Jim writes:
What do I tell my current employer when I am scheduled for another interview during business hours?
The Career Doctor responds:
I was really hoping this question was a hoax, but I fear it is not.
The simple answer is this: Do NOT conduct any job-hunting activities while on the clock with your current employer!
You have a couple of options for job interviews, and many, if not most, hiring managers will work with you. You can schedule interviews for early in the morning or after hours. Some will even do it over lunch. And if you have a prospective employer who will only schedule interviews 9-5, take a personal day (or half day). Do not use a sick day.
Part of job-hunting is impression-management. Some stuff you can’t control, but most of it you can. And the message a prospective employer gets from an applicant cheating their current company by interviewing for a new job on company time is one you will never recover from.
