Excuse for an out-of-town interview - Biglaw Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

[1styearlateral]

Just take a personal day or two and don't say anymore. If they ask why say it's PERSONAL.

[clerk1251]

You're gone for one day. Do you even need to give them a reason? Does your firm have a facetime requirement? You could always just put in your hours while on the plane. You definitely don't need to tell them you're going out of town. Perhaps just say you're getting dental work done, if you need an excuse?

That being said, I think it also depends on where you live currently, and how big your firm is. I have a friend that went to interviews from smaller airports (like SNA, or SJC) and saw other attorneys from his firm flying in/out. It was especially awkward for him, because he was in a suit and they knew he didn't have any business meetings to go to.

[smokeylarue]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

This is sort of absurd. Have you never taken a single vacation day?

[dixiecupdrinking]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

This is sort of absurd. Have you never taken a single vacation day?

lol seriously.

"I will be out of the office on x day. If you need to reach me, call my cell." No one would ever think twice about that.

[Abbie Doobie]

guys you don't get it. op is a rockstar associate whose absence from the office for an entire single day will set off all kinds of red flags.

[RaceJudicata]

Plot twist: Are you trying to lateral because of incessant coughing from the person next door?

[ruski]

That being said, I think it also depends on where you live currently, and how big your firm is. I have a friend that went to interviews from smaller airports (like SNA, or SJC) and saw other attorneys from his firm flying in/out. It was especially awkward for him, because he was in a suit and they knew he didn't have any business meetings to go to.

this is way more amusing than OP's inquiry. I just don't see how this is even remotely possible, even in a small city.

[iliketurtles123]

Plot twist: Are you trying to lateral because of incessant coughing from the person next door?

No he's trying to lateral because his firm ran out of Cheezits

[clerk1251]

That being said, I think it also depends on where you live currently, and how big your firm is. I have a friend that went to interviews from smaller airports (like SNA, or SJC) and saw other attorneys from his firm flying in/out. It was especially awkward for him, because he was in a suit and they knew he didn't have any business meetings to go to.

this is way more amusing than OP's inquiry. I just don't see how this is even remotely possible, even in a small city.

Big firm, small cities, lots of business travel between SoCal and NorCal, it happens. Probably not all that often, but my buddy would regularly travel and see attorneys he knew at the airport. After that awkward experience, he just started driving up the coast whenever he had to interview.

[Anonymous User]

Plot twist: Are you trying to lateral because of incessant coughing from the person next door?

No he's trying to lateral because his firm ran out of Cheezits

CHEEZ ITS
http://31.media.tumblr.com/da0148c178b7 ... o1_400.gif

[ookoshi]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

"I gotta go see about a girl."

[Anonymous User]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

This is sort of absurd. Have you never taken a single vacation day?

I don't take any days off except holidays, so it would set off flags unless I made up a plausible excuse. The last times I went to interview (and failed), I made up an emergency and a meeting. I guess I'll start taking personal days off.

(Sorry for necroing an old topic, just researching how to make an excuse)

[QContinuum]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

This is sort of absurd. Have you never taken a single vacation day?

I don't take any days off except holidays, so it would set off flags unless I made up a plausible excuse

Not really, there's always a "first day off." Don't overthink it. Folks are busy. No one's going to sit around speculating about your motives for taking a single day off. No need to start taking oodles of personal days off to disguise the one time you're going on an interview. If anything, suddenly taking oodles of vacation days when you'd never taken a single day off before might actually raise eyebrows.

[Anonymous User]

I have an interview in NYC in a few weeks. I work at a biglaw firm in another city. I'm flying in Sunday and will be interviewing for the morning on Monday. Then I fly out that evening.

What is a reasonable excuse? Should I just say I need the day off for some personal matters? Should I say that I'm going out of town?

This is sort of absurd. Have you never taken a single vacation day?

I don't take any days off except holidays, so it would set off flags unless I made up a plausible excuse

Not really, there's always a "first day off." Don't overthink it. Folks are busy. No one's going to sit around speculating about your motives for taking a single day off. No need to start taking oodles of personal days off to disguise the one time you're going on an interview. If anything, suddenly taking oodles of vacation days when you'd never taken a single day off before might actually raise eyebrows.

Thank you, this puts me a bit more at ease.

[s1m4]

Had this issue come up last year where I had to fly out for a lateral interview in the middle of the week and also during a LIVE deal where I was responsible for standard junior/midlevel things. I knew that getting the job would have been life changing so I decided to make it happen; it was super stressful but I bit the bullet and told everyone I had a family energency and would be AFK for a few hours and would work from home the remainder of the time... It was horrible and I felt very guiltyz but ended up getting the job.

[Guchster]

As others have implied, don't give a reason you'll be out of the office unless someone expressly asks where you were or going. Don't volunteer it up because usually no one cares. Sending an out of office calendar invite is enough for deal/case teams/ppl that need to know if you're in the office or not.

When I was in the process of lateral interviews, a micromanagey partner called me after I got back to the office after an interview and wanted to know where I was (it was brought up in a casual way, like "What were you up to?"). I made up some crap on the spot, that would've sounded less spazzy had I thought of something. Vet appointment, doctor/dentist appointment, fixing a flat/car issue, home repair--I mean the list can go on.

[QContinuum]

As others have implied, don't give a reason you'll be out of the office unless someone expressly asks where you were or going. Don't volunteer it up because usually no one cares. Sending an out of office calendar invite is enough for deal/case teams/ppl that need to know if you're in the office or not.

When I was in the process of lateral interviews, a micromanagey partner called me after I got back to the office after an interview and wanted to know where I was (it was brought up in a casual way, like "What were you up to?"). I made up some crap on the spot, that would've sounded less spazzy had I thought of something. Vet appointment, doctor/dentist appointment, fixing a flat/car issue, home repair--I mean the list can go on.

Or even just that hackneyed phrase, "I had a personal issue"/"I had a family issue". Very rare even for the most micromanagey bosses to follow up by asking, "but what was the nature of your personal issue?!"