Hi all,
So here is my dilemma: I am currently an internal auditor with a F500 company in PA (I have been working there since December 2012 so I haven't been there long). I really enjoy my job and am happy with the people I work with. Recently though, I have been applying for government jobs. My boyfriend's mother works at the IRS and has been pushing me to apply. Her reason being that once someone is in the government, there is a lot of promotion potential and being a federal employee has a lot of perks, which is true. So I applied to all the positions that I was eligible for in PA, NJ, DE, MD, and DC. I honestly didn't think I would get an interview with any of the agencies since there are a lot of other people applying for those jobs and most probably have more experience that I have.
But lo and behold, I get an email today from an HR person in DC asking me to fill out a form and call to schedule an interview for a position that I applied for last month. Of course I'm excited but I'm also hesitant. I haven't told my supervisor that I am applying for jobs so when it comes to actually going to an interview, I'm not sure what I will say since I will most likely have to take the whole day off or at least a half day (DC is about 2 1/2 hours from where I live in PA). I'm just not sure how to go about that. Should I tell her the truth and run the risk of ruining the trust she has in me if I don't get hired for the federal position? Or not tell her and just try to schedule the interview on a day and time that I can say I am taking a half day? I don't want to lie to her because I respect her very much and also want a good reference if I do get offered the government position.
So if anyone has any advice on what I should do, please give it! I have no idea how to handle this situation and any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone!