You finally landed an interview at your dream employer! You’ve prepped, planned and gone over every possible question they could throw at you. But sometimes, you just can’t plan for everything. You might wake up the day of your interview and there’s been a major storm the night before, or maybe you looked ahead and noticed there is inclement weather in the forecast. Not to mention, we all get sick sometimes. So, what happens to that interview?
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Fret not. There are several times when it’s totally OK to reschedule your job interview. As much as you may cringe as a job seeker worrying about what the employer may think, please, don’t overthink it. Safety comes first, always.
And if an employer pushes back and gives you a hard time, thankfully the interview process is a chance to interview them, as well. How these situations are handled presents an opportunity to identify red flags; do you want to work for an employer who doesn’t value your safety and health? Just some food for thought.
There’s been a major storm. While you may not want to wait until the actual day of the interview to cancel, it’s typically not a big problem if you do. Maybe you were concerned the forecast was inflated and your home would only get a light dusting, but instead you were slammed with over a foot of snow and you can’t dig your car out of the mess. Or if you were planning to commute via mass transportation, maybe there’s shutdowns or major delays.
You can call the recruiter or send an email, though calling with a succinct, sincere message is typically best. Try something like: “I’m calling to reschedule the interview, I was hoping the forecast wasn’t going to be as bad as they predicted, but I’m concerned about road conditions now that there’s black ice. I’m sorry about any inconvenience, but perhaps the next week or two will work better?”
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There’s a major storm forecasted. In state of emergency situations, it’s a no-brainer to batten down the hatches and put safety first, but what happens when a storm is forecasted but hasn’t quite hit yet and your interview is tomorrow? Reach out to the recruiter and mention you’re still interested in the position and plan on interviewing, but you’re concerned about the weather and hope it’s not an issue if you need to reschedule at the last minute.
Here’s the thing — as hesitant and awkward as you may feel, the employer may actually be relieved. They certainly don’t want to put their employees at risk if there’s a potentially hazardous travel day and, in turn, likely won’t want to see your safety at risk either no matter how much you want the job.
You’re really sick. When you’re sick, you’re not always at the top of your game. Sometimes, the candidate pushes him or herself to the interview and ends up doing well, and then goes home to crash. There are also situations where candidates feel horrible canceling and apologize over and over. Truth is, there’s nothing wrong with canceling at all. If you’re as sick as you say you are, the hiring managers are probably relieved! They want to see candidates do well on interviews and don’t want to get your germs. It ends up usually being a win-win all around!
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While it’s true that it’s fine to reschedule, be sure not to do so multiple times during the same interview process. Sure, there may be instances where this is acceptable due to extenuating circumstances, but consecutively rescheduling might have the prospective employer wondering if repetitive absences will become consistent if you are hired. It might stand out to them as a red flag.
When you cancel due to a storm, it’s typically universal knowledge, but when you’re sick it’s more subjective. Still, when you reschedule, the verbiage is pretty similar: “Hi! We have an interview scheduled for tomorrow and unfortunately, I am completely under the weather. I’m excited about this opportunity and want to perform at my best during the interview. Can we reschedule for next week?”
Whether your reason for rescheduling your interview is around inclement weather, your health or something else, just be honest with the recruiter. Always remember that your health and safety, and the health and safety of others, come first. And if the prospective employer is not respectful of that, you might want to shift gears and look at the countless other opportunities out there for you.
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3 Reasons Why You Should Reschedule Your Job Interview originally appeared on usnews.com
