2nd Interview Not Honest in 1st
I applied for an internal job posting at my present employer (Big 3 Auto). The first interview went very well and I have been asked to return for a second interview with the executive director. This is a managerial position and would be a promotional opportunity for me. I was told during the 1st interview that I could expect to work some late nights. The interviewer asked me if I had any committments. I said "no" which wasn't totally the truth. I normally can put in a 10 hour day without any problem. I have some caregiver responsibilities for an elderly parent who's not in good health and if I have to work longer than 10 hours, I can usually make arrangements ahead of time so that it wouldn't interfere with my work. This is especially true when I know in advance that I can expect to work overtime. The problem is when it's a last minute notice situation and I find out that I may need to work until 8:00PM or 10:00PM right when I'm about to leave work at 6:00PM. I really don't have a good feel for the type of hours I could be expected to work in this position. I would also like to know if the overtime is something I can plan for ahead of time and not unanticipated overtime. What is the best way to ask and find out? Do I wait until after I receive an offer? Or do I mention it during the 2nd interview and risk losing any potential job offer?
First of all, seems to be that being able to put in 10-hr days without notice should satisfy most employers!!! Having said that, however, it sounds as if this employer might expect more on occasion, which, of course, does happen. At this point I would not bring this issue up again in the 2nd interview unless they do. Then it would be appropriate to say something to the effect that you are typically able to work up to 10-hr days as needed, and you can work late into the evening--with advance notice. There is absolutely nothing "wrong" with needing advance notice to work a 12-hr day, or whatever it would work out to be. And any employer that has a problem with any employee (ongoing obligations or not) requesting notice ahead of time is not an employer I would want to work for. If they don' t bring it up again, I wouldn' t until and unless an offer is extended. Then it would be only fair to ask if they have an idea of how often you would need to work overtime and/or late into the night--again being clear that it is not a problem for you, but that you would need advance notice for the later nights. If they are unable to give you at least a days' notice, then I' d seriously question whether or not this is a company you' d be able to work for. Also consider that if you are responsible yourself for meeting your own deadlines, and are in somewhat of a self-directed position, then certainly you would know ahead of time if you' d have to pull a 12- or 14-hour day ahead of time. Usually if you' re up against a deadline, you should yourself have a feel ahead of time for whether or not you' ll need to work that late. If, on the other hand, you' re in a situation where you are unaware of the deadlines, or where new projects are dropped from the sky onto your desk at the last minute, then that could be a problem in your case. Not to bring this up before you formally sign on would not be a good idea at all, but don' t jump the gun, either. Sorry to be the one that throws some water on this one but in a managerial position you will likely be an "exempt" employee if you aren't already. This means that your working hours will not be standard and regular and you will be required to work the hours that are necessary to "get the job done" without any notice. If you are unable to do this then you need to really consider whether this is the right time to make a move. It is of course really going to depend on job content and your relationship with your direct management. But I would say that you are going to need to very carefully consider this one. | |
|
Career Tips
|