Would you be willing to work over 40 hours a week?
Before answering scheduling questions, it's important to be clear on the interviewer's expectations. Some of the positions IBM offers are full-time salaried positions, as opposed to hourly. So, clarify that in your interview if asked this question. They also published a statement online over their working hours policy: "IBM will not exceed maximum hours of work prescribed by law and will appropriately compensate overtime. Employees will not be required to work more than 60 hours per week, including overtime, except in extraordinary business circumstances with their consent or where the nature of the position requires such work, as for exempt employees and employees in executive, managerial or professional positions. Employees should be allowed at least one day off per seven-day week."
"I am available for full-time work, preferably 8-5 Monday to Friday. I am happy to be a team player and work some overtime, as required. Will these hours meet your expectations?"
"If overtime is required in this role, I am happy to accommodate whenever possible. My only restriction is that I cannot work Wednesday nights as I have an evening course those days."
"I noticed most of your job postings describe the position pay ranges as salary. I was curious about the intended context. Is this position considered salaried or is it an hourly pay rate? Also, I could find anything regarding the expectations of the number of hours a week, other than full-time. What are the average number of hours an employee is expected to put in weekly?"
If you couldn't answer this question in your research on the position and IBM's expectations, now is the time to clarify. If their schedule expectations won't work for you, think about what you can offer and see if you can meet in the middle. It's much better to discuss these things in an interview than to commit to a schedule that won't work for you.
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