Interview Expenses?

[apb]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to gage what the usual practice is in respect to interview expenses.

Is it reasonable to ask that travel expenses are paid?

I have had a number of interviews in the past including those type of meetings with an agent as a condition of being put forward for a particular role - usual justification being that the Client insists on this approach.

In my experience - living in the north and looking for contracts across the UK - often the South, can get quite expensive traveling to interviews.

Or is it a case of having to speculate to accumulate?

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks.

[Sausage Surprise]

My last gig was in Kent - I live near Durham and drove there and back in a day for the interview (620 miles). The thought of asking for travel expenses never crossed my mind - After all, I wasn't sent there by the fupping job centre

[Ravello]

I doubt you'd have much joy asking the (potential) client to cover these expenses. However, justifying them as a valid business expense and claiming them back from your limited/umbrella should be fine.

[malvolio]

I doubt you'd have much joy asking the (potential) client to cover these expenses. However, justifying them as a valid business expense and claiming them back from your limited/umbrella should be fine.

Yep, it's cost of sales. Speculate to accumulate, even if it's a £260 last minute plane flight Bristol to Livingston for a 20 minute interview for a role based in London... though I got that one.

[hugebrain]

The pimps usually offer to pay for flights if they are needed. Asking for train or bus fares doesn't make you look too good.

[Keldin]

If they're expecting you to fly somewhere like Europe or Jersey or similar you should be able to get expenses.
If it's just a long trip because you're looking further afield than you normal place of residence then thats your problem and you should be expected to foot the bill.
If they are actively looking for peopel to travel long distance because there is no-one with suitable skills nearby then they will probably also be offering incentives such as travel and accomodation as part of the remuneration.

K

[r0bly0ns]

Agreed, a potential client in Cork once offered to pay for me to fly out for a face to face interview (after a phone interview), however I wouldn't dream of asking for expenses for an interview I could drive to in a few hours.

[s2budd]

Interview expenses

As usual, it depends on the market, rate and location.
I once did a gig about 40 miles away for five days on condition that a taxi was provided. My car had just conked out the day before and I realy just wanted to go any buy another rather than do a short-term gig.

Quite a few times agents have practically begged me to attend an interview in somewhere like Holland if they supply the expenses.

Usually no though, it's my expense.

[boredsenseless]

I wonder would cadbury's ask you to pay their advertising bill for their sponsorship of Coronation Street just because you expressed an interest in their chocolate bars?

No didn't think so...

Interview costs are marketing/advertising and a real company pays these themselves.

However if its a permie role then they should offer to pay the costs. If they don't you should ask, it sets the tone of what sort of expense policy you expect if you joined them.

[Bluebird]

No you can't really ask the agency or the client to re-inburse expeses - if you get a builder round for a quote do you give him petrol money?

what you can do however is [ if you're ltd ] put the expenses through as a business expenses and therefore pay for them pre-tax.