INTERVIEW EXCUSES?

[Waffle]

"They" say that the best time to get a job is when you already have a job. But what do you use for an excuse for taking time off to go to interviews?

If an interview falls on a Monday or Friday, you could get away with just taking a long weekend. But what about if it's in the middle of the week? What would you or have you used as excuses?

[movingforward]

Dr.'s appointment

[hoops902]

I don't use excuses, I just ask for time off. I don't tell anyone what I'm doing if I ask for time off to go do anything else, so making up an excuse and telling people sounds suspicious.

[Deleted]

Grandma died.

[Waffle]

I'd like to be able to not give a reason, but I know there are a couple of nosey people who will ask. I guess my problem is that I've been too open and honest in the past when people asked me why I was taking time off.

[Deleted]

faking a stomach problem. Past jobs required PTO to be pre-planned. Plus, I could theoretically expel the offending material and come in late.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Are the nosy people people that need to know a reason? If my boss asked I'd come up with a reason but if a co-worker did I'd politely tell them MYOB.

[sheilaincali]

DH always used the doctor/dentist excuse. Plus it helped eat up some of his sick pay since he knew they wouldn't pay that out when he left

[movingforward]

I once worked with someone who called in and said she was going to be late because her dog had gotten a bunch of those "sticky balls" (I have no idea what they are actually called and these are the words she used) caught in his fur and she had to pick them out. That was definitely one I hadn't heard before.

[mmhmm]

If you really feel you have to answer someone's question as to why you'll be away from work, simply tell them you have an appointment. Unless they're your supervisor/manager, they have no right to any further information. Anyone pursuing it further is beyond rude, and can be answered with: "It's personal."

[happyhoix]

Dr/Dentist appt.

[sheilaincali]

almost40- Growing up we always called them cockaburrs? Not sure how you spell that. Those are nasty! When I was a kid I pulled on a knit ski mask that had one on it and a piece of it got stuck on top of my eye and I had to have surgery to have it removed. Still gives me the willies just remembering it.

[movingforward]

Jun 15, 2012 9:55:04 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

almost40- Growing up we always called them cockaburrs? Not sure how you spell that. Those are nasty! When I was a kid I pulled on a knit ski mask that had one on it and a piece of it got stuck on top of my eye and I had to have surgery to have it removed. Still gives me the willies just remembering it.

That sounds awful!!!

[shanendoah]

The last time I was interviewing, my boss knew I was looking (and was supportive of me looking), so I didn't have to make excuses or hide what I was doing. There's a lot of mobility in my company, so a lot of the interviews were internal. I would even close myself in our "hotel" office for phone interviews.
I have scheduled interviews for people who didn't want others to know- even when it was internal. I'd send the meeting request out simply as a "consult" with X department or something along those lines, so that others who had access to their calendars wouldn't know what it was about.

Otherwise, I simply say "I have an appointment". I never tell people if my appt is medical, dental, etc. Currently I have appts with the social worker for the adoption process, and I don't talk about that at work, so it's just always- I have an appt.

[cronewitch]

I would start with telling people I needed a lot of dental work the next few months, crowns and things. Then when I needed a few hours say I had a dental appointment like at 10AM so I would be in about noon. Then if you need a second interview you can claim you need to go back tomorrow because it was the only opening they had this week.

Actually go get your teeth cleaned or something so if they need a note from the dentist you will have seen them lately and use up your dental insurance before changing jobs.

[milee]

If people are really nosy and unprofessional, you can usually get rid of them quickly by clutching your lower abdomen, making a pained face and starting in, "well, I've been having some issues that are getting worse. First..." By then, they will have cut you off and started running in the other direction.

[swamp]

Jun 15, 2012 11:35:38 GMT -5 milee said:

If people are really nosy and unprofessional, you can usually get rid of them quickly by clutching your lower abdomen, making a pained face and starting in, "well, I've been having some issues that are getting worse. First..." By then, they will have cut you off and started running in the other direction.

And then fart. Loudly.

[zibazinski]

;D

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2012 9:34:03 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Grandma died.

LOL, Archie. one July 4 weekend when I was head housekeeper at a hotel, one of the housekeepers called in on Friday morning saying her grandmother died. Ok.

Labor Day weekend when there was a bike rally in another little town 25 miles away, she called in on Friday morning saying her grandmother died. Not ok.

One grandmother died years and years ago so there was only one left. Never was an obit in the paper.

ETA: She wasn't looking for another job...she was looking for a new man, aka meal beer ticket ;D

[Golden Cavalier]

Jun 15, 2012 9:34:03 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Grandma died.

I used to work in a place where there was a guy whose grandma "died" 2 or 3 times a year. Since we had PTO, rather than separate vacation and sick days, I used to tell him to please just call in sick, rather than blaming poor grandma (who was still very much alive, BTW).

Another guy had whited out a real dr.'s note he had gotten, made a crapload of photocopies and kept the copies IN HIS DESK DRAWER AT WORK to use for future "dr.'s notes." The subsequent dr.'s notes were always in his very distinctive penmanship.

I agree that you should just say you have an appointment of some kind. Then, when you do get another job, don't be so forthcoming about why you're taking time off.

[TheOtherMe]

I always used the dr. appointment excuse if I felt one was needed. Sometimes all I needed to say was I wouldn't be there.

[Waffle]

I'm going to try to keep it as vague as possible.

[Phoenix84]

Haven't had too much experience with this. When I got jobs with the Navy and the Air Force, they never interviewed me. When I was working for the Air Force, my current agency wanted to do a phone interview. All I had to do was take my lunch at the time they wanted the interview and go home and do it.

But, if I had to do an in person interview, i'd just schedule "dental appointments" when I had interviews. When you tell someone you're going to a doctors or dentist appointment no one bats and eye and you don't need to give any more information. If you're already at work just say you feel sick and are taking the rest of the day off. Making excuses or coming up with complicated lies is a good way to get caught. And lies feed into more lies. Just best to keep it simple and vague.

For annual leave I don't need to give any reason at all.

[thyme4change]

One time when I knew I was going to be looking for a job, I told my boss that I was selling my house and buying a new one - so that gave me a dozen built in excuses - meeting a home inspector, getting an appraisal, mortgage paperwork, meeting the handyman to fix the XYZ that was wrong with my house, etc. etc.

Another time, I told my female boss (whom I hated) in a nervous manner, that my husband and I were going to be doing some counseling and I would appreciate a little flexiblity. She pretended to understanding - but it gave her something to gossip about. I didn't care if anyone there thought I was getting a divorce or whatever. After I got a new job I told a couple of people the whole counseling thing was a cover - but not my ex-boss.

I like lies/excuses that have many appointments built in, that way you don't have to come up with excuse after excuse after excuse.

[Deleted]

Earlier in my career I lied - calling in sick was the standard. If I was interviewing now (I'm not), I'd just flex my time around it or take vacation.