Unusual part time job advice
Dear Mookychick,
I've got a problem. I just started a cool permanent job in London a
couple
of months ago. But I've been given some outside freelance work by a
friend
to do two weeks of photography shoot in Brazil before Christmas. I'm
desperate to go because I've never been to Brazil, but I don't want
to lose
my job (and if I said I was sick then turned up two weeks later with
a tan,
then yeah, I think they would fire me!!!)
What do I do???
Love, Anonymous Me xxx
The Mookychick answer to your problem
Amanda says...
OK, here's a few options you could try, although I can't guarantee any will work and we can in no way be held responsible if you lose your job!
a) Pretend you have to go to a funeral of an elderly uncle. You are the only living relative of said uncle so will have to be there for 2 weeks to organise the funeral. Plausability: 5/10. Chance they'll let you go 10/10
b) Pretend you had already booked the holiday before you started and sent human resources a letter telling them this when you started your job. They are usually obliged to honour any holiday plans. You don't have to actually blame it on HR, more the shoddy postal system. You could bring the subject up thus, (you to boss, "Hey, have you got any holiday cover for me yet?" (wait for puzzled expression from boss) "Yes, I informed HR before I started the job, they said they'd honour any holiday I'd already booked" etc etc. Plausability 8/10. Chance they'll let you go: 8/10
c) Type up a mock letter from a bogus competition place saying you've won a two week holiday to Brazil for such and such a festival/event at the time you want to go (find something around that time in Brazil by surfing around on the internet). The letter must say the holiday is worth an absolute fortune, tickets are very exclusive, bla bla, not transferable and for the dates you want to go. They'll probably let you go as everyone loves a winner and if they were as lucky as you would be absolutely gutted if their stinky boss wouldn't let them go! Plausability 9/10. Chance they'll let you go: 9/10
Finally, the 2 week shoot might be very good for your career, but blabbing to colleagues is definitely not. If you ever mention the fab shoot you went on to Brazil, wait a good 6 months and then be very vague about when it was, and say you were freelance at the time. The London media scene is a very small place! Also, do all you can to find decent cover for when you are away.
Incidentally, before you stick your neck out and start baking the porky pies, do you homework. Is it actually viable for you to go? Have you got enough time to sort out visas, vaccinations, insurance? Who's paying for the flight? If it's you, can you afford a last-minute flight?
Anyway, good luck - sounds like an exciting opportunity!
Ashley says...
GO TO BRAZIL! Eat lots of Brazil nuts. Shake your moneymaker. But not
too hard, because cameras don't always like to be shooken. It's harder
to find someone who will jet to Brazil for two weeks than someone who
will fill a regular job. The cost and expense of hiring someone will
make it worth their while to retain you if you want to try and keep
the permanent job. Just in case, though, make contacts like crazy in
Brazil. And if you want, I'll come and take your job in London for two
weeks. Working in England is just like the Office, right? All I have
to do is twirl in my chair and put people's staplers in "jelly" and
grimace at the boss, no?
Char says...
Ow what a sticky situation to be in...and hard to advise as, ultimately, it's a call only you can make. OK. Well, first things first, you say your job is cool, but is it your dream? Is it a possible dream-catching job or is it just a run of the mill funky job that earns you a lot of money and gains you a bit of security? If it's your dream job, then I would say be honest with them. Be honest about the opportunity and perhaps point out how it would benefit your new role - for instance by mentioning bits of the shoot that tie in with the job role you already do. Try to turn what can be seen as a negative into a positive.
Could you perhaps use the sunbed 5 days a week for the next few weeks and then say that you're ill? You'd come back with a suntan but most wouldn't notice if you'd already been fake sun worshipping! I think it all depends on the job itself, who you work with and how the management works. Ultimately, I would say be honest, and when you are honest, they can be honest with you about where you stand with the company should you take the trip to Brazil or not.
Good luck!
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