1 00:00:02,910 --> 00:00:06,179 Speaker 1: Hi, it's our Ask Me Anything segment where we answer 2 00:00:06,179 --> 00:00:09,050 Speaker 1: a work-related question that you have sent it to us. 3 00:00:09,390 --> 00:00:11,710 Speaker 1: Please continue to send. I like them. They give me 4 00:00:11,710 --> 00:00:14,069 Speaker 1: very good food for thought and we hope that we 5 00:00:14,069 --> 00:00:17,540 Speaker 1: have helped you a wee bit in your work week. 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,299 Speaker 1: Today's question is sent in by Shaan. Now Sean's question 7 00:00:21,299 --> 00:00:24,670 Speaker 1: is about how to ask or get time off to 8 00:00:24,670 --> 00:00:29,340 Speaker 1: go and do interviews when you are juggling an existing job. Yeah, 9 00:00:29,469 --> 00:00:31,620 Speaker 1: I'm sure many people are interested right now. 10 00:00:31,954 --> 00:00:34,145 Speaker 1: Well this is especially for interviews where you don't know 11 00:00:34,145 --> 00:00:36,865 Speaker 1: if you're going to be successful and there are multiple rounds. Yeah, 12 00:00:37,025 --> 00:00:41,395 Speaker 1: so Sean says taking leave for every interview is not feasible, 13 00:00:41,705 --> 00:00:44,735 Speaker 1: especially when you have to save some for other users. 14 00:00:45,104 --> 00:00:49,505 Speaker 1: I resorting to taking medical leave more recommended or more 15 00:00:49,505 --> 00:00:52,494 Speaker 1: common in the workplace where leave approvals are not required 16 00:00:52,494 --> 00:00:56,115 Speaker 1: or can be requested at the last minute. OK, this 17 00:00:56,115 --> 00:00:59,415 Speaker 1: is a tricky situation, Sean, but how do you go 18 00:00:59,415 --> 00:01:01,185 Speaker 1: for these multiple interviews without 19 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,019 Speaker 1: Raising the question with your boss that, hey, you know, 20 00:01:04,180 --> 00:01:06,339 Speaker 1: this guy is taking a lot of leave, huh, and 21 00:01:06,339 --> 00:01:08,220 Speaker 1: also I just want to caveat. I'm asking for a 22 00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:13,819 Speaker 2: friend. OK. Should you use medical leave for this? Please don't. Please, please, 23 00:01:13,980 --> 00:01:16,539 Speaker 2: please don't lie. Don't abuse and mistrust because people are 24 00:01:16,540 --> 00:01:18,529 Speaker 2: going to figure out how come you always fall sick 25 00:01:18,529 --> 00:01:21,019 Speaker 2: and you don't really look sick and if it gets 26 00:01:21,019 --> 00:01:22,899 Speaker 2: found out, it's really, really going to look very bad 27 00:01:22,900 --> 00:01:23,330 Speaker 2: on you. 28 00:01:23,459 --> 00:01:24,190 Speaker 1: So trust is 29 00:01:24,190 --> 00:01:24,980 Speaker 1: going to be an issue. 30 00:01:25,139 --> 00:01:28,489 Speaker 2: Yes, yes. So don't abuse the benefit of medical leave 31 00:01:28,489 --> 00:01:30,419 Speaker 2: for job interviews. So with that out of the way. 32 00:01:30,614 --> 00:01:33,444 Speaker 2: then how do we get through the multiple rounds of 33 00:01:33,444 --> 00:01:35,694 Speaker 2: interviews if you're not going to use this. Actually, I 34 00:01:35,694 --> 00:01:37,764 Speaker 2: feel like most of us, we somehow have our own 35 00:01:37,764 --> 00:01:41,934 Speaker 2: way of figuring it out, navigating it, so there isn't 36 00:01:41,934 --> 00:01:44,934 Speaker 2: that one fixed answer. Maybe those who are listening, maybe 37 00:01:44,934 --> 00:01:46,775 Speaker 2: you can also drop in your comments on what you 38 00:01:46,775 --> 00:01:50,285 Speaker 2: have done. The legit good ones, OK, not the illegal ones, 39 00:01:50,385 --> 00:01:53,614 Speaker 2: but one thing is