Mentioning your wedding is in the summer for summer employer?

LisaC0617

It's back-to-school time, which also means On Campus Interview time for law students.  I'm a 2L and will be interviewing with employers in the next couple weeks trying to get a job for next summer. My wedding is on June 17th, and we are going on a 2 week honeymoon after. I'm not sure when I should bring this up to a prospective employer. I was thinking if I get called back after first interviews, but I'm just not sure. Thoughts?

LauraT25

Not quite the same, but when I was interveiwing for jobs a few years ago I made it clear that I would be taking a vacation (in a month or so) during the first interview.

aleighk1

I would only tell them if you were 93% sure you were going to get the job.

AnneAndJJ

I agree with PP - wait until you're fairly certain you have it in the bag.

bethsmiles

IMO its dishonest to not tell them in the first interview. It may make it harder to get a job though. But in every job interview they have ask in the first interview if I knew whether or not I would need to take time off and of course you shouldn't lie.

Karebear852k3

I would be upfront about it when the opportunity to speak freely arises.  Like PP said, it may make getting a position harder, but it's better than having potential employers feel deceived about your availability. 

llmw07

I agree with PPs.  I would wait until I had received a job offer though.

LisaC0617

Thanks for your input. I think I will wait to see if I get a call back from any of the employers (unless they ask in the interview of course). I do not want to come off presumptuous in assuming I will get a job that several other students are interviewing for as well from a 20 minute OCI.

mysticl

I went on an interview yesterday.  I called this morning to follow up and stated that I would need time off for my wedding in November (and that I understood it would be unpaid).  The lady congratulated me and offered me the job.  You should be up front.  You don't want to be in the situation where an employer tells you that you cannot have the time off and you end up quitting. 

NikkiPSU

Be up front, I am a 3L and I am telling every person I interview with that I will be needing 2-3 weeks off in the month of June.  Also, if it is unpaid (which most legal jobs are nowadays), they will take you regardless of whether or not you need the time off if you are the best candidate. 

tldh

I'm a lawyer.  TELL THEM NOW.  This job is the beginning of you establishing your reputation in the legal community.  To not be upfront about it reflects badly on you and may result in you not being hired as an associate when you graduate.  It will also result in not getting good references.  A law firm is a place where absences have to be planned because they must be accommodated.

jenna.linder

I think you should tell them on the call back interview (if/when you get one).  I don't think it's necessary in the 20 minute OCI interview, but I think you should be up front with them at a call back where they are clearly serious about you.

KatyRoseM

I'm a 3 L and not mentioning it, mostly because in June I won't have passed the bar, and most won't want me to be working before I do.  That being said, how much time do you really need for your wedding?  Would you be willing to take less time if it got you a great job?  If so I wouldn't mention needing as much time as you've said.  Its hard to get a legal job right now and maybe you have to sacrifice something else to get it. 

Beads921

I think that if you are asked, you should tell them, but unless it comes up, don't say anything until either after you get the job, or when you are 99.9% sure you will get it.

tldh

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_mentioning-wedding-summer-summer-employer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:684Discussion:846ec2ee-8d0c-40c9-9a02-97ae890930f1Post:ad752b43-81f1-4b6d-8824-fdfd8dd7b0e1">Re: Mentioning your wedding is in the summer for summer employer?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think that if you are asked, you should tell them, but unless it comes up, <strong>don't say anything until either after you get the job</strong>, or when you are 99.9% sure you will get it.
Posted by Beads921[/QUOTE]

If you do this, do you know what the managing partner is going to ask in a meeting between the two of you and the HR manager?  "Did you honestly not know you were getting married when we were interviewing you."  The inference will be "Did we hire somebody this shady or that stupid?"

While interviewing for my first job, I was up front with all of the firms that I needed 2 weeks in June 2005 because I was in a wedding in Ireland and travel plans had already been booked.  I was thanked by all of them for being upfront and all of the firms said they would find a way to work around it. The one I chose, did just that.

I cannot stress enough, that this is your reputation as a future attorney that you are talking about here.  Legal communities are small.  If you get a good reputation, after a few years, firms are seeking you out for positions.  This involves much more than just being a great lawyer.  It involves being someone that the firm will be able to rely on and who will not hide anything from them.

sprat85

I would tell them up front.  As previously stated, this is your reputation within the law community and your reputation with the law firm.  I immediately told my managing partner as soon as we had set a date.  In fact I even planned my wedding around my work schedule (putting it in August, so I wouldn't come back before school started).  They are more willing to work with you the sooner you tell them.  It could depend on who you are placed with inside the firm.