Youre interviewing, but already have a big vacation planned. Now what

Youre interviewing, but already have a big vacation planned. Now whatYoure interviewing, but already have a big vacation planned. Now whatInterviewing for dream job when a major vacation is already on the books can beboth awkward and challenging. While theres no way to guarantee that the new potential employer wont need you to work during that time, here are a few things to consider the next time this situation sneaks up on you.Heres what you should think aboutJohn Lees, a UK-based career strategist and author, writes in the Harvard Business Review about what to keep in mindWhen the time comes to disclose your plans, think hard about what this really means, both for you and the employer. Even if you dont have a vacation already booked, its sensible to want to take some time off between jobs, since this could be one of the few times in your work history when youre not checking emails on the beach. But listen hard to the employers problem list. If its vital to get boots on the ground, you may have to think about losing deposits and canceling flights.Heres what to ask aboutMonster career expert Vicki Salemi writes that you should clarify the vacation policy. She mentions that when she was a recruiter, she never saw a hiring manager balk when an applicant told them theyd be going on vacation right after beginning the job, or witness them having second thoughts about giving an applicant the job because they had already booked time off.In companies wherein vacation days are accrued over the course of the year, hiring managers will often allow candidates to borrow from the future you should make sure to ask if this will be an option (else youll have to take the time unpaid). Alternately, Ive seen hiring managers suggest pushing a candidates start date back until after the trip or time off was concluded so that theres no interruption in pay.Heres what to sayAlison Green, the author of the Ask a Manager blog, answered a question on her site about when to discuss during a job interview the fact that youve previously booked a vacation.Dont bring it up in the interview stage it would be premature then. The time to raise it is once a company makes you an offer. At that point, its very, very muster to say something like, I have a trip scheduled from April 15-27. Im willing to take the time unpaid since I assume I wont have accrued enough vacation time by then, but I want to make sure up-front that thats okay. Its a lot better to mention this as part of the offer discussion, so that they dont feel like youre springing it on them later.This happens all the time, and its totally normal to say this. It may, however, be an issue if you dont bother to mention it until after you start. So make very sure that you mention it during the offer conversations.