New job or vacation? Can I have both?

April 27, 2006 12:52 PM

So I'm looking for a new job but I'm also currently planning a vacation in mid-June. Will the vacation affect my chances for an opportunity which requires my immediate availability?

I've already read a similar post here http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/31383 but my situation is different in that my start date and vacation days may be very close together and my vacation is not yet set in stone.

Of course this is all speculation, banking on the fact that I actually do get an offer, but I'd like to think out my options anyway.

Unfortunately, mid-June is the only opportunity for my significant other to take any time off this year. We haven't planned it yet, but we're probably looking at a week or two in Greece. Longer is better, but I'm afraid that it might hurt my chances on finding work which requires me to start immediately.

Ideally I could start work, then take the vacation days (unpaid leave is ok).

What do I say about my availability when it comes up while interviewing? Will the amount of vacation time make a difference? 1 week does sound short for Greece but we can make it happen if it'll help my chances.

posted by pooya to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

I've always found that being upfront about any pending appointments or scheduled vacations is best when interviewing.

I've never had a potential employer say it was a problem.

Even if your plans aren't yet set in stone, give them an idea as to the date and how long you'll be gone. (I even got an extra paid week's leave once due to this type of situation!)
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 12:58 PM on April 27, 2006

Just tell them. People have lives, nobody's going to think anything of it. If anyone does (barring that being the Big Sales Month or whatever, major industry deadlines and the like), then you don't want to work there.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:30 PM on April 27, 2006

As long as you mention your vacation plans when availability comes up, it shouldn't be a problem. Unless they're really understaffed or in a crunch, I can't imagine why they'd have a problem with it as long as you were upfront about it.

When I interviewed for my current job, I had a similar situation. I just let the interviewers know and they said that would be fine. Like SoftSummerBreeze, I negotiated a week's paid leave upfront as a result.
posted by zannah at 1:37 PM on April 27, 2006

I had that happen to me last summer. Hadn't expected to land a new job as soon as I did. But right when they offered me the job I said that I had a vacation scheduled and gave them the dates. I expected them to rescind the offer, but they agreed to it and still hired me. And everything was fine.

Before I left the previous job I asked my old HR person if that was an OK thing for me to have done and she said that it was a really common thing to happen and I shouldn't worry.

So it happens.
posted by box elder at 1:44 PM on April 27, 2006

I was interviewing for a job at the end of April last year, and I had a two-week-long vacation planned for May 17. I was just up front, told them that I had a vacation planned and if I started I would be taking two weeks off, or I would start on June 1 (a day after I returned). They were very understanding, and I did end up getting more than one offer. The firm I signed on with had me come in for a day before I left on my trip, and I did all the paperwork and met my secretary and did what I could in a day. I left on my vacation and returned and nothing was ever said about anything. They paid me at an hourly rate for that one day I was there, and then my salary began on June 1.
posted by MeetMegan at 1:47 PM on April 27, 2006

Oh, duh, my advice is the same as everyone else's - be up front.
posted by MeetMegan at 1:48 PM on April 27, 2006

Oddly, I've had two situations where I've interviewed before vacation, agreed to simply start post-vacation, and returned to find out I didn't have a job. In both cases, it was because their management changed in the intervening weeks. You might want to check what else the company is hiring for, and if that includes new management that's possibly relevant, be careful.
posted by weston at 10:13 PM on April 27, 2006