Dilemma!! 1st I.T. job interview

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Hello all,

I have landed my first I.T. job interview for the role of application support consultant with a well known IT company. My dilemma is this....

The interview is only 5 minutes away from my current job as an office admin, which is great, however my current office attire is very lax i.e. jeans and smart polo shirt. I don't want my current employer to know I have an interview for another company so I can't really turn up at work in a suit and tie. This leaves me with the option of sneaking off for my interview on my lunch break hoping no one notices my quick change in the toilet in to some trousers and a creased shirt which would have been in my bag (which isn't ideal) or to book the day off and travel to the interview hoping that no one from work notices me nearby in a suit and tie. Is it acceptable to explain my circumstances to the interviewer prior to the interview and apologise for my lack of formalwear? At the moment I think my best bet would be to book a day off.

My 2nd dilemma is that the job is significantly lower in pay then what I currently earn (I currently earn £17,253 p/a and the role is for £16,000 p/a which equates to a drop of around £70 p/m. The pay at the potential new role is said to increase at 6 monthly intervals at a maximum of £1k p/a). Is it acceptable to negotiate a wage? And if so when? During the interview? or after IF I am offered the job? I dont want to discredit myself as a potential candidate during the interview but dont want to be offered the job (hopefully) and have to ask after as it seems cheeky.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

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Firstly how long is your lunch break, what happens if the interview over runs? Some interview include a small test. I would take the afternoon off work to prepare for the interview. I would say £1253 is an acceptable pay cut if this job gets you your first IT job.

 

I'm on flexible working at the moment so I can take as long as necessary for a lunch break as long as I make the time up but its probably a good idea to allow time to prepare etc. It would also mean if i take the whole day off I wouldn't have to worry about my attire. I'm on quite a tight budget at the moment and in this current climate £70 a month seems quite a lot to me, although the role does have a great progressional system.

 

Book half a day, or something similar.

 

Also if that's up to £16k then they might offer you less. You might have to take the short term hit in salary to increase your earning potential in the long term. In this economic climate people would kill for a job in IT to get their foot in the door.

 

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'll take the whole day off so I've got enough time to prepare etc. Wish me luck!

 

Good luck. Also research the company a lot, and Google around a bit for "interview questions" and think how you'd answer them. This is one place where you can make your own luck.

 

I have been in IT for 8 years now, and for whatever unknown reason am still only earning £17,800

 

Out of interest have you been in the same job/with the same company that whole time?

 

you must really love your job

 

no i have changed companies a lot during those 8 years... due to relocating between Leicester and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne alot, but am now settled in leicester, but that was the best pay I have been able to attract in the last 2.5years