoxious about wanting to keep my vacations. This would be a non-issue if our situation were different...trust me. We stay on DVC points. So, what points we don't use, and are not bankable, are just lost.

So, should I be up front about this in any interview I have, should I not say anything until we are in more serious talks about a job, should I say nothing until after I am in the job for a while. I want to be as fair as I can be, but at the same time I don't want doors slammed in my face because of one week in December and one week in March. I do not plan on seeking anything at a "corporate" type place, where you get one weeks vacation, after a year and you have an HR department to send all time-off request to. Been there, done that. I'll be focusing on smaller establishments, where we will work with one another. Where I can work extra hour, both before and after my vacation, so that the company will not get behind in any way. Or, I can work a little double time so someone else can take time off. Basically, a little more mom and pop type company, where we work together and help each other out.

So, what would you do? How would you handle it. Would you lay all your cards on the table...up front. Wait until you're given a job offer. Perhaps ask in the interview how they feel about this type thing, etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks all.

Interview and if offered a position, tell them that you are interested however; you do have pre-planned vacation at XXX time and will it be an issue. I have never turned someone down based on honesty up front. I have turned down one person who intentionally kept it from me (there was also some underlying issues). Honesty is always the best policy!!

 

[csharpwv]

That's a really tough call -

I recently interviewed - and when they started reviewing what the typical work cycle was through out the year a red flag went up for me as a two week vacation in December is totally planned - reserved - and a large portion non-refundable. I was up front with them about the planned vacation - and in the end I was offered the position, and there was no problem accommodating the vacation THIS year - but I was informed that it would not be allowed in the future.

I ended up not accepting the position for many reasons, BUT - there is value in honesty IF and WHEN it is appropriate to the employment conversation. In my situation I was told what I would/should be doing for those two weeks and felt as though I needed to mention our plans. SO it fit into the conversation - and frankly I don't want to work for anyone who is extremely strict about vacation time and very unrealistic when it comes to not providing enough paid days off per year to rest, relax, and reinvigorate.

I guess I am spoiled!

Anyway - go with your gut feeling. If the employer is very limiting and strict about vacations - run the other way!