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Original poster

Shall I cancel job interview or attend and see?

30 replies

Norfolkcat · 06/09/2023 07:35

After about 11 years being Sahm I landed a job interview ( retail)
I still can only do certain hours between as doing drop off/ picks up for my son to his secondary school, which is far from house.
I don’t know what the hours will be as it’s only says part time job, but weekend’s included.
I applied before but as I wasn’t flexible I put it there and I never got even acknowledged .
This time I put fully flexible and I got invited for an interview yesterday, which i confirmed.
I am sort of hoping it would be maybe a 3-4 days half day work, sadly I’m not flexible at the weekends as have no child care, can’t leave my son home the whole day ( DH works whole weekends)
Also I can’t do early mornings as doing drop offs.
Now- shall I go to the interview and see if I am actually successful and see what hours they will offer or shall I just cancel it all totally?

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 06/09/2023 07:37

Go and find out. If it's not what you need, it's all experience for the next interview.

littlegrebe · 06/09/2023 07:40

Yes definitely go, they might be really desperate for someone to cover hours you can do but even if not it's still good to get interview practice.

Errolwasahero · 06/09/2023 07:42

Agree. Get the practice in, whatever happens. You never know! Good luck x

Swinglower · 06/09/2023 07:44

also agree can’t hurt to have an interview even if it’s for practice

Photio · 06/09/2023 07:46

I would go for the interview and see what happens. There may be a variety of shifts on offer.
It will help build your confidence and give you interview experience. Many people don't get the first job they go for.
Can you be more flexible on certain days such as your DHs days off?

Hecate01 · 06/09/2023 07:47

I used to be a manager in Tesco and unfortunately if we said weekends we meant weekends. I know it's going to be an unpopular opinion but they have been honest in their advertising about what the hours will be so it is what it is.

Even if you go for the experience I'd be completely honest about your availability because they have offered you an interview based on you ticking the boxes saying that you are fully available.

DisforDarkChocolate · 06/09/2023 07:48

Go, think of it as interview experience.

Phleghm · 06/09/2023 07:48

I dunno. I feel you've misled them on the application by saying you're flexible. I get why you did it but I'd be quite annoyed at being messed around tbh.

BlackberryCrumbs · 06/09/2023 07:50

If a retail job advertises a role requiring some weekend working it's highly unlikely they'll take you on if you then tell them you can't work weekends. They advertise for what they need and, largely, retail needs people willing to do some weekends.

If your dc is secondary age, why can't they be alone while you work?

Fallenangelofthenorth · 06/09/2023 07:53

BlackberryCrumbs · 06/09/2023 07:50

If a retail job advertises a role requiring some weekend working it's highly unlikely they'll take you on if you then tell them you can't work weekends. They advertise for what they need and, largely, retail needs people willing to do some weekends.

If your dc is secondary age, why can't they be alone while you work?

She says in the OP she needs to drive him there due to distance

Fallenangelofthenorth · 06/09/2023 07:55

@Norfolkcat I would probably cancel, yes. I'd keep looking for something with more suitable hours. Or maybe evening evenings if that's possible? The hourly rate is normally better for evenings too.

ConfusedGin · 06/09/2023 07:57

Fallenangelofthenorth · 06/09/2023 07:53

She says in the OP she needs to drive him there due to distance

Show quote history

OP has also said he can't be home alone at weekends as her DH is working. Driving him to school isn't the issue.

OP, as someone, who has interviewed and offered roles to people only for them to decline based on terms we made clear in the advert, I'd be annoyed that you'd wasted our time in meeting you rather than considering another candidate

supermamio · 06/09/2023 08:01

Fallenangelofthenorth · 06/09/2023 07:55

@Norfolkcat I would probably cancel, yes. I'd keep looking for something with more suitable hours. Or maybe evening evenings if that's possible? The hourly rate is normally better for evenings too.

When i used to work in retail the rate was only better midnight-5am.

I think this will depend on store and how there rota system works. I know one retailer who asks staff to input their availability for the next 3 weeks and the system generates a rota off that information. Other chains have set shifts, so if they ask for weekend availability they mean every weekend.

