Interview Tip of the Day – Be On Time

One of my friend’s pet peeves is that people need to respect other people’s time. What that means is if you have a meeting with some then you should be on time for the meeting. For an interview, that means that you should arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand to ensure that the receptionist has time to call the hiring manager before your agreed upon time.

You may ask what the big deal is if you are late for an interview or a meeting. We all know that in a social setting, it is expected for a guest to be late to a party, hence the term fashionable late (in fact, you should plan on arriving at least 15 minutes after the scheduled time). But being late in the business context is not only discourteous but it is showing the person you are meeting with that your time is more important than theirs. If you want to make an impression with a hiring manager then telling them that you are more important than they are is definitely the way. It may not be a good impression though.

With respect to the time of the interview, if the hiring manager informed you that she has allotted only an hour for your interview, please keep the interview to that time frame. She may have other obligations and responsibilities. If you allow your interview to run overtime, then you may negatively impact the rest of her day. Once again, respecting the time of the person is the courteous thing to do.