Hi, it's our Ask Me Anything segment where we answer a work-related question that you have sent it to us. Please continue to send. I like them. They give me very good food for thought and we hope that we have helped you a wee bit in your work week. Today's question is sent in by Shaan. Now Sean's question is about how to ask or get time off to go and do interviews when you are juggling an existing job. Yeah, I'm sure many people are interested right now.

Hi, it's our Ask Me Anything segment where we answer a work-related question that you have sent it to us. Please continue to send. I like them. They give me very good food for thought and we hope that we have helped you a wee bit in your work week. Today's question is sent in by Shaan. Now Sean's question is about how to ask or get time off to go and do interviews when you are juggling an existing job. Yeah, I'm sure many people are interested right now.

Well this is especially for interviews where you don't know if you're going to be successful and there are multiple rounds. Yeah, so Sean says taking leave for every interview is not feasible, especially when you have to save some for other users. I resorting to taking medical leave more recommended or more common in the workplace where leave approvals are not required or can be requested at the last minute. OK, this is a tricky situation, Sean, but how do you go for these multiple interviews without

Well this is especially for interviews where you don't know if you're going to be successful and there are multiple rounds. Yeah, so Sean says taking leave for every interview is not feasible, especially when you have to save some for other users. I resorting to taking medical leave more recommended or more common in the workplace where leave approvals are not required or can be requested at the last minute. OK, this is a tricky situation, Sean, but how do you go for these multiple interviews without

Raising the question with your boss that, hey, you know, this guy is taking a lot of leave, huh, and also I just want to caveat. I'm asking for a

Raising the question with your boss that, hey, you know, this guy is taking a lot of leave, huh, and also I just want to caveat. I'm asking for a

friend. OK. Should you use medical leave for this? Please don't. Please, please, please don't lie. Don't abuse and mistrust because people are going to figure out how come you always fall sick and you don't really look sick and if it gets found out, it's really, really going to look very bad on you.

friend. OK. Should you use medical leave for this? Please don't. Please, please, please don't lie. Don't abuse and mistrust because people are going to figure out how come you always fall sick and you don't really look sick and if it gets found out, it's really, really going to look very bad on you.

So trust is

So trust is

going to be an issue.

going to be an issue.

Yes, yes. So don't abuse the benefit of medical leave for job interviews. So with that out of the way.

Yes, yes. So don't abuse the benefit of medical leave for job interviews. So with that out of the way.

then how do we get through the multiple rounds of interviews if you're not going to use this. Actually, I feel like most of us, we somehow have our own way of figuring it out, navigating it, so there isn't that one fixed answer. Maybe those who are listening, maybe you can also drop in your comments on what you have done. The legit good ones, OK, not the illegal ones, but one thing is during the interview process, it's important for you to ask the recruiter how many rounds uh can you expect. Sometimes they say 2 to 3 rounds and you.

then how do we get through the multiple rounds of interviews if you're not going to use this. Actually, I feel like most of us, we somehow have our own way of figuring it out, navigating it, so there isn't that one fixed answer. Maybe those who are listening, maybe you can also drop in your comments on what you have done. The legit good ones, OK, not the illegal ones, but one thing is during the interview process, it's important for you to ask the recruiter how many rounds uh can you expect. Sometimes they say 2 to 3 rounds and you.

a sense over the next couple of weeks, uh, if things go according to plan and you get caught up for subsequent rounds then how many days of leave you need to take. You might not want to take full day leaves.

a sense over the next couple of weeks, uh, if things go according to plan and you get caught up for subsequent rounds then how many days of leave you need to take. You might not want to take full day leaves.

If you have the option of taking half day, right? You can take

If you have the option of taking half day, right? You can take

half days. You could also ask some of these interviews, are they online, offline, right? I know some of the people are going to wonder, hey, but if you are online and then your boss calls you or rather your working hours and isn't this like eating into the company policy, you're not being a good employee, taking

half days. You could also ask some of these interviews, are they online, offline, right? I know some of the people are going to wonder, hey, but if you are online and then your boss calls you or rather your working hours and isn't this like eating into the company policy, you're not being a good employee, taking

Time off, I mean, this is where the gray area happens. Ideally, the new company will be nice enough to ask you to maybe come down during lunch hours or after office hours for an interview, and that's a possibility as well. If that's an option, you can consider it, but as a job seeker, right, I'll be wondering whether the person has eaten lunch. Why

Time off, I mean, this is where the gray area happens. Ideally, the new company will be nice enough to ask you to maybe come down during lunch hours or after office hours for an interview, and that's a possibility as well. If that's an option, you can consider it, but as a job seeker, right, I'll be wondering whether the person has eaten lunch. Why

should

should

you

you

career

career

hungry person interviewing you

hungry person interviewing you

it's not it's gonna make proper assessment because not enough blood sugar.

it's not it's gonna make proper assessment because not enough blood sugar.

