I’ve missed out on a few interviews all together because I didn’t get enough notice to get time off from my current job and I don’t feel comfortable calling off work for an interview when lately it seems like 9 times out of 10 I might not get the job anyway.
I’ve had employers say they hope to interview on “X” day but can’t confirm a time. Then the night before they’ll send an email confirmation without calling to confirm I’m available or anything. Then I end up canceling because I don’t want to call off from work.
To me, 72 hours is reasonable. It’s enough time for me to have a reasonable “excuse” for asking to be off. Maybe I’m expecting too much. Even now, I had a phone interview on Monday. The employer said they’re aiming for Friday in person but didn’t know what time. This afternoon they emailed me a confirmation saying I’m interviewing Friday morning. So I’ll have to go to work tomorrow and come up with an excuse to be off the very next morning.
I thought about requesting off Monday when they first called me. But I had no way to know for sure if they’d actually call me back or what time it would be for and I didn’t want (nor have time/money) to request the whole day off just in case they call. What are your thoughts on how to handle this? It seems short notice is becoming the norm. Maybe I’m just not keeping up.
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It's a convenience to them with no regard for someone who has a job. I once interviewed with a company that was adamant that a new hire start immediately without giving any notice to their current job. I declined to do that and the interviewer (a VP for an insurance company) was incredulous. I told him it was unlikely he'd be happy if a current employee of his walked out with no notice to accept a new job. He had no comment.
You are wrong. A prospective employer will give you 3 days notice to make it simple for you. You have to switch gears the moment they inform you of a pending time slot and find a way to notify your current job. You already know the interview is on Friday. Why are you waiting to tell your current job you want time off? You cannot tell a prospective employer when YOU want to be interviewed. It does not work like that. Get your head on straight.
I despise companies that do that. Do they not even consider the possibility that people might need some advance notice to schedule it? Or are they well aware of it but just don't care? Either way it's disrespectful.
Last time it happened to me was in February. An HR person called me at 4 p.m., had a five minute discussion, then asked me to come in for an interview at 10 a.m. the next morning. When I asked if it could be done two days later, the answer was "no, they want to do all interviews on the same day." So I agreed but went to work as usual the next day. My way of fighting back for them wasting my time.
i am depressed //
You jump through their hoops for their job...pretty common.
The convenience depends on who has the upper hand in the "market". Presumably potential employers have more applicants than they have jobs for, thus they can call the timings. It is called "the real world" - which does not owe you (specifically) a living. The employer is simply interested in finding a suitable person for the job, from a choice of probably several well-qualified applicants.
Indicate that you are currently working and need more than a 12 hour notice. They assume anyone looking isn't employed and can come when needed. You're not giving them enough info.
Tell them you are working and can meet them before or after working hours.
They work full time too. Interviewing you is not the only thing on their to do list. As they probably have 100+ applicants they do not need to rearrange their schedule to suit you.
They aren't head hunters? Head hunters would bend over backwards so it would seem that you have submitted applications for positions you'd prefer over the one you current have. And you aren't a Vice President or the manager of two states where they realize that you are leaving an excellent job for theirs.. should they hire you. A job that is likely a sideways move for an undisclosed by likely interesting reason and you've researched their company and have an offer to give them about how you can be of great service to them and they're anxious to hear it because they're predisposed to believe it's true!
That does not seem to be where you are coming from. You want a different job, you want to land it on the side (millions are in your situation).. what sort of notice are you going to tell your new employer that you require to give your current employer? I'm curious about that because you desire 72 hours notice as "reasonable" for an interview... what if they offered you the job? Would you need a month, 6 weeks, two weeks... what sort of notice would you give at your current job? I ask that because they will ask you that. It's a rather serious measure of a future employee.
Just keep in mind that respect and loyalty flows in all directions. In all directions.