Interview dilemma

[lastjaffacake]

I work for a large public sector organisation in a senior administrative role. We have recently been informed that our department has gone out to tender and it is likely will soon be taken over by a private company. Our jobs will be protected (in theory) but we are all concerned as our job roles are likely change drastically and most of us would prefer to remain in the public sector. As a result, most of my colleagues have been discretely looking for new jobs. I have been doing the same and have been invited to an interview in a couple of weeks.

My dilemma is that the interview will take place in the building where my line manager and several of my colleagues are based. The location is not negotiable. It is a large building that includes many different departments, lots of people milling about. My fear is that I will be seen sitting in the lobby, in a suit (we're normally quite casual) on my day off and it will be blatantly obvious I'm there to interview. I realise I'm not doing anything wrong but it feels very awkward.

DH reckons I should approach my manager in advance and tell her about the interview but I'm worried that if I don't get the job I'll be treated differently as they'll know I'm looking to leave. My manager is not the most approachable person and can be a bit intimidating, although I have always found her to be quite fair.

AIBU to just cross my fingers and hope I can slip in and out unnoticed or is this unrealistic and a bit cowardly?

Just wing it - you may well get away with it.
If you are spotted you can decide what to do then, depending on who has seen you.

I agree wing it you could be worrying about nothing so don't get stressed about it,anyway you never know there could be a chance your line manager is up for an interview at the same time.lol.Best of luck to you.

Are you sure location is unnegioatable?
I work in a satalite building of the main works building (300 people).
A visitor turned up in a suit last week, asking for HR. I directed him to main building. He was adamant he was at the right place.
Turns out, he was being interviewed, but his company were in for a tender process the same day, so they dumped him over here to keep them seperate.

Is it an internal job? We had to tell our manager before we apply internally - but public secor may well be different due to all the different functions that operate under one roof.

I have already asked about location and they said they can't change it as all three of the people on the interview panel are based in that building and have meetings etc. scheduled either side of interviews. It's an internal role in that its for a job within the same (very large) organisation but a completely different department. While the two departments don't work together they're on the same floor of the building so i'm hoping they interview me in one of the conference rooms on the ground floor rather than having to go up to the floor my manager works on. I'm not obliged to tell my manager but DH reckons it would be better coming directly from me than her finding out because I've been spotted.