This is a tough question, but let us explain here.

You have landed that interview you have been hoping for through your partnered recruiter whom you trust. You can say that this is your ideal job, the job you have fantasised about for years.

Your interview is scheduled for Monday at 10:00 am. Behind the scenes, the recruiter had to jump through hoops to get all parties involved to shift their diaries to meet with you. These parties include people such as the CIO, Senior manager from the IT department and senior manager from the finance department and the list goes on.

The day of your interview has finally arrived, you are dressed to impress and feel confidence is your best friend. You get into your car and as you turn on the highway your worst nightmare comes true. It is pouring down from the rain, traffic is backed up for kilometres and to top that, no one knows how to drive in the rain.

You may have found yourself in a similar situation before. When you get invited to a birthday party or any event actually by friends, the time given is just a guideline and no one is ever on time. However, an interview is completely different.

Without any question, the most valuable thing any person can give you is their time and undivided attention. When you are not on time for a meeting you are disrespecting the other person time.

We know that life happens and that you do not have control over unexpected events. In the case of an interview, it will be critical how you handle such a situation and it will tell your soon to be employer a lot about your character.

Being late can make or break an interview process. Below are a few tips and suggestions on how to prevent being late for your interview.

  • Transparency is key. Be transparent with your recruiter, do not feel like you have to say yes to the proposed time. If there is a chance that the prosed time can be comprised due to an emergency rather ask for a time that you will make comfortably without feeling too stressed.
  •  Never assume. Look up the address beforehand, make sure you know the most reliable route and how long it will take you to get there. If you are too nervous ask a friend to assist you or take a drive to the building beforehand.
  • Always prepare for the worst, we all know unexpected things happen, like traffic on the highway, unexpected roadblock or even an accident. Being prepared can help you be on time. If you leave too early for the interview, maybe consider visiting a close-by coffee shop.
  • Make sure you the correct time.
  • Avoid unnecessary stress and find out where you need to park. Struggling to find parking space might make you late for your interview.
  • Don’t be too early. If you are too early you might throw your interviewers of their game since they might be occupied with something else when you get there. Make sure to arrive a few minutes early than given time and know whom to ask for.
  • It does not matter what your current position is or how senior you are anything can happen at any given time so prevention is better than cure. Should you find yourself in a predicament and think you might be late, call your recruiter or interviewer immediately and apologise. Stay calm and give them an accurate estimated time you will be there.

In conclusion to the above, remember that we cannot control all situations around us. Things happen but the way you handle the obstacles is entirely up to you.

Should you be late and you handle it within an utmost professional manner you might just land your dream job after all!