I had an interview today for a position I am interested in. They already called me back for a second interview (my husband thinks that may be a red flag, but that’s a separate matter).
They proposed a very specific time, which is not very convenient for me. My organization has a biweekly meeting scheduled for that time, and I have missed several due to other commitments (mostly work-related; one when I was on vacation). Problem is, my schedule changes daily, so I’m afraid that if I tell the interviewers that it’s not a good time, we’ll start an endless “How about…?” “Well, no, what about…?” exchange that will disqualify me.
I have missed these meetings before, but can’t continue to do so for much longer. Should I miss just one more for this, or push the issue with the prospective employer?
There are obviously a lot of sub-issues that I don’t know, but I certainly don’t think it’s a red flag, with all due respect to your husband. I think you have to evaluate how secure your current job is, how good a fit you think the potential new position is. I think you should definitely go on the second interview on their terms.
This is just my opinion. Job markets vary, so YMMV.
I would say something along the lines of “that time is a bit awkward for me; it means I will have to miss out on a meeting that I would prefer to attend. Would [suggest specific time here] work for you? If not, I am very interested in the position, so I will arrange my schedule accordingly.”
Nothing at all wrong with being called back for a second interview. As for the timing, always ask for early morning, late afternoon or, if no other alternative is available, noon.
After all, you’re working. How available do they expect you to be?
Second interview = very good sign. I won’t say it means you have the job, but it does mean that you were ahead of most of (if not all) of the people who they interviewed.
If you’re not available, say you have a previous work commitment. They may like the fact that you take your job seriously even when you’re thinking of leaving it.
When I was interviewing for my current job, at the end of my second interview, my future boss asked that I come back for some additional interviewing/testing later that week during the day. I told her that I really didn’t want to take a second day off of work on short notice, because my old employer didn’t know I was looking and I didn’t want to do anything suspicious. She understood and she and HR were willing to work around my schedule and let me come in after work.
I wouldn’t worry much about asking your prospective new employer to try to work with you a little bit on scheduling interviews. I could even see them considering your scheduling appoitments around your current work obligations to be a plus.
I think it’s really going to vary based on that company’s needs. I’m hiring for my department right now and I can tell you that with 16 applicants in the running with virtually the same experience coupled with the fact that one of the largest employers in our area just laid off 300 people (with more cuts expected soon) and the fact that my bosses are on me daily to get someone hired, prospects who can come in on shorter notice will have a better chance just because we are so rushed for the position to be filled. As soon as I find the right person, I’ll likely not even interview the rest. But if this company has time for second interviews, they may be in less of a rush and more willing to work all applicants through before making a decision.
I should be clear that the “red flag” my husband was thinking of was that they called me for the second interview not even an hour after I left the first interview. He thinks that, sometimes, that speaks of desperation on their part.
I thank everyone for their input. I’m still weighing what I should do. I have a few hours to decide, as I have until the end of the business day to reply to them with other information they requested (writing samples).
In my experience, the desire or need for the new job should dictate the blow-off factor at the old job. If you’re just lukewarm on the new prospect, stick with your meeting. However, since you’re actively pursuing a new job, you should probably offer one alternative time and stick to it come hell or high water.
OK, I did what a few of you suggested—offered one alternative time but said I would gladly rearrange my schedule if need be. I decided to send the writing samples early, since they’re not going to get any better over the course of the day.
It’s not even that I’m desperate for a new job…I just really was struck by this opportunity when I saw it. The fact that the starting salary is an amount that it would take me about 8 years to reach at my current position (where increases are flat, union-negotiated deals) is a plus, too.
In my experience both as interviewer and interviewee, that kind of behaviour usually means “OMG this candidate rocks!” rather than “we’ll take anyone at all”. It’s certainly what happened to me in my current position, and was just because my experience and their requirements were a perfect fit, and they didn’t want to let me go.
As an interviewer (just had an offer accepted after interviewing last week!) I would be okay with accommodating a good candidate who has a problem with a proposed time - particularly if it relates to their present job. After all, you have to recognise that the good people will already be in work and, given that all but one of the candidates won’t get the job on offer, you can’t expect them to muck this up.
