Late to a Job Interview? Here’s What to Do

It’s your worst nightmare as a job candidate. Whether your alarm didn’t go off, you hit traffic or you got lost, the end result is the same: you’re late and likely just ruined your chances of getting the job offer. What should you do? Before you panic, follow these steps to attempt to salvage the interview:

Call the hiring manager.

As one of the leading employment agencies in Miami, Future Force knows that the second you realize you’re going to be late, call the hiring manager. Don’t assume it won’t be a big deal if you walk in the door five or six minutes after your interview was supposed to start. Things happen and hiring managers understand that.

However, if you’re going to be more than a few minutes late, then also ask the hiring manager if they want to reschedule. They may have appointments, meetings, or other interviews directly after yours and you don’t want to inconvenience them any more than you already have.

Be honest about the reason.

If your alarm didn’t go off, or your daughter forget her homework, so you had to drive her back home, you might feel a little embarrassed. But don’t lie, even if you’re tempted. Hiring managers can typically spot a half truth or lie a mile away. Instead, be honest and even a little sheepish about the situation.

Offer your apologies.

Don’t forget to apologize to the hiring manager. After all, not only have you wasted their time, but if you have to reschedule, you’re eating up even more of it. That said, don’t keep apologizing over and over again. Once or twice is enough. You know what you did was wrong and you’ve accepted responsibility. But you don’t need to continuously apologize throughout the interview. Doing so will keep reminding the hiring manager that you were late, rather than focusing their attention on your experience and abilities.

Learn from it and move on.

So you were late once to a job interview. It’s happened to the most experienced professionals, so you’re not alone. But whatever the reason in your case, make sure it doesn’t happen again.

If you were late because your alarm didn’t go off, set two or three alarms next time. If you hit traffic, leave extra early to give yourself plenty of time before your next interview. Learn from and move on from the mistake – rather than beating yourself up about it.

Need help getting interviews with local employers?

Call the experts at Future Force. As one of the leading employment agencies in Miami, we can help you with the entire job search process, including securing and preparing for interviews. Simply contact us today to get the process started or search our Miami jobs now