Yeah, so usually if it was up to me, right, I would probably say maybe just after lunch hour.

Yeah, so usually if it was up to me, right, I would probably say maybe just after lunch hour.

Food coma, no,

Food coma, no,

then it's for you to impress the person to keep the person awake during that time or maybe just before lunch, just before that, I think it'll be OK, but if it's right smack in lunch hour, people might not like it very much. But I do know companies HR and the supervisor are willing to meet people during lunchtime. It's possible as well.

then it's for you to impress the person to keep the person awake during that time or maybe just before lunch, just before that, I think it'll be OK, but if it's right smack in lunch hour, people might not like it very much. But I do know companies HR and the supervisor are willing to meet people during lunchtime. It's possible as well.

So if it's outside of

So if it's outside of

the lunch hours, you still have to take like a half day leave and everything. So you still have to pace out, I guess Sean probably has to pace out the leave quota that he has because he might want to use all the other days to go and travel with his family, do his own travels and things like

the lunch hours, you still have to take like a half day leave and everything. So you still have to pace out, I guess Sean probably has to pace out the leave quota that he has because he might want to use all the other days to go and travel with his family, do his own travels and things like

that,

that,

right? Yes. Honestly, I don't think it will take a lot of days, right, unless you're aggressively being sought after la. But generally, you know, if you are.

right? Yes. Honestly, I don't think it will take a lot of days, right, unless you're aggressively being sought after la. But generally, you know, if you are.

while you're still being employed. The leave days is not going to be significantly a lot, honestly speaking. But you do need to manage if today you are really saving up that leave for other things, then you do need to plan a little bit. And what we said earlier, asking for the number of days, number of rounds that you need to have, that you can do it online, can do it after office hours, during lunch breaks. I think these are some of the advice that I will give that you can try.

while you're still being employed. The leave days is not going to be significantly a lot, honestly speaking. But you do need to manage if today you are really saving up that leave for other things, then you do need to plan a little bit. And what we said earlier, asking for the number of days, number of rounds that you need to have, that you can do it online, can do it after office hours, during lunch breaks. I think these are some of the advice that I will give that you can try.

I don't know, maybe we'll hear a lot more from our listeners in terms of what they have done,

I don't know, maybe we'll hear a lot more from our listeners in terms of what they have done,

what are some of the good tips that they can give to somebody like Shawn. So yeah, Sean, wish you all the best in your job interviews. I hope that you don't have to go through that many, many rounds, but in a nutshell, don't lie, get creative and you know I'm hearing this for the first time trying not to do a lunchtime interview, so yeah, let's try and avoid that.

what are some of the good tips that they can give to somebody like Shawn. So yeah, Sean, wish you all the best in your job interviews. I hope that you don't have to go through that many, many rounds, but in a nutshell, don't lie, get creative and you know I'm hearing this for the first time trying not to do a lunchtime interview, so yeah, let's try and avoid that.

If like Sean, you have a work-related question, do send it to us. We are at CNA podcasts at Mediacorp.com.sg. We're also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Me Listen, and YouTube where a video version of this is at.

If like Sean, you have a work-related question, do send it to us. We are at CNA podcasts at Mediacorp.com.sg. We're also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Me Listen, and YouTube where a video version of this is at.

The team behind the Work It podcast is Junai Johari, Joanne Chan, Saye Win, Alison Jenner, Shahzad Dalia, and Christina Robert. Video by Hania Ahmed. I'm Gerald and I'm Tiffany. Have a good work week ahead and I hope you have an understanding boss.

The team behind the Work It podcast is Junai Johari, Joanne Chan, Saye Win, Alison Jenner, Shahzad Dalia, and Christina Robert. Video by Hania Ahmed. I'm Gerald and I'm Tiffany. Have a good work week ahead and I hope you have an understanding boss.