Soon to be new grad seeking job start date advice please!

[xcontraindicatedx, BSN]

Hello nurses,

I am soon to graduate and have interviews coming up. Before I started school I booked a “graduation vacation” with my family to celebrate making it through a rough year of an ABSN program! I just want to ask how job offers go.. am I allowed to say “I can start after this date” or will the job offer state when I must start? I want to be armed with how the process works before I interview. I also don’t want to tell someone who’s offering me a job “uh I have a vacation and I can’t start until X date” because I feel like that seems shallow. I appreciate your time reading my post and appreciate any advice you can provide. This is my first civilian job after a 10 year military career so I am unsure how this works in the general workforce and haven’t had luck with my own research. Thank you! 

[Nunya, BSN]

Just say when you can start, don't say why unless they ask.  Then you can just say "family obligations". I would think most people would understand the need for a little break between graduation and starting a job.  I hope your vacation is right after graduation though because there will be people who say they can start immediately. 

[xcontraindicatedx, BSN]

I should have included in the post originally that I graduate on the 30th of the month, figured I could take the NCLEX the following month, and the vacation is 6 weeks after graduation (it’s only 5 days long). Do you think saying “I can start X date” which would be 6 weeks after graduation is too long afterwards?