Tricks for taking time off for interviews

[Salgar]

Hi all,

I am hoping you all have some wonderful ideas for how I can take time off to go for interviews.

I've recently started to aggressively look for other work, and getting interviews hasn't been a problem. So far I've had one a couple of weeks ago, which nicely coincident with some holiday I was taking anyway, so I just extended my holiday by a day.

But now I've been back at work for a few days, and have two phone interviews and a face-to-face interview on Thursday morning, evening and Friday morning. I think this time I'm going to have to pull a sickie on Thursday, and then somehow arrange to go to work late on Friday, but I can't prearrange that as it'll look pretty suspicious.

Also I only have 3 days of holiday left for the year.

Basically, I need my boss not to get suspicious, just in case I don't get any of these jobs (I hope this won't be the case).

Anyone have any good tricks/excuses?

[R1 Indy]

How about tell your boss the truth?

Im sure he would appreciate you being honest, and will try and make a deal with you. Or even find out why you want to leave.

Where as if he catches you pulling a false sicki, you could end up with no job, and I'm sure a potential new employer won't be impressed if they were to find out!

[rog007]

Salgar said:

Hi all,

I am hoping you all have some wonderful ideas for how I can take time off to go for interviews...Anyone have any good tricks/excuses?

Annual leave.

[martin84]

Whether you tell them the truth or not depends on your relationship with your employer. If you're going to be in a position of getting the stty end of the stick for the next few months should your search not pan out, you'll probably want to find another non-pisstakey way of getting time off.

[Murph7355]

Ask yourself how you'd feel if your employer lied to you to suit their own ends.

Organise the interviews fully in your own time and avoid having to lie.

A long time ago someone advised me that you should always aim to leave a job on good terms and not take the piss. It was very good advice. You never know where you might meet someone again, or who knows who.

[0a]

I appreciate the thought that you should try and avoid lying to your employer, however it is sometimes the case that you think an employer will act very negatively to you seeking other work.

I have used doctors and dentist appointments as an excuse before, either making up the time or taking annual leave.

[Murph7355]

0a said:

I appreciate the thought that you should try and avoid lying to your employer, however it is sometimes the case that you think an employer will act very negatively to you seeking other work.

I have used doctors and dentist appointments as an excuse before, either making up the time or taking annual leave.

There's no obligation to tell an employer what you're doing with your annual leave, early mornings or late evenings.

But "pulling a sickie" is wrong. If you're a perm employee you will be getting paid for it. Not to put too fine a point on it, that's fraud. Moreover, your colleagues are likely to have to take up the slack.

[Fatman2]

Annual Leave all the way.

Sorry to get all righteous but you wouldn't take a sickie to do any other personal pursuits (unless you have no pride) so why do so when you're planning your exit?

Do the right thing and use up your remaining leave.

[Use Psychology]

what would you tell the interviewer if they asked you how you got the time off?
do that.

[Xaero]

Grandparent dying, you've got 4 chances for interviews then.

Dentists often need repeat appointments too.

You're obviously screwed if you actually need the dentist or a grandparent dies though.

I'd use leave if you have it, you're entitled to it and its the honest way.

[matt28]

Salgar said:

But now I've been back at work for a few days, and have two phone interviews and a face-to-face interview on Thursday morning, evening and Friday morning. I think this time I'm going to have to pull a sickie on Thursday, and then somehow arrange to go to work late on Friday, but I can't prearrange that as it'll look pretty suspicious.

It'll look a whole lot more suspicious if you take sick days and then resign a couple of days later due to a new job.

If you've got 3 days of leave left, that's 6 half day interviews if you schedule them sensibly. Phone interviews could be done on a lunch break.

[thetapeworm]

Just ask for unpaid / annual leave - if it's too short notice try to reschedule the interviews, if they like the look of you this shouldn't be an issue.

At least with this approach you don't have to tell any lies and you have the full days to prepare instead of having a stressful morning in the office that ruins your head for the interview later on.

Why do you want to leave? Is there any scope this can be addressed?

Pot / kettle here, I've been wanting to leave for 5 years and still haven't, I get interviews and then can't get the time off because I work for a bunch of evil monsters.

[smashing]

matt28 said:

It'll look a whole lot more suspicious if you take sick days and then resign a couple of days later due to a new job.

If you've got 3 days of leave left, that's 6 half day interviews if you schedule them sensibly. Phone interviews could be done on a lunch break.

Totally this!!

[wormburner]

thetapeworm said:

Pot / kettle here, I've been wanting to leave for 5 years and still haven't, I get interviews and then can't get the time off because I work for a bunch of evil monsters.

You are a slave. Are you posting from the past?

[Firefoot]

Xaero said:

Grandparent dying, you've got 4 chances for interviews then.

One of our employees tried this. Only problem was, the company he was going to for interview is well known to us and it took less time to get back to us that he was there than his actual interview took.

Needless to say, it did not end well for him and the other company didn't offer him the job.

[M3Charlie]

When I recently changed jobs and got offered an interview I told them I couldn't make the time or day they wanted and they rescheduled to fit in around me. Same thing for the second stage of interviews. If they want you they will reschedule. Employers understand that you can't always get time off from your current job

[hyperblue]

Take annual leave. The prospective employer will understand if you need a bit of notice to organise. Your current employer probably doesn't care why you're taking time off, but try and schedule for Friday or Monday for long weekends.

[icetea]

matt28 said:

It'll look a whole lot more suspicious if you take sick days and then resign a couple of days later due to a new job.
.

But who cares at that point? You're on the way out the door anyway.

[0a]

Murph7355 said:

There's no obligation to tell an employer what you're doing with your annual leave, early mornings or late evenings.

But "pulling a sickie" is wrong. If you're a perm employee you will be getting paid for it. Not to put too fine a point on it, that's fraud. Moreover, your colleagues are likely to have to take up the slack.

You must be lucky to work in an environment where this is possible. I've done the doctors thing in the past because annual leave needed several weeks notice or would be refused, and explaining you needed time off for an interview would result in an impossible work environment.

Life is imperfect sometimes and you have to take the best route available in the circumstances.

I would always make up doctor/dentist time in any case.

[matt28]

icetea said:

But who cares at that point? You're on the way out the door anyway.

It's rarely a good thing to burn bridges... not just for references, but you never know which paths will cross in the future.