# Did I make a mistake in my interview? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704 "2009-09-27T01:22:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/1 "2009-09-27T01:22:36Z")
So I had a job interview last week which I thought went pretty well. The HR person in charge said that I would be told this week if I got the job. I have been invited and have been planning to go to my uncle’s wedding this weekend for at least half a year. Should I email them that I won’t be able to work this Friday (I flat forgot in the interview) or should I just wait till the call to tell them (assuming I get it?) I’d hate to sound difficult-they sounded like they really need another person in the department, and I only got the interview after another person quit. ---
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/2 "2009-09-27T01:37:55Z")
What’s the chances they actually want you to start working this coming Friday? Normally they give you a bit more time before they ask you to start, depending on how desperate their situation is. If you haven’t been told yet if you have the job, I can’t see how they would want you to come in on this coming Friday (it’s also a weird day to start your job, depending on the type of job). I started my most recent one on a Monday. Obviously they might have given you a different sense of when they want you to start during the interview, of course. ie I wouldn’t say a word and wait and see if they need you that soon. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/3 "2009-09-27T01:50:57Z")
Yeah, standard notice is 2 weeks. Even if they did want you to start right away, I can’t imagine them getting bent out of shape for you needing one day to attend a wedding that was already in the works for you. (OK, I can imagine it, but it would be a huge red flag and I’d be questioning if I wanted to work for them . . .) I started my first Real Job on a Monday. The following Monday, I went to my boss and asked for a Friday off (unpaid) about a month from then so that I could get married\* on Friday afternoon and take the weekend for the honeymoon. I didn’t have any vacation time built up yet, obviously, but he was fine with it. - No, it wasn’t a shotgun wedding; we’d been planning to get married in about a year, but decided on the spur of the moment to just do it right away. That was almost 20 years ago and we’re still here; seems to have been a good decision. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/4 "2009-09-27T01:54:01Z")
It’s not at all uncommon to need to take a day – or even a week – off soon after starting a job, for something major that had previously been scheduled. You won’t get paid for the day, of course, but just say, when the job is offered, that you’ll need to take X date(s) off. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/5 "2009-09-27T01:58:32Z")
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I’m just worn out from the job hunt and I’d really like this job, so I guess I’m kind of getting neurotic about stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/6 "2009-09-27T04:22:59Z")
And it would have been a little strange, if you said, mid-interview, “I can’t start this week because I’m going to a wedding.” ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-make-a-mistake-in-my-interview/511704/7 "2009-09-27T05:33:49Z")
I also wouldn’t worry about it. I’ve hired lots of people and quite often they tell me they need x amount of time. As long as it’s not unreasonable it’s no problem. (I also often have people tell me when I hire them that they’ve booked a 3 week holiday in six months, etc. - I find that very considerate to tell me now.) And good luck - hope you get the job (and don’t spend the week worrying too much!)