Take A Coffee Break Before Your Next Job Interview
Sure, we all know that it's as disastrous to arrive late for a job interview as it is to submit your resume written in crayon. But have you ever thought about what happens if you arrive early? According to resume consultant Adam Sterling, arriving early disrupts your interviewers' schedules and creates tension.
Why is arriving too early a blow to your chances of winning the job? The answer is quite simple. One of the primary goals of the interview process is to determine a prospective candidate's understanding of, and ability to operate within, the norms of a professional environment. One of those norms is an understanding of how your actions impact others around you and your respect for your co-workers schedules and time. Showing up early, or late, for an interview (or for any business meeting) is disruptive to the person you are meeting. To understand this, consider what occurs when you arrive early. The people with whom you are meeting will be notified that you have arrived. From a cultural perspective, most people don't feel comfortable making someone wait for them as it is considered rude-so the person you are meeting now has two options: a) they can interrupt their schedule to meet with you early, or b) wait for the scheduled time and be made to feel anxious about making you wait. In either case, you have made a bad first impression.
Do what I do when I arrive early to a job interview: Conduct your own interview of the neighborhood. Explore the area, looking for potential sources of coffee or lunch in the area around the office.
Common mistakes. Easy fixes. (part two) [getpickd]
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Here we go. I remember all the employment advice in the mid 80's when the job market sucked. You got advice nit picking every little thing. Wear red it is a power color! Sigh.
Have your act together, look appropriate and resolve yourself to the fact that jobs are going to be harder to get right now.
As long as you aren't ridiculously early then I think being early is fine. It's a show of respect for the other person that you care about their time and you want to make the most of it by arriving there for the interview. Besides, it gives me a chance to calm my nerves, an opportunity to look about the place, get my self in order in the restroom, and read any company literature that might be out.
Interesting; where I work, even if you show up for your interview on time, the boss still makes you wait until he can look like he's "5 minutes late" just to make you sweat.
Depends - an hour early seems worse than 5 minutes late. The five minutes you can blame on traffic. The hour they can blame on you being a tool.
Wait...you can't write your resume in crayon?! So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong!
I suffer from this habitual earliness. I'm literally TERRIFIED of being late for things like interviews or work. I've been known to arrive 2 hours early for work during the first 2 weeks at a location, and an hour early for interviews (though I never go in until there's 10 minutes to go).
This fear is mostly due to my complete lack of direction. I get lost so easily that I've basically reprogrammed myself to leave super early, "just in case". I get lost getting to offices when I'm already within buildings. I park in the wrong parking lots.... It happens frequently enough that I'm not too terribly interested in reforming my ways so that I get there "on time".
@wrjohnston19283: Yes showing up a hour early is a bit extreme I was thinking more in the 10 mins early area.
I conduct interviews here, and early is still better than late. But some people show up 30 - 40 minutes early, which, considering how busy every working professional is these days, can be seen to be just as rude as arriving late.
The "neighborhood interview" is a good plan...
This goes for business meetings, too. Because we have restricted access, I have to either get people in one of the lobbies, or make them wait. Please, don't call me 20 minutes before a meeting expecting to be let into the building! Five minutes is appropriate; otherwise go to the bagel shop and wait.
As a hiring manager, I don't mind at all if someone shows up for an interview as much as 20 minutes early. I have no problem whatsoever letting them sit in the lobby until I'm ready. Much earlier than 20 minutes, and I do start to wonder why they didn't stop by Starbucks to kill the extra time.
If I don't get the call from the front desk by 5 minutes before the interview is to start, I start to worry.
Show up for an interview late and the candidate will have to absolutely knock my socks off to get the job from me.
I tend to show up exactly on time to the second right in the interviewers office. I find using a zip line and a flash-bang ensures that I not only make a distinct impression, but also leaves the interviewer stunned/blinded by my pure awesomeness.
It's also a bargaining point as I explain that not only can they take the money to repair the window out of my future paychecks, I can advise them on how to avoid people crashing through their windows. The most preferable method is brick pattern window clings. It makes the person thing they can't crash through the window, in addition to cost savings by blocking out a percentage of the light to lower cooling costs!
@GyroMight: Showing up early is far better than showing up late, because early turns into perfectly on time with a simple 15 minute wait in your car before walking into the building.
When you show up extremely early, it makes everyone nervous because either they have to rearrange their schedule to fit you in earlier, or they have to ignore you for the next hour and let you sit in the lobby. But your presence alone hinders the administrative assistant or secretary from doing what he/she needs to get done because they have to babysit.
I've always gotten to my interview spot early, very very early in some cases when I wasn't sure where I was going or how long it would take with traffic. I just found a coffeeshop and set my alarm to 15 minutes before the interview time (giving myself time to walk back there and smooth out my clothes and check myself in the mirror).
