Post # 1
Member
593 posts
Busy bee
Ok Bee’s.. So I am hoping some bee’s in a similar situation have some advice..
A little background information. I graduated from undergraduate in May of 2011 and immediately started my Master’s program. The program is online and I moved back to my hometown (and moved in with my parents) while in school. I was working part-time but my job was seasonal and ended in December. This particular job would start back up again in April but since I am graduating in May, I knew I wouldn’t go back because it has NOTHING to do with my field and after I graduate in May, I knew I was going to look for a career versus a job.
Now, my fiance is a Middle School teacher. He switched districts last year and HATES his new school. He is planning on leaving and switching to a different district at the end of the year (in June). We are getting married at the end of March and the original plan was for me to do all the wedding planning and the second we got back from the honeymoon, I would start putting my application out like crazy since I would graduate in exactly 3 weeks after the honeymoon.
The problem is.. I have NO idea what city I will find a job in. And since my fiance is a teacher, he will have to accept a job in a district by the time the school year starts.. Its not like one of those things where he can can give 30 days notice if he finds another job.. His taking a job requires signing a contract and switching districts when the school year is out. I was planning to apply across the state (since my field is more limited than him) and him find a job wherever I landed a job (since again, he will have an easier time finding one). Long story short, we realized there is a good chance I may not FIND job between April and early July which is when he would need to commit/sign a contract with a school district. So, I started looking and there are a lot of openings right now. I applied for 3 positions but now I am worried… What if I get an interview (which is likely I will be considered for at least one).
My main concern is these jobs are about an hour and a half drive from where I currently live. Should I tell them I can’t start until after the honeymoon or attempt to work the weeks before (of course, this is IF I even get a job) and just ask for the week of the honeymoon off? I don’t necessarily have to be around to plan the wedding. Everything big is taking care of and its still close enough for me to drive in when I need to. Or is it silly that I am even worrying about the process moving along that quickly? I know one job closes on the 21st… perhaps I won’t even hear from the them and then because of interviews etc, I wouldn’t probably start for another 7 weeks anyways. Has any bee’s been applying for jobs while coming up so close on there wedding day? Advice needed.
Post # 3
Member
1497 posts
Bumble bee
Did you already plan your honeymoon? Because if not, you could wait until the summer to take it. But if you already have… since your wedding is so close, how about waiting until after the wedding is over? Do you think there might not be openings at that time?
Post # 4
Member
5109 posts
Bee Keeper
@Brooklyn55: So if you get a job, you wouldn’t move and you would commute, and you don’t want to commute right now?
Reading the title, my initial thought was “Apply and accept a job, ask for the time off for wedding/honeymoon.”
I read the whole story, and I’m sticking to that advice because you need to get established ASAP so your husband to be can figure out where he is going to work ASAP. The next few months of your lives are gonna be stressful, but I don’t see an alternative and it won’t be that bad unless you hate commuting? (I love commuting).
Post # 5
Member
593 posts
Busy bee
@everyheart: We have already paid for the honeymoon. We COULD change our reservations but its not ideal. The problem isn’t so much there being openings. Its just I know sometimes it can take some time to find a position (a few months, etc) and I basically need to be committed to a job by early July so my fiance can sign a contract with a school district. Otherwise, he won’t have a job. Being a teacher, jobs for him are only posted after the school year ends and around here are filled by July. Basically, if I don’t find a job by July he is just going to have to decide what district he wants to be in and I am going to have to hope and pray I find a job in the same area.