My partner works shifts and this isnt even set in stone, the only shift i could commit to was a sunday morning. So that was my contract, i then picked up overtime over the week. Ask one of the staff how their rota works, some stores will be willing to work with you if you are prepared to do your fair share of weekends/late nights/early mornings, it also depends on the size of the store.

Lunchmenuplease · 06/09/2023 08:02

This was me 6 years ago. The ad mentioned weekends but I went to the interview and explained when they asked my availability.
I was offered the job for weekdays and school hours.

I always did the odd weekend day when I could to show some willing.
Maybe you could negotiate shorter days on weekends or one day a weekend every other week? At secondary age your child might be able to stay home alone for a few hours although I know this isn't for every child
I now interview candidates at my job and am always happy to accommodate this for people.

I think you should go l even if its just to get a feel of the interview process these days.

Lunchmenuplease · 06/09/2023 08:03

Also have you looked at housekeeping in a hotel? These hours fit school runs in most places.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 06/09/2023 08:04

How old is DS? If at secondary it'd be fine for most children that age to be at home alone.

icelollycraving · 06/09/2023 08:09

I’m a manager in retail. We always require weekend availability. I don’t have a problem finding staff as I’m in a city with lots of students. I’m in a boutique environment though so considered quite nice for retail!
You’ve been offered an interview on being fully flexible, you aren’t so, in honesty, I’d contact before and tell them what you can do as it sounds just school hours. Not many can offer that but they might.

Original poster
Norfolkcat · 06/09/2023 08:19

Thanks everyone.
This is a group interview, which I think I probably won’t be as successful as I never had one of those!
On my Indeed page it says over 90 people applied for the same job, it’s a clothing shop, not a supermarket.
I believe the shop is open 9-5 every day anyway, so not evenings/ nights.
Where I live there is not many opportunities as lots of shops closed down after the pandemic.

OP posts:
Original poster
Norfolkcat · 06/09/2023 08:23

It’s just if a miracle happened and I would get the job and they offer me purely weekends I may have to decline, so I wonder if this will go against me in the future when I am able to do weekends.
My son can stay a few hours alone but I wouldn’t leave him the whole day alone like for example the whole Saturday God knows what he would do in the house!

OP posts:
PinkRoses1245 · 06/09/2023 08:23

I’d go for the experience, but you have misled them saying you are flexible. And I’d be looking at options for your sons school drop off, I cannot fathom how you tolerate driving every day-is there not a school bus, public transport or he can cycle?

IhateJan22 · 06/09/2023 08:27

I’d ring them and speak to them, I wouldn’t want to bother interviewing someone who can’t commit to the hours advertised.

Photio · 06/09/2023 08:29

My son can stay a few hours alone but I wouldn’t leave him the whole day alone like for example the whole Saturday God knows what he would do in the house!

Well I think that's fine, if you're offered the job and asked for availability you tell them 3-4 half days (as you mentioned in OP) and that includes weekends. That's actually pretty flexible

Original poster
Norfolkcat · 06/09/2023 08:37

@PinkRoses1245 no school bus ( hahaha we can only dream of)
public transport shocking it would take 3 buses and the local one notoriously never turns up and no bike as its still far for bike anyway, I tested it myself.
I thinking I sort of could do one weekend day if it’s Saturday, DH can sort of adjust the Sat sometimes, I don’t know, I just want to see what hours they would offer.
I worked for them many years ago and they gave me 3 half days and one half weekend day which was fine, but this was in different town.

OP posts:
Rachie1973 · 06/09/2023 08:39

Norfolkcat · 06/09/2023 08:37

@PinkRoses1245 no school bus ( hahaha we can only dream of)
public transport shocking it would take 3 buses and the local one notoriously never turns up and no bike as its still far for bike anyway, I tested it myself.
I thinking I sort of could do one weekend day if it’s Saturday, DH can sort of adjust the Sat sometimes, I don’t know, I just want to see what hours they would offer.
I worked for them many years ago and they gave me 3 half days and one half weekend day which was fine, but this was in different town.

If its your catchment school there should be transport options.

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 06/09/2023 08:42

I would cancel. You have essentially been dishonest about being fully flexible because you most definitely are not.

As an interviewer I would be annoyed at having my time wasted.

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