Ways To Blow A Job Interview – You’re Late, But Please Don’t Use This Excuse
You just received great news. You’re excited that you passed the interview phone screen, and have now been invited to a face-to-face interview. They didn’t even hear your cat purring on your shoulder during the phone interview. Or at least they didn’t say anything. Hmm. The interview is this coming Monday. As you hang up the phone, you reflect on how many times you’ve been late to work on Mondays and now you have a job interview scheduled on a Monday. Well, “I can do it”, you think to yourself.
It’s Sunday night, and you run through your winning strategy for tomorrow’s interview. Monday, you think. Your Job Interview checklist is within reach, so you glance over at it and decide you already know what it says. You’ve confirmed the address for the interview with the Human Resources person with whom you spoke. You know the location and feel you’ll have no problem getting there. You’re clothes are ready, shoes clean, the right resume, with a few extra is in its proper place. Good to go.
Monday comes, and you arrive at the interview 15 minutes late, instead of 15 minutes early. You did call once you realized you were running behind schedule. You sensed a little irritation in the voice of the Human Resources person on the phone. Dang, you intended to be on time, but history has a way of repeating itself. You are just not at your peak on Mondays. Should have asked for another date. You finally get to the office; go into the room where everyone is waiting for YOU. All eyes on you. You apologize, for being late, because you “Got lost”.
If I could make a screeching sound, it would be right here.
Never use the, “I GOT LOST”, response. It doesn’t work anymore. It’s just lame. With all the ways to check traffic conditions, road detours, route changes due to construction, and on and on, that response just isn’t acceptable. You screwed up, and it may just result in you blowing this interview. Being on time is the first step to knocking out the competition, and getting yourself hired.
So if you don’t want to blow a job interview, there are six things you must do:
1. Make sure your job interview checklist includes verifying the exact location. Ever so often, there are companies that have the same name, but are different businesses or business units.
2. Print out MapQuest instructions (whether you are local or being flown into a location).
3. Ask the person scheduling you for the interview, if there is any construction going on that would require you to take a detour.
4. Ask the interviewer for a map with directions to the location. (If it’s current, it should get you there).
5. Do a test-drive, as if going to work (if you were hired). You need to know how long it will take you to get there. The intent is that you won’t be late. This is a good practice, even if you are being flown in to interview.
6. Have alternative routes identified. Sometimes accidents occur and detours pop up over the weekend.
Its things like these that separate the winners from losers, duds from the studs. That position may have your name all over it, but if you want to blow a job interview, be lame – be late.
p.s. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you sign up to receive, my Free Report entitled, “Can’t Find A Job, Maybe It’s You”. When you see the box, sign up.
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