Don't show up late at all, but don't show up extremely early, either. You may be there at the request of your potential employer, but they decide whether to hire you. 10 minutes is a good buffer time. It gives the employer time to finish what they're doing or find a good stopping point, it gives them time to clean their desk or what not, and it gives you time to go over your talking points and prepare yourself again.
@jermscentral: Ugh, now that's a wretched self-aggrandizing behavior. I would hate working for someone like that.
@mistifi: That's a little extreme! I've been known to be in the area about an hour before (at the most) but that was kind of a fluke. I thought it would take longer than it did. Another time, I was driving to Maryland for an interview and I had so much time before the interview that I got a quick manicure.
I always leave early, just in case. But I tend to have a good idea of where I'm going, and I rarely get lost. I just always give myself time because I always think I might get lost. But it hasn't happened so far.
@FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave: I would hire you if you could design a zip line system inside the office so internal memos can simply be weighted and sent along the line.
I think 15 minutes early is sufficient. Usually, when you arrive they have you fill out various paperwork, and by the time you get finished, it's time for the interview.
We've just finished interviewing for an assistant for me, and from that experience, I can say: 5-10 minutes early just looks like you've hit green lights on the way up, or you're well-organized. 20 minutes early looks desperate and like you don't have anything else to do with your time. 5-10 minutes late means you hit bad traffic, and more than 10 minutes late without a very good excuse means you're disorganized and I probably don't want you in charge of helping to organize my life.
I'm usually anal about punctionality and being in NYC, I dont really trust public transportation anyway. So I'm usually at least a half-hour early. However, I always just bring a book or some info about the position/institution before presenting myself about 5-10 minutes before the interview time. It's never failed yet!
@pecan 3.14159265: I am absolutely terrified of getting into a wreck, or having a flat or getting stuck in traffic for just enough time to make me late. If taking public transport, I also weigh in the possibility of it breaking down. So I leave with the worst case scenario in mind in terms of time it takes to get there. Needless to say, on good days I get to places an hour early. And that applies for tests, interviews, life changing appointments, catching trains or flights. If its an interview, I just hangout somewhere nearby till theres 15 minutes left.
@mistifi: I'm the exact same way. I could know my way directly to the place and back (if it's the area I live in) and it could only take me 10 minutes to get there, but I'll still leave an hour early just to make sure that I get to the right place. It's much, much worse when I'm going to a place outside my town, especially if I'm going to Hartford or New Haven. I don't know them particularly well, so I always end up arriving a good 45 minutes early, barring anything disastrous happening (such as getting lost)
As someone who has interviewed a lot of potential employees, I so agree with this. Don't be late, but right on time is excellent. Hang back by the elevator, in the hallway, outside the front door, wherever until the exact moment your appointment begins. Don't make your presence known if you do arrive early. It's annoying, awkward, puts the interviewer on the spot and makes them feel defensive.
@mistifi: I am like this as well. I've taken to driving to the interview location a day early for practice so I can make all my stupid driving mistakes ahead of time. On interview day, I still tend to arrive pretty early, but I wouldn't go into the office until about 5 min before the actual start time.
I sit in the parking lot with my latte and review my notes and practice (and then read a book to try to relax)
@mistifi: I'm so glad to read that I'm not the only one that has that problem! I'm pretty sure I have spent more time in my life waiting in my car (or walking around) before interviews than at interviews themselves.
How many jobs does the writer of this article interview for? Sounds like he/she ain't doing a good job if they are constantly interviewing for a job.
I'm the receptionist and I'm the one who has to get you paperwork, etc. before your interview. If you arrive way too early and sit there watching me like a magpie on a telephone wire while I work, it makes me very uncomfortable. I might chat with you, but I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE STORY.
I actually made a funny PowerPoint about applying and interviewing and emailed it to my then-boss (she was the accounting and HR person). She thought it was hilarious. I would attach it if I knew how!
@mimbypims: My parents ask me all the time whether I need to practice my route in advance of getting to my first day at work. I look at them like they're crazy because my time is much more valuable than to sit in traffic for 30 minutes when I already know where I'm going. In fact, my first job, they didn't even give me a choice. They were all, "let's have family time, have lunch, blah blah" and on the way, they drove me to my new office and told me how to get there, despite the fact that I already told them I knew how.
Now that I live farther away, I don't have to worry about such helicopter parenting!
I have often times shown up a bit early (10-15 minutes You are taking public transportation and it is freezing outside so you don't have a car to sit in and there are no obvious coffee shops in the immediate area...my career often requires my employers to be out in the middle of nowhere), but I will usually tell the receptionist that I am early, and I would like to wait in the lobby area for a while. If she insists on calling the interviewer, I request that she tell the interviewer that I know I am early, and if he needs time to wrap up what he is working on I understand and I am fine waiting...no pressure on him.
