Author Topic: Scheduling interviews while employed?  (Read 4587 times)

jeromedawg

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Scheduling interviews while employed?
« on: October 26, 2015, 06:31:51 PM »
Hey guys,

Just wanted to get some practical advice on the best way to go about scheduling interviews while currently employed. I don't want my current employer to know I'm looking but I do want to be honest about my time off. One of my upcoming interviews is slated to be the better half of a day so I'd probably need to take the early/mid afternoon off. I would lean towards using PTO time but what do I tell my manager? "Oh I have to leave early next Wednesday because I have some things I have to take care of?"

seattlecyclone

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2015, 06:48:03 PM »
I find it's easier to do these interviews on Mondays or Fridays so you can just say you'd like to take a long weekend.

jeromedawg

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2015, 06:51:26 PM »
I find it's easier to do these interviews on Mondays or Fridays so you can just say you'd like to take a long weekend.


Good point, but what about all the stigma of scheduling interviews on Mondays and Fridays? Mondays are supposedly bad because it's the beginning of the week and that's when people are catching up and busy and Fridays are the end of the week where everyone wants to go home and will rush you out of the interview esp if it's in the afternoon...LOL

So far I'm looking at Tuesday. I figure screw it - my company has already given me advanced notice for June of next year, so why should I care if they know (especially because they've promised me a decent bonus if I stay through the termination date, which gives them more incentive not to care if I jump ship early)

seattlecyclone

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2015, 06:57:01 PM »
I find it's easier to do these interviews on Mondays or Fridays so you can just say you'd like to take a long weekend.


Good point, but what about all the stigma of scheduling interviews on Mondays and Fridays? Mondays are supposedly bad because it's the beginning of the week and that's when people are catching up and busy and Fridays are the end of the week where everyone wants to go home and will rush you out of the interview esp if it's in the afternoon...LOL

So far I'm looking at Tuesday. I figure screw it - my company has already given me advanced notice for June of next year, so why should I care if they know (especially because they've promised me a decent bonus if I stay through the termination date, which gives them more incentive not to care if I jump ship early)

I have done in-person interviews on Mondays or Fridays exclusively, and it has worked out fine. If a company can't find someone to interview you in a professional manner at a time that is convenient to you, that might be a sign that you don't want to work there anyway.

rockstache

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2015, 07:00:52 PM »
I just say I have an appointment. They usually assume it's a doctor appointment. I generally do tues/thurs for the reasons  you said.

jeromedawg

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2015, 07:01:40 PM »
I find it's easier to do these interviews on Mondays or Fridays so you can just say you'd like to take a long weekend.


Good point, but what about all the stigma of scheduling interviews on Mondays and Fridays? Mondays are supposedly bad because it's the beginning of the week and that's when people are catching up and busy and Fridays are the end of the week where everyone wants to go home and will rush you out of the interview esp if it's in the afternoon...LOL

So far I'm looking at Tuesday. I figure screw it - my company has already given me advanced notice for June of next year, so why should I care if they know (especially because they've promised me a decent bonus if I stay through the termination date, which gives them more incentive not to care if I jump ship early)

I have done in-person interviews on Mondays or Fridays exclusively, and it has worked out fine. If a company can't find someone to interview you in a professional manner at a time that is convenient to you, that might be a sign that you don't want to work there anyway.

I don't think they have qualms doing a Monday or Friday interview - I just avoided it in my mind because those don't seem like the most "optimal" days. Plus, it's supposedly going to be a four hour interview :X

I could ask for Monday and they'd probably be cool with it but I always feel "out of it" on Mondays. Friday would be fine for them too (since I actually requested Friday this week but realized it's Halloween haha) but it would end up being *next* Friday and that seems kind of pushed back too far for me. I'd rather get it done sooner than later since they got back to me this last Thursday requesting for an in-person interview. From what I gather about the company and culture though, they're pretty laid back in general - it doesn't seem like they're in too big of a rush to hire people on right now at least. I was just referred to them from an old coworker who works there... the position isn't even officially posted I think, so I guess they're just going by referral now and not rushing it.

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2015, 08:26:47 PM »
Doctor's appointment, family emergency, or sick day (DH calls it "having the interflu".)

jeromedawg

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2015, 10:24:35 PM »
(DH calls it "having the interflu".)

LIKE!

The_path_less_taken

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2015, 06:01:24 AM »
I have managed in the past to combine crap: a doc appointment and the interview.

But at this point I'm taking the interview. You should too if your company already has a termination date.

"I'm going to need to leave early Tuesday, sorry. Some personal stuff."


pbkmaine

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2015, 06:58:45 AM »
You are getting your will done. You are taking a mental health day. You are running errands. You are going to a museum exhibit. You are going to a hockey/soccer/football game. You want to spend the day with your grandma/grandpa/mom/dad/aunt/sister-in-law who is coming in from out of town/in a nursing home/having a birthday. You are taking care of your niece/nephew. You want to spend a day reading murder mysteries/watching Star Trek reruns/preparing to run a marathon.

nobody123

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2015, 08:08:10 AM »
Just take PTO and be done with it.  If anyone asks why, just say you have a family matter to attend to.

rugorak

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2015, 08:35:48 AM »
As others have said just say you have an appointment. It is personal time and in many places it is illegal to ask you anything. The only reason to ever say what you have is if you are afraid you won't get it off. Even then they cannot legally ask you why. And middle of the week usually is not an issue as most people ask for long weekends.

An appointment could be a ton of non-job interview things. It could be a vet appointment, it could be for your car. It could be with a lawyer. Or a contractor. Hell it could be a support group or counselor or something. Leave it vague. And if people ask you can just say you don't want to talk about it. Everyone is allowed to have some stuff they don't want to talk to everyone and their brother about.

AZDude

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Re: Scheduling interviews while employed?
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2015, 09:29:54 AM »
You do not owe your manager an explanation. Just say you are taking some time off. If pressed, say it is for personal reasons. Do not be rude, but at the same time, your time is your time, and you need to let your supervisor know that.

 

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