Post # 6
Member
593 posts
Busy bee
@ChuckNorris: No the problem isn’t commuting. I don’t mind that at all. Plus.. to put things into perspective.. My fiance lives in a town called Forest City, I live in Asheville which is 45 minutes west of where he lives. The jobs I applied for are in Charlotte, NC which is about 1 hour and 15 minutes EAST of where he lives. Before the wedding, I could stay in an extended stay IF they needed me to start before April 8th. Then my fiance said we could go ahead and get a place in Gastonia as soon as we got back and he would be willing to commute an hour and 15 minutes until his school year ended (at which time he would switch to charlotte school district). My only worries are that I am going to overwhelm myself starting a new career or that they are not going to be okay with me having to miss for the wedding (I would have to miss the Friday before the wedding and the week of our honeymoon). Ideally, I would PREFER if I got an offer to start after the wedding but I would be willing to start before if they would work with me. I have never had a real “career” before.. I am not even sure the turn around time on applying/interviewing/getting an offer/starting. The descriptions did not list a start date.
Post # 7
Member
5109 posts
Bee Keeper
@Brooklyn55: I see, I see. I think a lot of this is job specific and honestly it’s boss specific. You could find psycho Sally who will freak out if you ask for time off during the hiring process, but it was at my clinic, my HR department would be 900% okay with it no matter if you were a doctor, a chief financial officer, a janitor, whatever. They are awesome!!! So I think honestly, the applications are already submitted, you will just have to play it by ear. I think, 8 times out of 10, you will probably be okay if you need to start a job and ask for time off. But I hope the hiring process for your career is super long and you don’t have to worry about it until after the wedding anyway haha.
My cousin is in forensics and she is still waiting to hear back on a job she applied for in November. Obviously I hope it’s not THAT long, but you know what I mean. My field (will be nursing) I will probably be interviewed, hired and starting in a matter of weeks. haha.
Post # 8
Member
1497 posts
Bumble bee
I agree with ChuckNorris (haha, I liked typing that). Since you’ve already applied, just see how everything goes and if you are hired to start before the new school year, try to ask to have time off, since you are getting married. Hopefully they will be okay with that. If not… you may have to change your reservations, which I know is not ideal, but it seems more important to get settled in your career and let Fiance know where to apply.
Post # 9
Member
1145 posts
Bumble bee
I started my current job the Tuesday after getting married that Saturday. I showed up with a new last name it was actually really funny because I never told them about me being we engaged/getting married until my first day. We also didn’t do an officiall honeymoon.
do you have to start a certain day? I would just say that I was unavailable to start until x but I want to accept their offer.
Post # 10
Member
593 posts
Busy bee
@ChuckNorris: I guess I will just have to play it by ear! These jobs are all open for another week or 2 and by the time they interview etc maybe they wouldn’t mind me delaying my start for a week or two. If the person is psycho, then that isn’t the job for me!
@everyheart: I hope they are okay with it! But I know what you mean career is more important. Its just difficult because I hadn’t planned on applying so soon but it seems to make the most sense. And who knows… I may not find “the right job” before then.
@Captain013: My “ideal” start date would be April 8th 9(which is 7 weeks from today) or after. We get back from our honeymoon on Saturday, April 6th. I WOULD be willing to start before the wedding if they were willing to be flexible as I may have to leave work early to meet with vendors and I would defintely need the Friday (the day before) the wedding off (which may be off anyways since it is good friday). We have already booked our honeymoon and ideally we would like to go because we don’t know when else we could honeymoon but if they would be flexible, maybe work me part-time or let me have time off for the wedding/honeymoon I would start before April 8th. Otherwise, April 8th is the soonest I think I could start. Maybe by the time the jobs close, they review applications, interview, etc it will be after then anyways or they’d be willing to let me start 2 or 3 weeks later.
Post # 11
Member
1497 posts
Bumble bee
@Brooklyn55: Crossing my fingers and sending positive thoughts that everything comes together for you!
Post # 12
Member
1145 posts
Bumble bee
@Brooklyn55: I think you are putting the cart before the horse if they haven’t even called you for an interview. I would highly recommend not mentioning your wedding at all, until you have a job offer in hand.
good luck though!! 🙂
Post # 13
Member
11752 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
no one can really afford to turn down offers or delay work they receive in this job market. I say apply now, if you get an offer talk to them about taking time off for your wedding/honeymoon or if they’d want you to wait until after to start. Leave it up to them and be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job – short of missing your wedding/honeymoon.
