How do you find time to attend job interviews while you work 9 to 5?
Do you have difficulty finding the time to attend job interviews while you're working 9-5? Learn how to make it work with our practical tips.
How best to find the necessary time for attending job interviews despite having a full-time day job
Finding the time to attend a job interview while working 9-5 can be challenging, especially if you have limited flexibility in your current work schedule.
However, there are some strategies that you can use to make it easier for yourself and ensure that you don't miss out on any great opportunities due to an inflexible schedule.
Plan & schedule your time
It is important to plan ahead and give yourself enough time when scheduling an interview so that you don't feel rushed or stressed out.
Use your accrued leave
Consider taking a half day off of work if you can, as this will provide more flexibility in terms of timing for the interview itself.
Pick half-days with less work
If possible, try to schedule interviews on days where your workload may be lighter than usual, such as Fridays or right after lunchtime breaks during the weekdays (if available).
Communicate with interviewers and seek a compromise
Make sure to communicate with potential employers about what times would work best for both parties before finalizing any plans regarding an interview date/time slot. If they are urgently hiring or if you are a good fit for the vacancy, they will make time for you too.
Go online. There's no need for physical presence for an interview.
Explore other options such as virtual interviewing via Zoom or phone calls which could potentially save you travel time while still allowing thorough communication between all involved parties prior to meeting face-to-face at a later stage in the hiring process if needed/desired by either party(s).
Reduce travelling time by staying near the interviewing location temporarily.
If applicable and depending upon how far away from home base one needs to go for said job interviews; consider staying overnight near destination city rather than making long trips back and forth same day--this extra effort can make it easier physically speaking too since late night travels are then avoided altogether.
Also ask friends & family members who live closeby (or even not so close) whether they would mind offering their place up perhaps temporarily while attending these types of meetings—it's always helpful having someone around who knows & cares about you.