You landed an interview at a killer company and you’re ready to blow them away. Then, the unavoidable happens: You get sick, or something else comes up forcing you to reschedule the interview.
Some things in life are just out of your control. So first of all, relax. But how can you prevent ruining your chances at getting the job?
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To make sure you handle this sticky situation with the utmost professionalism and care, we reached out to hiring managers asking, “What’s the best way to reschedule an interview?”
If you have a few days
Cain Richards, a digital analyst for seoworks.com, says in instances where the candidate can identify an issue such as an emergency medical appointment, he expects a minimum of two days’ notice via email.
“This gives me a chance to reschedule my time efficiently,” says Richards.
“And hopefully leaves me with enough notice to set up a replacement interview.”
In case of emergencies
Sometimes, things just happen at the worst possible moments: Your cat needs to be rushed to the vet, your pre-war apartment starts leaking from the ceiling, you wake up with a 24-hour bug.
There are always instances that cannot be predicted. In cases of last minute emergencies, Richards recommends opting for an email with a brief reason for having to cancel, followed by a phone call to ensure the message was delivered.
Don’t forget the apology
For Stefanie Parks, digital marketer and founder of Dermwarehouse, the most important part is to apologize, letting the company know how disappointed you are that you’ll have to push the interview.
Parks also believes a little integrity goes a long way. “I think the best way to handle it is to just be honest,” says Parks. “Tell them why you can’t make the interview, and hopefully, they can understand that things happen and things come up that you can’t help.”
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