Job Interview Concern

[jasonD2]

i have an important job interview and the manager wants to meet me for lunch. first of all i hate combining food/meals with important things like job interviews but i am also worried about eating out at a place i am unsure of . I most certainly cant bring up my food issues on the interview and not sure what the manager has in mind for lunch. how should i handle this?

[Jestgar]

Eat beforehand and order a plain salad.

[mushroom]

Eat beforehand and order a plain salad.

With olive oil and vinegar on the side.

[jasonD2]

SHould i tell him i have a committment during lunch hrs and try to pick another time? will that make me look bad?

[Poppi]

Perhaps go ahead with lunch but just tell him you have celiac and would like to choose the restaurant. Is there a place you trust?

[jasonD2]

cant bring that up on the interview. im there to make a good impression and land the job- can mention that stuff later. should i just request a different time or will that make me look bad?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Is this job something that would require you to eat out a lot? Like would you have to take clients out to lunch or something? I think I would scheduela late "lunch" interview like at 1 or 2 PM then order only a salad with no croutons, with olive oil and lemon on the side. But I wouldn't eat it. hardlya bite. Get yourself something to eat beforore hand so you are not hungry and just sip on your drink. They usually don't expect you to eat anyway for a lunch interview. Make up a list of questions and to ask to keep so busy taking that you are not worried about the food. If he insisted you eat up because it's on the company then reply, "Oh that's very generous but I would much rather discuss the position..." then either ask a question or if it seems liek he is tryignt ot get a break from talking to eat himself then you could start listing all the qualities you have that make you a perfect candidate.

Another option is to find out about the place before hand and arrive early enough to speak to the manager about what you can have that is safe. Then you can explain that you are having a lunch interview there and you don't want to draw attention to your "food issues" and want to pre-order you meal to be prepared/served at the same time as your interviewers meal. They might even seat you in the bar to wait for your interviewer so when he arrives you can say you arrived early and decided what you wanted already. as long as you are upbeat and confident about it everythign shoudl be fine. You might even fidn the manager will come around to cehck and make sure your food is to your liking, which I know you may be thinking that would be embarrassing but it could also be very flattering and possibly impress the interviewer that you made such a good connection with the manager that they are checking on you. It all depends on how you look at it and how you handle it.

[jasonD2]

yes its for a sales job and honestly im gonna be stressed out enough and dont need additional anxiety about getting glutened on a job interview. i work in sales now and i do fine when i travel but i just dont wanna bring it up on the interview. we are meeting at a hotel with several restaurants so we could be going to any of them. see what i mean? if i tell him i have a commitment for my other job during lunch hors and ask to meet any other time during the day would that be ok?

[GlutenFreeManna]

yes its for a sales job and honestly im gonna be stressed out enough and dont need additional anxiety about getting glutened on a job interview. i work in sales now and i do fine when i travel but i just dont wanna bring it up on the interview. we are meeting at a hotel with several restaurants so we could be going to any of them. see what i mean? if i tell him i have a commitment for my other job during lunch hors and ask to meet any other time during the day would that be ok?

I guess you could always do that and just ask to meet for drinks in the evening or coffee if meeting in the afternoon. I don't see why that would be bad if handled in the right way.

[Jenniferxgfx]

Oh man, I have this fear!! I really sympathize.

I don't think there's anything wrong with just rescheduling to a non-meal time. I'd thank him for the generosity of the lunch offer, too, and if you think schmoozing will help you land the job, offer to go for coffee/tea. Sometimes they take you to lunch to size you up in social situations and make sure you're not a jerk.

[psawyer]

If you were allergic to peanuts, would you try to keep that a secret? Would you risk Open Original Shared Link by not telling the server?

I believe that honesty is the best policy. If you hide it during the interview, you will still have to deal with it later. They may then wonder why you hid it, and what else you may be hiding.

[CarolinaKip]

If you were allergic to peanuts, would you try to keep that a secret? Would you risk Open Original Shared Link by not telling the server?

