As a recruiter I have heard many excuses over the years, as to why candidates have been late for interviews, but the one piece of advice I insist on giving is be on time as first impressions count. Let’s be honest, how many people actually enjoy interviews?! In my experience I would say that not many people would choose an interview as a daily task, but you would be surprised at how arriving early and composing yourself before will allow you to feel more confident. These are my top tips:
- Plan your route – This might sound obvious but check for roadworks, train strikes etc. as these can add on a great deal of time to your journey.
- If you are driving, check where to park and make sure you have sufficient money with you (some roadside parking will only take cash).
- If you have time do a trial run as it is always good to know exactly where you are going, where the Reception is etc. However, if you are unable to do this, you can always use Google Maps Street View to see where the company is located and give you a better idea.
- Give yourself extra time as it is better to arrive early and compose yourself than to be late. However, we all know that, unfortunately, things sometimes don’t go to plan, whether it be an unexpected traffic jam or the car breaks down. If this happens, make sure that you have a contact number (either of the agency who is representing you or of the company) and call ahead to let them know that you are delayed. I would recommend doing this as soon as you are aware that you will not make it on time.
Enough of the serious stuff! Here are a few of the funniest excuses for being late:
- “My children locked me out of the house. I had to call a locksmith and get him to open the door, so I could retrieve the keys, get the children to school, and then come to work”.
- “I thought it was supposed to snow today, so I slept in”.
- “My Wife left me and she took the car with her”.
- “My cat wasn’t herself this morning, so I stayed and looked after her”.
- “I thought I was being followed so I drove to the police station”.
- “I thought I was sick, but then I realised I wasn’t”.
- “Somebody stole my cars wheels”.
- “There was a free giveaway at Starbucks, but the line was really long”.
Kameo Recruitment don’t just offer advice on time keeping, we offer advice on the whole interview process. Please click here to download our Interview Tips or contact us to discuss further.