3 Useful tips to avoid being late for a job interview

Have you ever been late for a job interview? I’m pretty sure that many of you reading this have been in a situation where you were and had to give a valid excuse, and if you’re worried about this, don’t stress: Job Mail is here to help to you with this today.

Firstly, take note that barring a flood, earthquake, tornado, act of terrorism or surprise UFO abduction, there is no real excuse for being late for an interview. You should make sure that you take the necessary precautions to be on time for your interview.

However, if you do find yourself in a position to be late for an interview, you need to salvage the situation, here’s how:

1. If you realize that you’re going to be late, call the interviewer and ask them if it’s possible to reschedule the interview for a later time during the day or another day.
2. If you finally make it to the interview, make sure that you display the right posture, poise and posture. Stand up straight, speak confidently, face your interviewer and use an apologetic tone. You can smile, but please don’t smirk. Don’t stutter or engage in awkward pauses while addressing. Maintain eye contact and keep a straight face.  Don’t play with your purse, hair, clothes or anything on the interviewer’s desk. Read this article about body language during interviews, for tips.
3. Make sure that you plan this excuse in advance and state your excuse plainly and simply. Don’t make up an excuse while you are facing the interviewer. Be honest and be prepared to respond if you are asked questions about your excuse (because you most likely will be).

If you give your excuse to a potential employer and you don’t get the job, learn from your mistakes. Make sure that you’re never late for a job interview again by following these 3 tips:

1. Traffic is unpredictable and accidents happen, so make sure that you use the easiest method of transport to get to your interview on time. If you’re driving to your interview, make sure that you’re aware of alternate routes (in case you get stuck in traffic). Drive through an hour earlier or take an earlier taxi, bus or train to ensure that you’re on time. Also try to schedule the interview for non-peak hours to decrease your chances of getting stuck.
2. Arrive early for your interview. So what if you’re an hour or half an hour early? You’ll still be on time. Remember that it’s best to be 15 minutes early for your interview.
3. Do a practice run the day before your interview. Map out the location of your potential employer and do a test run at the same time of day as your scheduled interview. If you have a smart phone use a map application to set up alternate routes to their offices.

The folks at Corporate Recruiters posted an infographic recently featuring 5 of the worst excuses they have received from potential candidates for being late for an interview. You should NOT be using these excuses if you’re ever late for a job interview.

If you’ve found this information useful, feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is caring. If you have any tips or feedback about this, feel free to comment on this article. You could be the reason that someone aces an interview and gets a job.

Alternatively, get 34 crucial tips for your next job interview, find out which 2 safeguards you should follow for online job hunting, get insight into finding a job at every stage of your life or find out how to impress employers in 5 easy steps.

Just a reminder that you can upload your CV, browse for jobs and apply for them on Job Mail.

If you have any queries about the registration process or if you are experiencing technical issues with our website, feel free to e-mail our Webmaster via jobmaster@jobmail.co.za.

Watch this space for more updates for job seekers on the Job Mail Blog.