How early should you arrive at a job interview?

It goes without saying that you should arrive in plenty of time for a job interview. However, just how early should you arrive?

Unless the interview instructions advise you otherwise, it’s best to arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview time. This gives you enough time to let them know you have arrived and take some time to gather your thoughts.

Try to avoid arriving any earlier than 15 minutes before your interview time. There is a fine line between arriving early and arriving too early. Hiring managers will likely still be with the previous candidate or may not be ready for you which means you will have a long wait. This may make them feel guilty for not being able to accommodate you sooner. Plus the staff may feel obliged to entertain you or offer refreshments which could take them away from their own work.

Top tips for ensuring you arrive in plenty of time:

• Research the location beforehand and decide how you will travel there
• Plan your route and work out how long it will take to get there
• Have your clothing and anything you are taking with you ready the night before
• Allow extra time for traffic delays or public transport cancellations

What to do if you arrive too early?

If you have arrived too early you could simply wait in your car (assuming you have travelled there in your own vehicle). If you have travelled using public transport you could wait in a nearby coffee shop or go for a walk.

Review your CV: Whilst you are waiting it is a good idea to have a read over your CV and any notes you have made. If you haven’t already you could also think about any questions you may wish to ask the interviewer. This can help you feel more prepared and increase your confidence.

Relax and gather your thoughts: It is understandable you will feel nervous just before a job interview so take a few minutes to relax and calm any nerves. This will help you feel more composed when you arrive for the interview.

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What should you do if you are running late?

Whilst you should make every effort to arrive at a job interview on time, circumstances may arise I.e serious traffic delays or public transport cancellations which may mean you are running late.

If you realise you are going to be late you should immediately contact the interviewer or their company to let them know and apologise. Try to give them an estimated time for which you will arrive. They may be able to accommodate you at a later time or ask you to reschedule to be prepared for this. When you arrive apologise again for being late however don’t overdo the apology – you don’t want this to hang over the rest of the interview.

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