There was recently a story in the news about a woman who left her children in the car while she went on a job interview. Shanesha Taylor, the mother of two, faced a dreaded decision that many job seekers are too familiar with: should I reschedule or should I go through with it?
There are several good reasons for having to reschedule a job interview, but there is unfortunately this sense of desperation that many in the job market feel and with very few opportunities to impress a hiring manager, no one wants to have to cancel or reschedule a job interview. But, if you have to do it, what are the best ways to go about doing so?
- Do it immediately. As soon as you find out you have to reschedule, do it. The interviewer will appreciate the advanced notice.
- Call if you have a phone number. If you have the number, pick up the phone and call to reschedule.
- Send an email if you don’t have the phone number (obviously).
- Present a few alternative times that might work for rescheduling the meeting (I like how calling an interview a meeting makes it seem less intimidating).
- Don’t share too much detail. There’s a thing such as too much information, don’t go into a lot of detail as to why you need to reschedule. You can share that you’re sick, a client visit at your current job was rescheduled for the same time, your plane was canceled, etc… there’s no need to go into more specifics, the interviewer doesn’t want to know about the symptoms associated with your illness.
- Follow up with a note or email thanking the interviewer for being accommodating.
- Wow them when you do go on the interview—after all you had more time to prepare.
And when you’re interview is back on the books, here are some great interview tips to review on Nexxt.