Asking to take vacation before accepting an offer

wtrwlkr

Hey guys, got a question for you.

So I may potentially be interviewing for a new position overseas. The pay is excellent, the job description matches my qualifications, and the work i'll be doing is alot more in line with the direction I want to head in than what i'm doing currently.


Here's the thing: I have a vacation of roughly 3 weeks planned out. In my current job, i'll have enough vacation time to cover this, no problem at all. I wasn't searching for a new position, I was basically emailed by a recruiter and this position happened to be one that I'm interested in. Part of this vacation includes a wedding I'll be attending for a good friend of mine. I have hotel,flights and everything already booked.


My question is how and when do I bring this point up? My plan as of right now is to wait until I have a firm offer in hand. I don't want this fact to negatively affect the company's impression of me during the interview state. I'll offer to take the time off unpaid, and certainly won't make it seem like i'm needy and requesting advanced paid time off.


I know the question will be asked, if I absolutely had to choose between taking the job and going on this vacation, i'd probably choose the job, but I really don't want it to come to that if at all possible. I also don't want to come off like i'm issuing my new company an ultimatum after they've extended me an offer.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of scenario or have any tips or suggestions?
Thanks, all!

azi90

never had to face an issue like that but i assume they will retract their offer if they hear you want to go on vacay for 3 weeks as soon as you start. assuming they need someone to start right away,

but i could be wrong

chmod

I guess at some point they will ask youm when can you start? you can tell them the true, that you have 3 weeks of vacations planned since long time ago and that your entry date will be effective after that, if it is way ahead of when they need you, just tell them again the facts, you need to take those 3 weeks because you had already bought tickets and everything.

If it is completely impossible, choose between one or the other, try to negotiate and be honest but do it when you are about to sign the contract.

wtrwlkr

Thanks guys,

Just to clarify, if the timing works out how I think it'll work out, my planned vacation will be 1 1/2-2 months into my new job if I accept.

Kinet1c

Be up front about it. I've had to do something similar before and disclosed it from the off, there's no point in starting day 1 and them being pissed about it.

JoJoCal19

I would disclose it to the recruiter immediately, at the latest at your first interview mention it to the hiring manager. Also if they agree to it and you do get an offer, make sure it is mentioned in the offer letter.

JustFred

Usually this is a none issue if you have a vacation already planned. In my part of the world, potential employers and recruiters ask you in advance whether you have any vacation planned. Just let them know and you will be fine.

joelsfood

Unless they have a desperate need, this is unlikely to be a problem. Just let them know.

mackenzae

I'm in the same scenario now.. I disclosed it and we pushed the start date a week or 2 further out than they were initially looking but it makes things easier and cleaner than trying to start the new job in the negative with vacay, not to mention it won't ruin that new job groove.

NetworkNewb

Damn, 3 weeks is a long vacation... Guarantee it will just depend on the employer. Assuming some will care and some won't. If you are best candidate for the job though, they most likely will be willing to let it slide. Best of luck!

Shoe Box

I would tell them right away. That you have plans made for certain days or weeks and can start on this other day. That way there's no surprises for them later. I've had that sort of thing happen.

scaredoftests

Tell them during an interview/if hired. Three weeks, though..I'd scale it down to a week. That is just me, though.

E Double U

I've done this twice already without any issues. I told them before I accepted the offer. Both times the trips were three weeks.

chmod

You were lucky that they contected you in the first place, that gives a negotiation margiin about this.

If they really want you and if there is no urgency, they should understand.

Nemowolf

I have done this twice as both times I was interviewing for a position, I had a planned vacation in the works.

At the end of the interview, i have almost always been asked if I had any question and that is when i let them know. I make it clear that I had not anticipated this a year ago as the planning for a trip started and everything is already paid. My last job I started and three weeks into work, went on a two week vacation unpaid. My current job it was closer to 2-3 months from my start date and I went on another 2 week vacation.

UnixGuy

It's a commonly acceptable practice here in Australia. While I haven't been in that situation myself, few of my mates had holidays planned before starting new jobs and it was fine, just let them know during the interview

BradleyHU

this happened to me at a few jobs. I had already booked my trips well before interviewing & accepting those offers. I told them as soon as I got the offer, and there was never any issue.

paul78

I think you may be over thinking it. Whenever I've hired people, I kinda expect that they may want to take some time off before they start. And if they already have vacation planned and it's a couple weeks after they start, as long as I know, it's really not that big of a deal. Frankly, because I don't expect anyone that just started to be any type of bottleneck or constraint in an existing process or project. Just make sure that you are properly informing your new management.

Good luck on the new job. And more importantly - have fun on vacation

wtrwlkr

Thanks for the replies everyone. Three weeks IS a long time for a vacation. The reason for this is that I'm currently working a DOD contract in the middle east and my company has a somewhat generous leave policy. I'll bring it up to them, make sure they understand that I'm not attempting to be difficult about it, it's just that I had it planned before I even attempted to consider looking for another position.

eansdad

Well I just got done doing this 2x. I had vacation booked for when I was to start and they pushed the date back AND I had also had a 1 week conference thing going on a few months later. I was up front about these during the interviews and was able to work in the 1 week conference as added PTO so it didn't count against my usual earned time off. If they want you they will make things work.