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Interview times
I work in an office, with alternating week schedules: 9-6 one week, with Tuesday off, and 8-5 the following week, with Saturday off. I had a call last Tuesday (my day off) from an employer asking for an interview. She asked what time I was available, and I told her "after 6 pm this week or after 5 pm next week" was all I had available. She said she'd get back to me after she checked her schedule.
We are NOT allowed to take time off during work hours. If you have a doctor's appointment, you are told to schedule it for your weekday off (which you only get one every two weeks). Plus, I do not feel comfortable lying, even if I could convince my boss it was a dire emergency.
I'm not really sure what to do. I called the woman back this morning to ask if she'd found a time that would work, and she said she was out of town, but she'd have her general manager give me a call today or tomorrow.
The job is for an assistant manager at a restaurant, and if the salary ends up being in line with what I want, then I really, really want this job. And after 5pm is the absolute WORST time to go bothering management in a restaurant, I know this very well, but there really isn't any other option. The woman on the phone said they did not want to wait 2 weeks until I had another Tuesday off.
Any advice on how to handle this? I don't want to come across as demanding that everything must be on my terms, but they aren't my terms at all, they are my employer's.
Re: Interview times
Did you explain to her the reason why you have those times, or did you just say "after 5 or after 6"? That can make a difference.
ETA: Can you not call in sick? I'd call in sick.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
Yes, I explained my work schedule over the phone. However, that doesn't make it any more convenient a time in the restaurant.
There are a couple problems with calling in sick - #1 I haven't been sick in over 2 years, if I called in sick the day after I looked perfectly healthy and came in looking fine the day after, it would definitely raise suspicion (and I don't like lying). And #2, the place where I would be interviewing is directly across the street from one of our branch stores, where everyone knows me (and my very recognizable car). The storefront windows look straight into the restaurant.
Do you not get a lunch break? Let's say you went on your day off, would they not think that was weird too? Can you not go in around 8 or 9 when it's a bit slower?
Not sure what options you expect to hear, when your situation seems quite limited.
74 books read in 2011
Lunch is no good because it's too far to drive and be back in the hour I have. I don't think it would seem weird for me to go into a restaurant in the middle of the day on my day off, I would think people would assume I was eating there. But if they tried to call me and were told I was sick, but they had just seen me across the street, I don't think that would go over well.
I'm not so much asking when I can go, because I really don't have any other options open to me, as what I can do to keep the interviewer from thinking I'm selfish and demanding and unwilling to work with them.
74 books read in 2011
You've done what you can. Now you'll just have to let the chips fall where they may.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
This.
Huh?
You cooked dinner last night and apparently the meat/dairy/veggies you used were bad and you have a downright awful case of food poisoning and need the day off otherwise you'll be spending it in the workplace bathroom.
Then drive your husband's car to the interview and park in the back.
I admire your desire to be honest, but if you want out as bad as you say you want, then you have to think of some ways to get to that interview.
I rarely get sick and because of that, whenever I have called in sick, my managers have always said, "Wow, she must really be sick."
As someone who interviews potential new hires, if I were you I wouldn't hold my breath waiting to hear back from them. I wouldn't bother pursuing you for an interview if you were that unwilling to meet me half-way.
I agree with this 100% and couldn't have said it better myself.
Wow. So much for having integrity and honesty. I would never hire someone knowing they'd lied to their current employer to get the interview, because I'd know for sure they'd be willing to lie to me. I can't believe the amount of dishonesty in the world. If you are my employer, everything else takes second place when I am scheduled to work for you. And that's the only kind of employee I'd want.
You and your family should be the first priority in your life - not your employer.
You are not THEIR top priority, they should not be yours. Work to live - don't live to work.
74 books read in 2011
You wanted opinions - as someone who interviews, I've usually got a stack of resumes to go through. Obviously yours stood out to them, since they called you. But if you think that they're going to bend over backwards to accomodate your schedule in order to interview you, you're naive. They've probably already moved on to the next candidates, who ARE able to meet with them.
And here's another thing - I've never lied to get out of work to go to an interview. I've always simply asked for the day off. I've never had to explain myself, either to the current employer or the person who is interviewing me (do you really think that the interviewer is going to ask you how you got out of work to meet them?).
This is how the world works nowdays. Sorry if it's cruel or dishonest, but if everyone felt bad to take an afternoon off for an interview no one would be moving up career wise. I'm not saying call in sick whenever you don't feel like going to work. In fact, I am like you, the only 3 times in the last 10 years I called in sick was when it was an emergency.
You, your family and career should be your priority not your employer's feeling. If you want to be honest, you can certainly tell them you need time off to go to an interview. My last employer knew I was job searching because I had sat down with my boss and we had discussed that the room for my growth was not there so she knew that I was looking for a new job and was more than supportive. This is not necessarily the norm though, and people need to take time off during a work day to go to interviews.
You wanted opinion, we are giving it to you. PP tried to give you ideas on making it work. Sometimes opinions are unpleasant truth, no need to be defensive or blame the agony in the world.
This this this. In fact, the job that I'll be starting on Monday? The director I'll be reporting to, when I was interviewing with him said, "Let's see if we can get everyone together for the next round - no sense in having you call in sick again if that's what you did or having another unexplained day off soon."
Honesty and integrity are important - no one said it wasn't. However that being said, companies are going to move on to the next prospect if you can't or won't be willing to meet them halfway for a job interview.
Also, I would never hire someone who made their work their priority and everything else second. I want loyalty and integrity. I don't want a workaholic drone because I don't think that makes a person well rounded.
This discussion reminded of something funny. My DH's last company was going under and this was clear to all. So even though my DH loved his job he knew he'd be jobless soon and had to be proactive and look for jobs. So one day DH's boss came to work all dressed up (their usual dress code is jeans and tshirt) so when someone comes in a suit they'd stand out. (I guess bringing interview clothes to change was not an option.) When my DH was surprised to see his boss in a suit, he commented and the boss said "i'm going to lunch with my wife" and winked at him. A few days later, my DH had an interview scheduled in the afternoon and went to his work in a suit in the morning and his boss said "oh are you having lunch with your wife too?" my DH is like "yea it's at the same nice restaurant."
Moral of the story: they all knew everyone was interviewing even though they didn't explicitly talked about their actual interview. So there is that type of environment too when everyone including the boss knows you are interviewing and sees no problem in you taking time off during lunch. You can maybe sit down and talk with your current boss then you won't feel guilty about taking time off to go to the interview.
DS1 born June 2008 | m/c at 9w March 2011 | DS2 born April 2012