You want to make an excellent first impression during a job interview. Showing up late will most certainly ruin your chances of making that impression. Punctuality is always the best policy for interviews.
Why You Should Never Be Late for a Job Interview
Being late to an interview can likely ruin your chances of getting the job. Lateness is a sign of disrespect and can be interpreted as carelessness or even disinterest in the job position. Lateness can make others think you do not care about the job and that you will continue to be late for work if they hire you.
I take punctuality very seriously. I am also an architect and a small business owner running a small architecture firm in New York. As a business owner, I assure you that punctuality is essential to me when hiring employees. Showing up late for an interview is a great way to ensure you do not get the job.
Being Late is the “Biggest Hiring Ick”
In a survey conducted by Ringover on “hiring icks,” they determined that being late for the interview was the number one behavior that hiring managers were bothered by. Lateness came in at 38.4% of hiring managers, listing this as the number one concern. For video interviews, 32% said it was their primary concern. When discussing in-person and video interviews, the hiring managers identified lateness as their number one issue that ruins an interview.
Being Late to an Interview Sends the Wrong Message
When you show up late for something as important as an interview, it definitely gives the wrong impression. If someone is late the first time I meet them, I will always assume that person is habitually late. If you show up late for the interview, the employer might expect that you will constantly be late for work. That is not something anyone wants.
Showing up late will also give the impression that you just don’t care about the job. The person interviewing you can think that you do not take the position seriously and will not take your work seriously if they hire you. You want them to expect you to be a good employee, not a careless one, and being late is clearly a sign of carelessness and disinterest.
A critical characteristic of an employee is reliability. Being late does not signal reliability; it gives off a sign of being unreliable and inconsiderate.
Being Late for an Interview is Rude
The most crucial reason for arriving on time for an interview is that lateness is rude. Being late to meet someone says that you value your time more than you value theirs. Being late will make others think you do not respect their time, which is a sign of rudeness.
Do you think a business owner would want someone they consider rude to work for them? Not a chance. I most certainly would not hire a rude person to work for me, and being late is definitely rude.
Punctuality for a Job Interview
Let’s make a deal never to be late for a job interview. This is such a simple goal you can accomplish so easily. I know this is a simple goal because I am almost always early for everything I do. I hate it when people are late, and I go out of my way to ensure I am never late.
The easiest way to never be late is to aim to be early. I live in New York City and try to arrive fifteen minutes early everywhere I go. This gives me plenty of leeway if the subway is slow, there is traffic, or if I can’t get a cab. The simple act of trying to arrive early saves me from ever being late.
Stop Being Late for Job Interviews
If you have ever been late for a job interview, you should really think about not doing that again. I strongly recommend you take punctuality more seriously and stop making excuses for being late because, trust me, few people will care.
So, let’s go out there, get some job interviews, and show up a little early so that you can make a good first impression.