I believe that honesty is the best policy. If you hide it during the interview, you will still have to deal with it later. They may then wonder why you hid it, and what else you may be hiding.

I agree, it shouldn't matter in this position. Being Celiac has nothing to do with your job. Just think, at some point they will know you are a celiac! Tell them and best of luck to you! Please call ahead if you can. Be safe, I understand about getting a job. I'm about to lose mine. Best luck to you!

[psawyer]

Another thought, going beyond the interview to the job itself. You probably already know this, but I'll throw it out for discussion.

I have worked in sales support, and have been to many customer food events. If you are the vendor (sales rep) then you are the host. The host controls the venue. I took customer preferences and requirements into consideration, but at the end of the day, as the guy buying, the final choice of location was always mine. Celiac disease should not prevent you from doing the job, and if the prospective employer can't "get" that, then maybe that is not such a good place for you to work.

[Marilyn R]

If you're working another part time job, it will be fine to ask for a different interview time. It's better to show up and be confident at a neuetral location than to worry about what will happen at lunch.

If it ends up that you must have a lunch interview, my go to order is broiled fish or shellfish in olive oil, no seasoning please, over greens, no dressing or croutons or cheese. If they have a spare wedge of lemon or lime, you'd love it. I think most restaurants use a clean dish for broiling. I' m not confident about

their grill.

Hope this helps, good luck with your interview!

I'd tell the guy that's interviewing me that I'm on the South Beach Diet and lost 20 pounds. I'd be telling the truth. (I actually lost 35 lb.)

[jen.mor]

I don't see why having celiac is such a big deal. I'd let your future employer know. Be honest because it's not something you should hide from

[Austin Guy]

As a person with HR experience, a potential employer cannot discriminate against anyone with a condition. It is absolutely fine to bring up your Celiac if you are comfortable with that. Call the restaurant in advance and ask about gluten free meals. Then order one at lunch and have a good interview.

[jenngolightly]

As a person with HR experience, a potential employer cannot discriminate against anyone with a condition. It is absolutely fine to bring up your Celiac if you are comfortable with that. Call the restaurant in advance and ask about gluten free meals. Then order one at lunch and have a good interview.

I think this is true in theory, but I've been on committees where this doesn't play out. If two potential employees are similar in skills, any negative might weigh against one of them, whether it's against the law or not. However, if that person is clearly the best candidate, the rule is enforced.

We might think that Celiac is no big deal, but there are a lot of people who still find it a detriment. I found out that I have Celiac while working at my present job. I work with highly educated people (at a university), and I'm still treated with kid-gloves by my boss. I have mixed feelings about the original poster disclosing Celiac in the interview. On one hand, it's going to come out eventually and you might as well tell right away. On the other hand, put your best foot forward and convince them that you can do the job first without writing "I have special needs" on your forehead.

[mbrookes]

Since you are highly unlikely to encounter rye or barley, just tell the server (like you probably always do) that you can't eat wheat or wheat products. Every one is by now used to people with food allergies and think nothing of it. The way you handle the whole thing may make a good impression. Don't make it sound like a disability, just matter of fact.

It is not a disability, and I wish people (yes, including some with Celiac)would stop treating it as such. Most of us live very normal lives and just eat carefully. (oops, I'm on my soapbox again)I am a very normal person who has to be careful what I eat. The fact that I have Celiac does not dominate my life.

[srall]

I think this is true in theory, but I've been on committees where this doesn't play out. If two potential employees are similar in skills, any negative might weigh against one of them, whether it's against the law or not. However, if that person is clearly the best candidate, the rule is enforced.

We might think that Celiac is no big deal, but there are a lot of people who still find it a detriment. I found out that I have Celiac while working at my present job. I work with highly educated people (at a university), and I'm still treated with kid-gloves by my boss. I have mixed feelings about the original poster disclosing Celiac in the interview. On one hand, it's going to come out eventually and you might as well tell right away. On the other hand, put your best foot forward and convince them that you can do the job first without writing "I have special needs" on your forehead.

