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I applied to an international company and they asked for an interview at 5 pm in their timezone, which is 5 am here. In their e-mail they asked me if I would be available anyway during that time so I assume that's the only time they can spare for an interview. They did ask if I was abroad.
Would it be appropriate to try asking them if I can postpone it for another hour?
If it was me and it was a job I wanted, I would take the 5am call. They probably close office at 5.30/6pm and have already pushed the interview to the latest they possibly can to accommodate your timezone.
I would say consider their own time management and that they may have other applicants who are in the same time zone to them.
Taking the call at this time will also show your dedication and enthusiasm for the job. Not to say that you will always be this accommodating but for a one-off interview I think you should accept.
Are you expected to work in the company's time zone or its just a different office from where the interview is scheduled? If your final work timing are going to align to their timezone, then you should definitely say yes.
If not , then consider the position you are applying for and the situation.Is there a reason no one local can take your interview? Can you offer an alternate time? Assuming a 12 hour difference as highlighted by you, would you be comfortable attending an interview late at night, say between 9 pm to 11 pm?
You could reply by saying- I was wondering if it would be possible to schedule something before 11 am your time. If its not, I will make it at 5 pm.
Usually companies are accommodating and will try to schedule as per your preferences. If they cannot, they will suggest this is the only slot and you should make it.
You can ask, but don't expect that they will accommodate.
Coordinating the calendar of your interview board is a difficult task, if you aren't willing to meet at their convenience, they have X number of people to interview in lieu of you.
When you do ask, be reasonable and try to think of their perspective and needs.
I know that a later time for you would be a stretch, but would you please ask if the time can be at a later time?
Then list timeframe of which would be better for you.
I understand that ultimately the only viable time would be at 0500hrs [Localtime] I will do my best to accommodate this interview time.
End with the acceptance that you are the job seeker here and will be flexible.
Unless you have a very good reason not to do so, you should accept 5 AM. It is early in the morning but lot of people do start work (or getting ready to start) at that time. So it is not completely unreasonable to expect to attend a phone call.
You can sure request for a later time but rather save this opportunity to request for something more important later on this process. (Like your joining date, relocation, etc. if you get hired).
Do you accept a 5 am interview when you're in a different timezone?
If I wanted the job badly enough, of course I would accept a 5 am interview.
But when that time was proposed, I would have asked if it was possible to talk a bit later. If not, then I would accept.
It's quite possible that this was a "test" to see if you were willing to extend yourself. Or, it might simply have been what was convenient for the interviewer. You'll never know if you don't ask.
If you were planning to work remotely, you should certainly explore the expected work hours while interviewing. You'll need to decide the implications of the 12-hour time difference and see if it meets your needs.
