Let’s face it, we all need some good excuses to miss work for an interview every once in a while!
We’ve all been there. We finally got a call back for that job we’ve always wanted. But there is this problem, we don’t know how to get out of work. Calling in sick for a job interview seems somehow risky but most of us would rather choose this option than to be honest with our bosses. Not everyone has the fortune to have flexible hours.
This makes you ask yourself do employers have to let you go to interviews? Unfortunately for us, employers are in no legal obligation to give us time off to go to job interviews (although that might be an awesome idea!). That leaves us with the good old excuses that will give us a few hours off or better yet, the entire day off to go to the interview for a job we really really want.
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Pulling this can be very stressful for many people. We fear that our current boss will find out about our little lie and fire us before we have even secured another job. Hence the need for this list with good excuses to out of work last minute. However, others are sort of like pros at this since they’ve done it many times, and they have probably read our previous article regarding good excuses to miss work on short notice.
While researching on this topic, we had to wonder what happens when things are turned around – when you miss an interview due to an emergency? A good excuse for missing a job interview might save you and even get the interviewer to reschedule. You’ll never know when will you need one of those so, take a look at what College Recruiter suggests, with our favorite being “there was an emergency at work, and it would have been irresponsible to leave”. Yes, you are right, it is kind of sleazy posing as a really good employer, but if you are really in a situation that you must use an excuse why not use the one that will present you in the good light? After all, you might as well be a good worker who is just looking for a better job opportunity.
Now, back to the main topic – skipping work for a job interview. We’ve asked the “pros” on Reddit about calling in sick for a job interview and selected those excuses deemed most successful by Redditors. Additionally, we sought help compiling a list of excuses for calling out of work for a job interview from The Balance and opinions from Quora. A tip, it’s always better to take the entire day off if possible because that way, you won’t have to be in a hurry or fear being late back to work. But before we introduce our list, it is important to emphasize that whether these excuses will work or not depends greatly on your employer and your relationship with your boss. They are not guaranteed to work for everyone but out of the 15 excuses we’ve prepared, you are bound to find at least one that will help you.
Let’s check out 15 good excuses for missing work for a job interview!
15. Call In Sick
Sometimes, you just have to do it. Grab the phone and tell your boss that you woke up feeling sick and that you are in no position to come to work. The only downside of this option is that you then have to be careful not to be seen by your boss or anyone from work who might tell them you were perfectly fine.
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14. Family Emergency
It’s literally impossible to leave out the good old family emergency excuse when talking about missing work. Your boss will probably not ask any further questions after hearing this.
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13. Picking up A Friend from Airport
Another good excuse to miss work for an interview is to call your boss and tell them your friend from another country is coming to stay with you for a while so you have to go pick them up at the airport.
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12. You Have to Vote
According to The Balance, in many states employees have the right to take time off to go to the polls and vote. Employers in these states are reportedly required to allow employees 1-4 hours to go and vote.
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11. A Sick Child
No boss, no matter how strict they are, would question this. If you see no other way to attend your job interview, you could say to your boss that your child is sick and you have to stay at home to take care of them.
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10. A Dentist Appointment
You can tell your boss that you have a dentist appointment on a certain day, for example. You won’t have to worry if someone sees you out on that day. But don’t use the same excuse over and over again as people will start counting your dentist appointments.
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9. A Sick Pet
A sick pet is also a good excuse for missing work on short notice. You can simply say that your dog/cat is sick and you have to take them to the vet.
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8. Personal Issues
Many employees have used this excuse successfully and the bosses usually don’t ask further questions. It’s similar to the family emergency excuse and equally effective.
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7. Emergency Car Repair
You went off to work but suddenly your car broke down and now you are waiting for a mechanic to fix it. Cars broke down all the time, hence your boss probably won’t doubt you.
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6. Vacation Day
If you can’t think of any excuses or you’re too afraid to use any, you can simply say that you are taking a vacation day which you are entitled to. No one needs to know where you are going or what you intend to do.
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5. Dead Relative
Speaking of good excuses to miss work for a job interview, who hasn’t used the funeral excuse? You don’t necessarily have to say that your grandma died, you can name any relative you want. As long as it gets you a day off.
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4. Food Poisoning
No one messes with food poisoning and its consequences so if you use this excuse, you are likely to get a day off without any troubles. People stop asking questions after hearing the word “diarrhea”.
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3. Appliance Repair
Many people use this excuse when they need to take a day off on short notice but that doesn’t mean it will work in every company. You can say that you have some plumbing issues and that you are waiting for the handyman to fix it.
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2. Medical Testing
According to the experiences of people who have successfully used them, medical-related excuses always work. Say that you are getting medical testing of some sort and you will probably have no troubles getting a day off.
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1. A Migraine
It may be an excuse you’ve heard many times but it is still a good excuse to miss work for an interview, or anything else you have to do that day. Migraines are sudden and no one can blame you for not having called sooner.
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