I sort of agree. I have been on hiring committees where we have two equally qualified people and say one is a mom with young kids and the other is single with no ties, and guess who gets the job. Not legal, not fair, but I know it happens. I'd probably be reluctant to point out in a job interview that I had celiac if I was going to be required to take clients out a lot. I think I'd just try and get the job, then worry about things later. As for your lunch, (which has probably happened by now) I'd either order the safest thing on the menu, or go and order an iced tea and just say you really weren't hungry.

[Korwyn]

Since you are highly unlikely to encounter rye or barley, just tell the server (like you probably always do) that you can't eat wheat or wheat products.

Arrghh!!!! I disagree most strongly and vociferously! Barley malt is in many seasonings, dressings, vinegar, etc, etc. Restaurants serve rye bread all the time! We used to toast bread on the grill when we served it with soup! That type of thinking is dangerous for a known Celiac. I have other words I want to use but I'm being polite.

It is not a disability, and I wish people (yes, including some with Celiac)would stop treating it as such. Most of us live very normal lives and just eat carefully. (oops, I'm on my soapbox again)I am a very normal person who has to be careful what I eat. The fact that I have Celiac does not dominate my life.

I agree that it isn't a disability. It may not dominate your life, but are you going to say that it doesn't affect every aspect of your social and home life? I don't even allow our grandkids to bring snacks into the house when they come over. We have stuff there for them. I've gotten sick from crumbs that came in on Austyn's clothes after a 4 hour car ride from their house to ours. I got a sloppy kiss from Healey one time when they showed up and found out that he had been eating animal crackers the whole way there. You're going to tell me that you just have to be careful what you eat? Then you are MOST fortunate.

[mbrookes]

I agree. I am MOST fortunate in that I am not super sensitive. Thank you for not using impolite words, but I think you are over-stating the prescence of barley in salad dressings. If it is a worry, ask for olive oil and lemon juice on the side.

Maybe I did not express myself well. I mean that our attitude is very important in our health and the way we are perceived. I am a person who happens to have Celiac disease. I am not Celiac disease who happens to be a person. Maybe I have been exposed to too many whiners.

[Jestgar]

I would also say that I have to be careful with what I eat, but then I don't interact much with gluten eaters. I met my bf's granddaughter for the first time and I realized that I was reluctant to touch her because she had a sandwich in her hand. It made me realize that my ease of living is because I live within a carefully defined sphere. When I step out of that sphere is when I realize how careful I've learned to be, and the steps I've taken to make my life easier.

[GlutenFreeManna]

You may not think of yourself as disabled, but celiac disease (and food allergies too) is defined as a disability that is covered by the ADA. It is technically a disability no matter what your attitude or how well you manage it. You cannot just eat what everyone else is eating or just order something without asking questions. Some of us cannot even enter certain restaurants without getting sick. This is a fact of life for some of us and and not meant to be "whining". Consider yourself very lucky if you do not have bad reactions to cc and air-born flour. As to the OP, it is illegal for them to discriminate against someone for having celiac disease when hiring, but I do tend to agree with the other posters that said it may happen anyway. Proving discrimination is too difficult in a case like this. They can simply say the other person was more qualified. Better, IMO, to just avoid the topic until after you have the job, especially since it will not necessarily impact your ability to do the job. I hope you will update us with what you decided to do and how it turned out!

[Chad Sines]

If you will be required to eat out a lot for sales, then I think you MUST go to this. If you will not attend this most critical meal then he is going to wonder if you are reliable enough to attend them with a client.

I have never had any business associate or client give me any negatives about having an allergy to wheat (the term wheat is easier for them to understand). "Allergy to wheat?" "Yea, I used to be really sick before it was diagnosed but I am great now" Most either know someone with it, have heard about it or were curious about it. It has been a great ice breaker.

Would you hide if you had a seafood or peanut allergy?

You have to eat at your meals but you do not have to eat wheat. Like others said, you could just eat a salad if you want to keep it a secret. But if you do not let people know this you will offend them at some point when they invite you to a celiac unfriendly meal and you act "off."

[cahill]

Jason did you go to the interview? How did it go?