during the interview process, it's important 40 00:01:53,614 --> 00:01:56,614 Speaker 2: for you to ask the recruiter how many rounds uh 41 00:01:56,614 --> 00:01:59,385 Speaker 2: can you expect. Sometimes they say 2 to 3 rounds 42 00:01:59,385 --> 00:01:59,614 Speaker 2: and you. 43 00:01:59,970 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: a sense over the next couple of weeks, uh, if 44 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,290 Speaker 2: things go according to plan and you get caught up 45 00:02:05,290 --> 00:02:07,169 Speaker 2: for subsequent rounds then how many days of leave you 46 00:02:07,169 --> 00:02:09,130 Speaker 2: need to take. You might not want to take full 47 00:02:09,130 --> 00:02:09,809 Speaker 2: day leaves. 48 00:02:10,250 --> 00:02:12,380 Speaker 1: If you have the option of taking half day, right? 49 00:02:12,490 --> 00:02:12,770 Speaker 1: You can take 50 00:02:12,770 --> 00:02:15,130 Speaker 2: half days. You could also ask some of these interviews, 51 00:02:15,210 --> 00:02:18,250 Speaker 2: are they online, offline, right? I know some of the 52 00:02:18,250 --> 00:02:20,809 Speaker 2: people are going to wonder, hey, but if you are 53 00:02:20,809 --> 00:02:24,490 Speaker 2: online and then your boss calls you or rather your 54 00:02:24,490 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: working hours and isn't this like eating into the company policy, 55 00:02:27,380 --> 00:02:28,889 Speaker 2: you're not being a good employee, taking 56 00:02:29,054 --> 00:02:32,115 Speaker 2: Time off, I mean, this is where the gray area happens. Ideally, 57 00:02:32,214 --> 00:02:34,345 Speaker 2: the new company will be nice enough to ask you 58 00:02:34,345 --> 00:02:36,645 Speaker 2: to maybe come down during lunch hours or after office 59 00:02:36,645 --> 00:02:39,434 Speaker 2: hours for an interview, and that's a possibility as well. 60 00:02:39,524 --> 00:02:41,925 Speaker 2: If that's an option, you can consider it, but as 61 00:02:41,925 --> 00:02:43,804 Speaker 2: a job seeker, right, I'll be wondering whether the person 62 00:02:43,804 --> 00:02:45,043 Speaker 2: has eaten lunch. Why 63 00:02:45,044 --> 00:02:45,125 Speaker 1: should 64 00:02:45,125 --> 00:02:45,335 Speaker 2: you 65 00:02:45,335 --> 00:02:45,705 Speaker 1: career 66 00:02:45,705 --> 00:02:49,044 Speaker 2: hungry person interviewing you 67 00:02:49,044 --> 00:02:52,925 Speaker 1: it's not it's gonna make proper assessment because not enough 68 00:02:52,925 --> 00:02:53,324 Speaker 1: blood sugar. 69 00:02:54,044 --> 00:02:55,865 Speaker 2: Yeah, so usually if it was up to me, right, 70 00:02:55,925 --> 00:02:58,195 Speaker 2: I would probably say maybe just after lunch hour. 71 00:02:58,649 --> 00:02:59,550 Speaker 1: Food coma, no, 72 00:02:59,649 --> 00:03:02,210 Speaker 2: then it's for you to impress the person to keep 73 00:03:02,210 --> 00:03:05,850 Speaker 2: the person awake during that time or maybe just before lunch, 74 00:03:06,089 --> 00:03:08,130 Speaker 2: just before that, I think it'll be OK, but if 75 00:03:08,130 --> 00:03:10,529 Speaker 2: it's right smack in lunch hour, people might not like 76 00:03:10,529 --> 00:03:13,410 Speaker 2: it very much. But I do know companies HR and 77 00:03:13,410 --> 00:03:15,610 Speaker 2: the supervisor are willing to meet people during lunchtime. It's 78 00:03:15,610 --> 00:03:16,410 Speaker 2: possible as well. 79 00:03:16,699 --> 00:03:17,669 Speaker 1: So if it's outside of 80 00:03:17,669 --> 00:03:19,410 Speaker 1: the lunch hours, you still have to take like a 81 00:03:19,410 --> 00:03:21,609 Speaker 1: half day leave and everything. So you still have to 82 00:03:21,610 