Job Interview – You’re Working – What do you do?
When you are looking for a new job and you don’t want to make your current boss suspicious –what do you do? Doctor appointments are going to sound fishy after a while. But you will have to come up with some really good excuses as to why you need time off and you are all dressed up. Here are some tips that may help you:
See if you can get an early/late interview
It is worth explaining to a prospective employer that it is very difficult to get time off work and ask if it is possible to have an interview outside of working hours – you never know…
Take a day’s holiday
If you are planning to leave your current role you may as well use up your holiday entitlement before you go. If you have the day off you will be able to attend the interview calmly and will not worry if the interview takes longer than scheduled.
Ask for a flexi day
Explain to your boss that you have a personal issue you need to attend to (it’s not a lie) and can you start early and finish early on the day of the interview. If you put in the same hours there shouldn’t be a problem.
Ask the employer for a telephone or skype interview
Rather than trying to sneak out of work why not ask the prospective employer if for the first interview this can be conducted either over the telephone or by skype. That way it can be completed during your lunch time.
Try to build flexible working into your normal day
Everyone nowadays has the right to ask for flexible working hours, you won’t necessarily get them but you can ask, if your boss agrees this gives you the flexibility to go for interviews when you want providing you make the hours up.
Ask for time off – but be vague
You don’t have to give a specific excuse if you ask to leave early – be vague, say you have an appointment but don’t say what the appointment is for, if pushed say it is a personal matter – this is not a lie.
Book a long weekends
Again use your accrued holiday but this time plan it, book two long weekends, two weeks apart, on the two days you have off try to arrange as many interviews as possible, you should be able to attend three interviews in a day if they are all in the same area.
Tell a fib
Doctor, dentist, hospital appointments are the common excuses given if you are going to fib. We don’t endorse fibbing but if you really can’t get time off any other way it may be a route you will have to go – just remember fibs have a nasty way of being found out so be careful.
We hope that this helps you, it is never easy looking for a new job when you are employed, but it is possible if you do it right.
Happy Job Search!