To be late or reschedule? That is the question.

Yesterday, I called a candidate for a scheduled phone interview and I got his voicemail.  Two minutes later, he called me back to say that he was running late and would need to reschedule.  So I started thinking as I say in my best Carrie Bradshaw voice...is it better to be late to an interview or reschedule?  Well, obviously neither is preferred, but in 15 years of experience, I would say if you are going to be late, call first, don't call after you missed the interview time.  I worked in NYC and Tokyo so traffic was the culprit for many late shows, but since even my cat, Duncan, knows how to use a cell phone, there's no excuse why you cannot call and say you are running late.  The worst thing you can do is not show up.  If you know you are going to be more than 10 minutes late, then I suggest rescheduling.  And under no circumstances, lie about why you can't make the appointment.  Once a candidate called me to tell me her father passed away and she was leaving later that day to go to Las Vegas for the funeral.  I sent her a sympathy card and lamented how sorry I was on the phone to her.  Then, the next day I ran into the candidate on Madison Avenue.  The quote from my favorite movie, "When Harry Met Sally", "In a city of eight million people, you're bound to run into your ex-wife" echoed in my head.  I asked if she was ok and she said she couldn't get a ticket out to her uncle's funeral and wanted to know if I could reschedule her interview.  Um, she said her father died not her uncle. Needless to say, I didn't feel the candidate was trustworthy and didn't reschedule her interview.  If she was going to lie to me, how would she treat her team at the company?  So please be honest why you can't make an interview.

If you are sick, say you're sick and offer future dates that might work for a rescheduled interview. If you are running late in traffic or stuck on a subway, text if you don't get the best signal.  If you want the job, your eagerness to reschedule or explain why you are late or need to reschedule will be understood.  It happens all the time.

If you can call, it is better than an email or text because the spirit of your intent and tone of voice will literally be heard on the telephone.  But if you don't have a signal, then the second best thing to do is text or email.  I am very understanding about this, but I don't like being lied to nor enjoy when candidates don't show up for an interview.  Everyone's time is valuable and you would be surprised how understanding people can be when told honestly what the situation is.

Wishing you much luck on your next interview and getting your dream job.  So when you see your friend get her dream job, it's absolutely okay to say, "I'll have what she's having...."