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: pace out, I guess Sean probably has to pace out 83 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,089 Speaker 1: the leave quota that he has because he might want 84 00:03:26,089 --> 00:03:27,929 Speaker 1: to use all the other days to go and travel 85 00:03:27,929 --> 00:03:30,690 Speaker 1: with his family, do his own travels and things like 86 00:03:30,690 --> 00:03:30,770 Speaker 1: that, 87 00:03:30,850 --> 00:03:33,210 Speaker 2: right? Yes. Honestly, I don't think it will take a 88 00:03:33,210 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: lot of days, right, unless you're aggressively being sought after la. 89 00:03:37,639 --> 00:03:38,949 Speaker 2: But generally, you know, if you are. 90 00:03:39,470 --> 00:03:41,179 Speaker 2: while you're still being employed. The leave days is not 91 00:03:41,179 --> 00:03:44,339 Speaker 2: going to be significantly a lot, honestly speaking. But you 92 00:03:44,339 --> 00:03:46,220 Speaker 2: do need to manage if today you are really saving 93 00:03:46,220 --> 00:03:48,449 Speaker 2: up that leave for other things, then you do need 94 00:03:48,449 --> 00:03:50,479 Speaker 2: to plan a little bit. And what we said earlier, 95 00:03:50,580 --> 00:03:53,149 Speaker 2: asking for the number of days, number of rounds that 96 00:03:53,149 --> 00:03:55,559 Speaker 2: you need to have, that you can do it online, 97 00:03:55,740 --> 00:03:58,940 Speaker 2: can do it after office hours, during lunch breaks. I 98 00:03:58,940 --> 00:04:00,580 Speaker 2: think these are some of the advice that I will 99 00:04:00,580 --> 00:04:01,699 Speaker 2: give that you can try. 100 00:04:02,050 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 2: I don't know, maybe we'll hear a lot more from 101 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 2: our listeners in terms of what they have done, 102 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,639 Speaker 1: what are some of the good tips that they can 103 00:04:09,639 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: give to somebody like Shawn. So yeah, Sean, wish you 104 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,809 Speaker 1: all the best in your job interviews. I hope that 105 00:04:15,809 --> 00:04:18,149 Speaker 1: you don't have to go through that many, many rounds, 106 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,729 Speaker 1: but in a nutshell, don't lie, get creative and you 107 00:04:22,730 --> 00:04:24,239 Speaker 1: know I'm hearing this for the first time trying not 108 00:04:24,238 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: to do a lunchtime interview, so yeah, let's try and 109 00:04:27,359 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 1: avoid that. 110 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:31,399 Speaker 1: If like Sean, you have a work-related question, do send 111 00:04:31,399 --> 00:04:35,290 Speaker 1: it to us. We are at CNA podcasts at Mediacorp.com.sg. 112 00:04:35,678 --> 00:04:40,219 Speaker 1: We're also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Me Listen, and YouTube 113 00:04:40,220 --> 00:04:42,709 Speaker 1: where a video version of this is at. 114 00:04:43,029 --> 00:04:46,140 Speaker 1: The team behind the Work It podcast is Junai Johari, 115 00:04:46,260 --> 00:04:52,130 Speaker 1: Joanne Chan, Saye Win, Alison Jenner, Shahzad Dalia, and Christina Robert. 116 00:04:52,359 --> 00:04:56,140 Speaker 1: Video by Hania Ahmed. I'm Gerald and I'm Tiffany. Have 117 00:04:56,140 --> 00:04:58,380 Speaker 1: a good work week ahead and I hope you have 118 00:04:58,380 --> 00:04:59,820 Speaker 1: an understanding boss.