November 7, 2009

Should you mention your upcoming vacation in an interview?

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Earlier this week, I received an e-mail from a job seeker concerned that an upcoming vacation he'd booked ages ago might cost him the "perfect fit" dream job he's interviewing for this month.

When I say this guy has an upcoming vacation planned, I don't mean some easy-to-reschedule four-day weekend on a friend's couch in Portland next month. I mean 10 nonrefundable days overseas several months from now.

"Should I tell my potential employer about this at the interview?" our intrepid interviewee wrote. "I feel like this could possibly dissuade or discourage them in the hiring process."

At the same time, our interviewee suspected that waiting to tell the employer about his vacation plans until after being hired would come off as sneaky. In his words, "I'm worried they may feel duped."

There is of course a third and much better option.

"You should disclose any time off at the offer stage, not at the interview stage," says Kristen Fife, a Seattle-area recruiter in the healthcare industry. "If you are upfront about this, most employers are understanding."

Seattle interview coach Lewis Lin agrees that disclosing this information when you're offered the job is the way to go.

"Honesty and transparency is always the best policy," Lin said. "For most hiring managers, a pre-planned, 1.5 week vacation [several months from now] is not a big deal. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness and straightforward communication."

That said, there are some circumstances in which disclosing the details of your travel plans before receiving the job offer is best. For example, the job involves overseeing an important product launch or preparing for a key industry trade show the same month as your trip.

"Taking a 1.5 week vacation then could be an issue," Lin says. "Better to figure out with your hiring manager how you can manage your vacation plans along with the important deadline sooner rather than surprise him later."

One more word to the wise: Remember to sound more excited about the job offer than your vacation plans. Offer to work overtime in the weeks leading up to your trip if you must. Employers want to hire people invested in their corporate mission, not someone just looking to collect a paycheck they can use to pay off their travel costs.

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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2 Comments

Lucid JObs on November 10, 2009 7:06 AM | Reply

I think you should mention in the interview conversation.

Here are more Tips for a Job Interview

An interview is a critical step of hiring decision. The interviewer will look for your Knowledge, Skills and Attitude.

• Ask questions the work, the environment so that you can tailor your experience to reflect what they are looking for.
• Do not lie about technologies you do not have familiarity with.
• Focus on your strengths and the knowledge you have.
• If you are asked something you have not worked with you might be able to overcome that by stating experience that is similar.
• Think about what you have done, your rolls, and the technical involvement you have had on your projects.
• Speak SLOWLY and CLEARLY.
• Make sure you are somewhere quiet and somewhere that you can focus on the conversation.
• Close the interview down by reiterating interest and asking for next steps.

Do’s: Logical questions, questions about work environment, examples of previous work experience, positive attitude, body language and gestures.

Don’ts: Argue with interviewer, Lie to Interviewer, Over Confident, Speak ill about previous company, Emotional and jittery/nervous.

Thank you
Lucid Jobs ~ only FREE job portal with built in Application Tracking System.
http://www.LucidJobs.com

Disappointed in Seattle on November 10, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply

I think you're right about waiting until the offer is secure and on the table to bring up any upcoming vacations.

Recently I was told I had a job, watched the manager fill in my name on a white board as the last member of her team, only to find out (while on my vacation) that the offer was not going to be extended to me. I was dumped for someone else. During the entire process I was upfront about the vacation plans, thinking this was the ethical way to present myself. Unfortunately, the hiring manager's ethics didn't extend beyond the white board. You need the contract. My feelings were hurt and I'm still smarting from the blow to my self confidence.

Make them love you, ensure you're the best fit for the job, and then reveal any plans or special requirements. It may not sound up front, but you have to true to yourself first in this market.

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