@Rachacha: The trouble is, when I am hosting interviews and I know someone is waiting outside, it's impossible to do anything else other than just go out and meet them. To tell you the truth, it's not something I look forward to doing in the first place, and when someone arrives early it feels even more like an imposition.
I complete agree. I'm an admin for deans at a university and they do a lot of interviewing. Usually their schedules are so booked that the candidate who's early just ends up standing around. If they can meet with the candidates right away, they're annoyed because it throws off whatever they were doing in that free block of time.
When someone shows up exactly on time, I love it.
For interviews and business meetings, I make every attempt to follow two rules:
1) Be 15 minutes early.
2) Never arrive less than 30 minutes after the start of the person whom you are seeing's day begins, unless they have specifically request you to do so.
15 minutes, to me, is the maximum amount of early both parties feel comfortable addressing. I also never want to be there at the same time the appointment upon whom I'm calling. They should have time to answer e-mail/phone messages and get sufficiently caffeinated before they have to deal with me.
@MissPeacock: I'd say 15 might be pushing it, but I suppose it depends exactly what sort of company you're being interviewed for.
I find 5 mins early is generally a good bet. Depending on how many interviews they're doing, you might still have to wait around for anywhere up to half an hour while the guy ahead of you finishes due to backlog.
I have to totally agree with this. I just had to hire for a junior level position and so many applicants were as early as 30-40 minutes! It's super annoying and yes, disruptive, especially in a really busy workplace. I honestly *would* rather someone be 5 minutes late because of a wonky train or something. Even better would be 5 or maybe 10 minutes early at the most. Stall!
I don't see how being early is an issue unless it's super early. (like ~30 minutes)
Unless the place has flex hours having someone arrive at the office early means they'll be settled down on time.
If it's an hourly job you have to get there early to be clocked in on time.
This is SUCH a no-brainer.
Of COURSE you get there early. To make sure that you're not late, which is the worst thing you can do.
But just because you get to the BUILDING early doesn't mean that you have to barge in, expect everyone to drop everything and interview you AT THAT VERY MINUTE.
Get to the office of the person interviewing you on time or a minute early.
When people did this to me, I've sent me off for a coffee and told them to get back at the agreed time.
Turn up too early and you give the decided impression of being a bit dim-witted.
@bohemian: I completely agree. Job interviews are not some intricate series of subtle psychological tricks, where you can ACHIEVE SUCCESS! by wearing power colours or smelling positive. Or split-second arrival times.
Believe it or not, it's what you say and how you respond to questions that makes the difference.
This is so true - I've done over a hundred interviews over the past year and hated it when the applicant would arrive 45 minutes early. Yes it happens! We do panel interviews so then it becomes an issue of finding all the panelists to see if they can go early etc. or waiting and feeling rushed while you're finishing up other work before the interview starts.
Arrive an hour early, by all means. But take a coffee break or whatever and don't enter the building until you're 20 minutes early.
@bohemian: I swear I received my first job out of college in the 80's because I recognized everybody else on campus was wearing the red power tie to interviews. I wore something else instead to stand out in the interviewer's memory.
@mistifi: Ha, me too. This sort of thing is exactly why I got into the habit of carrying a book or the NY Times around with me. In fact, when I replaced my purse recently a main factor was whether or not I could fit at least a mass market paperback in there.
@HogwartsAlum: Same with people who come in early for business meetings.
At my company, I'm the receptionist plus a million other things, so I do actually have stuff to do other than answering the phone. I don't really want to talk to someone about a specific account when another vendor is waiting in the lobby.
Miss Peacock and a few others have it right with being there 15 minutes early. I'd always ask if there is the typical application that must be filled out (even though they have your resume). That would give you a better idea of when to show up in order to give yourself time to fill out the paperwork.
@FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave: Damn. I always save my Flash-Bangs for when I'm asked a question I didn't anticipate. Good to know!
While in the military, it was ingrained in us to be 15 minutes early for everything. We called it "courtesy time". I still do that for interviews and meetings. Being that I currently work for the DoD as a civilian, the rule still holds true.
If you have extra time, goto the restroom and double check your appearance in the mirror. You don't want to go walking into the interview with eye boogers or dried toothpaste on your lip.
From a cultural perspective, most people don't feel comfortable making someone wait for them...
See, that's where they lose me. You're not making someone wait if they show up early. They're just early. If anything they're making themselves wait.
Getting mad at someone for being early seems like you're just looking for an excuse to be pissed off.
@Trai_Dep: That's what smoke grenades are for. Distraction. I find OC/Rubber Ball grenades are perfect for polygraph situations as they throw all of your physical responses off. I think I need to start a new SIT Team. Special Interview Tactics.
I can imagine that showing up early is still better than showing up late.