What to say for an out of town interview

September 29, 2010 8:02 AM

What do I tell my tiny company about my out of town job interview?

New company is flying me out a week from Thursday for an interview that Friday. It's a 'dream' opportunity for me and if an offer is forthcoming, I'm very likely to take it. I don't have details about flights yet, so I'm not sure how much time I'll need to take on Thursday (if any), and am unlikely to hear about arrangements until tomorrow or Friday. I am out of vacation time.

At my current company, there are only four of us. We are a tight knit group. I like my job and my coworkers quite a bit. I'm not really on the job market, except for this opportunity. If I leave, my skill set will be difficult to replace at my current cost; this is likely to be quite disruptive to the business.

What should I say to get out of the office on short notice? I don't like lying to them-if I get the job, they'll know it was a lie. More generally, how do I handle this situation over the next few weeks in as professional a manner as possible, with an eye towards not burning bridges with my current employer?

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (10 answers total)

Do you have to give a reason for the time you take off? You can say that something came up that you need to take some time off for, and if you are pressed, you aren't under obligation to give details. A close friend or employee understands that they aren't privy to all of your personal information.
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:06 AM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You need next Friday and possibly part of next Thursday off? That's not short notice. That's "Hey, boss, I need to leave at noon next Thursday and I'll be out Friday. Thanks." If someone asks why, you just say you need the time off for a personal matter. Presumably, you get some sort of discretionary time off. If you don't, you start the conversation by saying you'll be working this weekend, because you need to leave early next Thursday and will be out next Friday. Assuming you're in an American workplace, this is pretty ordinary. Folks might gossip or get pushy, but it really is okay to say to your bosses and coworkers that you need time off without telling them why. You just have to be polite, firm, and not embarrassed when you don't provide details about where you'll be or why. If you can't do that, say your best buddy's girl cheated on him and he's buying you a plane ticket to see him and go on a bender. Or that you're going to an art exhibit in Cleveland. Or that you need to use your airline miles before they expire. Or, the best option, you are taking time off that you are entitled to take off and what should you make sure is taken care of before you leave Thursday. Seriously, one day out of the office? You don't owe anyone an explanation.

The time to make your transition away from a good job and good people is *after* you have your offer with the new place, never before. Once you mention that you are open to another opportunity or make it known to your employer that you would leave under the right circumstance, you have burned the bridge. It somehow is different when you say "Hey, boss, I've accepted an offer of a job with a really great company that just sort of fell into my lap. I've loved working here, but I can't pass up the offer. Will two weeks be enough for me to wrap things up and smooth the transition for you?" rather than signposting that you'll leave if given the right chance.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:19 AM on September 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

Oh, I feel for you. I'm in this situation right now, and my company's even smaller. Plus I have no contract, no set number of sick days or vacation, and I'm leaving for the interview tomorrow. Luckily, my boss is traveling and we do a lot of work remotely, so I'll be "working from home" - answering calls and emails on the plane, in the airport, etc. Come actual interview time, my phone goes off, but before then... *shrug.*
posted by deludingmyself at 8:27 AM on September 29, 2010

Seconding crush-onastick. People move on -- both employers and employed. Burning bridges is more a matter of how you make the transition. Do not mention this new opportunity to your current employer until you have an acceptable offer on the table. This means after you've done all the upfront negotiation. And at that point, give your current employer a chance to make a counter-offer. I'd think that not doing this would be considered an insult -- you'd essentially be saying that you're so ready to bail that there's nothing in the world they can do to keep you. If you're as essential to the business as you've indicated, this could be a very good opportunity for you. Think 'partner.' If you're not, hey, new job!
posted by JohnFredra at 8:40 AM on September 29, 2010

'I have some family business to attend to'

This is vague enough that it isn't a total lie but has a sense of drama so people won't ask.

If someone says: 'Is everything okay?' Reply with: 'We're working on it.'
posted by k8t at 9:05 AM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Unlike what JohnFredra says, I recommend not giving your current employer a chance to make a counter-offer. These are never productive: you remain forever in doubt as to whether you should have left to work at the other place, and your current employer is now always fearful that you will leave. Whatever the core reason was that you considered leaving will remain. I believe there's some data that shows that the majority of people who get counter-offers are not with their employers six months later.

I definitely recommend the approach described by crush-onastick.
posted by haykinson at 9:10 AM on September 29, 2010

>> I believe there's some data that shows that the majority of people who get counter-offers are not with their employers six months later.

That's really interesting, haykinson. Do you know if that research was able to determine whether the eventual split was more often due to the employer's mistrust or the employee's malaise?
posted by JohnFredra at 9:20 AM on September 29, 2010

Or that the employees leave *despite* the counter-offer and take the new job.
posted by maryr at 9:46 AM on September 29, 2010

I've found that the generic "I have personal business to attend to and will be out xxx through xxx" covers almost everything from sleeping in to dr appts to interviews to funerals.
posted by JaneL at 1:34 PM on September 29, 2010

I read it more as ostensibly giving the boss the chance to counter-offer, making it seem like "This opportunity is great but gee gosh I'd love to stay here if you can make me a better offer, oh you can't? Oh well no hard feelings" as a way to not burn the bridge.

I agree that actually accepting a counter-offer after you'd broadcast that you'd been looking around and not satisfied is not a good idea.
posted by thebazilist at 1:58 PM on September 29, 2010