To tell or not to tell...my boss i have interviews

an9i77

I have been in my job for 2 years and due to a number of issues, I am not happy there any more and it is time to move on. I've been lucky enough to secure a couple of interviews, and been put forward for some more, and have managed to get the time booked off work for these.

If successful at this stage there would be second rounds - if not successful then hopefully there would be other interviews fairly soon as I hae applied for a number of jobs and have a certain amount of experience in my field.

In my office, we are under resourced so it can be hard to book off time for holiday especially at short notice. I've already had a number of genuine hospital appointments for a medical condition so don't want to pretend to have hospital appointments or anything. In fact i already have two hospital appoitnment pending for the medical condition in the next few weeks which is another reason why I prob can't book any time off as holiday.

I'm thinking that if I get any more interviews, I may have to just come clean and tell my boss. As I've been there for a while, hopefully he won't mind too much and that way I'll just be able to (hopefully) take time out for interviews on the basis that I work late/early that day or whatever.

I'd rather not tell him if I don't have to, as there's no guarantee if /when I'll get a job, but I don't want to lie to him either.

Perversely a strange part of me wants to tell him, as i have been unhappy lately due to a number of management issues, but I'm aware that's just the child in me wanting to voice some sort of opinion, and it may not be for the best!

WWYD?

szam_

That would depend on the type of person he is in my opinion.

There are two main ways it could go;

a) He could ask what the issues are, and subsequently try to improve on them, while at the same time wishing you luck (albeit he may want to try and keep hold of you) I know when i have an issue in my department at work, i tell my Manager and he respects that i've mentioned something and will subseqently, and always, try to do something about it. If i was to say i'm looking for a new job due to reasons that can't be resolved in a simple manner, i'm sure he'd understand and wish me luck.

b) Then there is the type of person who will resent you and be offended that you want to leave. I don't think he can just get rid of you like that as you've been there for two years, so you could dispute it if he does try to dismiss you.

While i would hope he is like type A, there is a chance someone can be like type B. It's all down to how much he respects you and your work, most people move jobs at some point in their life and i'd like to think most people would understand any reasons given for wanting to move job.

As i don't know your boss, i couldn't comment, but i know my manager would hate to lose me, but at the same time, he would understand why i'd want to leave or move on. He's already dreading me attempting to move into a developer role in the company.

an9i77

My boss is a nice guy, but a terrible manager - one of the reasons I'm going. I have made him aware of the issues before and he's done jack about it. He makes the right noises but nothing ever happens so now when he talks about how great it's gonna be I just watch his mouth moving up and down and tune out. I think if I tell him how unhappy i am , and that I don't believe it's the right job for me long term, he will just accept it and probably feel relieved that he doesn't have to keep blagging me any more!

szam_

In that case, just be open and honest about it (okay, maybe hold off on the "you're a terrible manager" part). I'm sure you'd feel better off for it whatever the result; at least you then have a clean state of mind; whereas holding back may hold you back from future interviews, because you may (or may not) have your current place of work in the back of your mind.

Sambucus_Nigra

szam_ wrote: »

In that case, just be open and honest about it (okay, maybe hold off on the "you're a terrible manager" part). I'm sure you'd feel better off for it whatever the result; at least you then have a clean state of mind; whereas holding back may hold you back from future interviews, because you may (or may not) have your current place of work in the back of your mind.

No no no no no!

Never ever tell your boss you are looking for another job. It's the fastest way to getting either more grief or the sack.

an9i77

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

No no no no no!

Never ever tell your boss you are looking for another job. It's the fastest way to getting either more grief or the sack.

So what do I do if I need time off and he doesn't give me holiday?

Sambucus_Nigra

an9i77 wrote: »

So what do I do if I need time off and he doesn't give me holiday?

You make things up or arrange the interviews late afternoon or feign illness just like everyone else. Or tell them you have a personal problem that you need to resolve, or family issues, or ladies problems. Anything!

an9i77

Does anyone on here have any experience of telling their boss they were going for interviews, and what happened?

I'm thinking that I will probably just try and get the time off without actually lying (I'd feel so bad, especially as he's given me lots of time off for a genuine medical problem) but if it gets to the point where I am prevented from taking time off when an interview is actually scheduled I will have to just bite the bullet and come clean (in an 'I didn't want you to find out but I've no option but to tell you' kind of conversation) .

ktothema

I was always upfront with my bosses about job interviews, but I always had a good relationship with them. A couple of times they were also looking themselves! One boss was like yours and it finally spurred him onto changing somethings. Not enough to keep his staff in the end, but it was like he needed the push. My last boss however went ape when she'd discovered colleagues had interviews, but she was a nut job. It really does depend on how they are and how your relationship with them is.

ScarlettOHara_2

Think about it from your employer's perspective. Why would you do your upmost to accomodate the person who has made it clear that they want to leave, possibly inconveniencing/annoying staff who are committed to the company and also trying to get holiday booked. To consciously do that you would have to really want rid of the employee.

If you think your employer will be flexible about starting/finishing later then perhaps use the excuse of medical appointment scheduling. If you can try and get appointments scheduled at the start or end of a day then it may make it easier to get the time off. I don't know what sort of jobs you are going for but in my line of work I'd do my best to accomodate a candidate who said that they really needed to come in at the start of end of a day as they didn't want to let their current employer down. It shows professionalism but I appreciate not all employers can or will do that.

an9i77

ScarlettOHara wrote: »

Think about it from your employer's perspective. Why would you do your upmost to accomodate the person who has made it clear that they want to leave, possibly inconveniencing/annoying staff who are committed to the company and also trying to get holiday booked. To consciously do that you would have to really want rid of the employee.

If you think your employer will be flexible about starting/finishing later then perhaps use the excuse of medical appointment scheduling. If you can try and get appointments scheduled at the start or end of a day then it may make it easier to get the time off. I don't know what sort of jobs you are going for but in my line of work I'd do my best to accomodate a candidate who said that they really needed to come in at the start of end of a day as they didn't want to let their current employer down. It shows professionalism but I appreciate not all employers can or will do that.

Scarlett you make it sound like I am doing something wrong! But it's not wrong to want to move on after two years, and I think my boss understands already that the job cannot meet my development needs due to chats we've already had. Its a job - not a prison sentence. I don't expect him to accomodate me any more than just letting me have time off for an interview which I am willing to work back by coming in earlier / staying late.

If I'd not already had lot of hospital appointments I may consider the medical appt excuse, but that to me feels like taking the p, particularly when a lot of the appointments I've had have relied on trust as I've not had to give in medical cards or anything (they have all been genuine btw) so I would feel like it was an abuse of that trust to start pretending that interiews were for medical appts

No matter what the correct answer to this problem is, it is not lying - I do not want to take this time dishonestly.