Interview dilemma

J_i_m

Next week I am in a busy yet enviable position.

I have six job interviews arranged.

As you could imagine some of these are falling on the same days, for the most part I'm confident that the times between them provide me adequate time to travel and arrive in good time.

However, on one of these days I have an interview in Aylesbury at 09:30 and then one in Luton at 11:00.

In theory if everything went smoothly and to plan in the morning, it would just be possible to make my second appointment as well as the first.

But it's a risk, because if the earlier one ran late, or is longer than anticipated, or I hit traffic then arriving late at the second one would ruin my chances at the second interview as it would make me appear unprofessional.

So the dilemma:

Would you take a gamble, aim to attend both interviews and hope for the best.

Or make a pragmatic choice between the two, choosing the interview which represents what you believe is your best opportunity and respectfully withdraw from the other?

If I'm honest, I think I'm erring towards the pragmatic option.

double_mummy

id ask if the time can be moved for the second one as you will not be able to attend on time

wapow

Ask for the time to be moved.
Otherwise, I hope my story may help you and I do not mean to brag but for my previous two jobs with some big companies I was late by over an hour on both occasions and yet I made an impression to be selected for the roles over many other people.


But my lateness was due to circumstance. In hindsight I could've avoided it. But it happened. I came to the interviews, didn't make too much of a fuss or go in depth just apologised and got on with it.


In your case it seems genuine that you may end up late and if you haven't requested a time slot move then just turn up late and hope for the best.

janiebquick

There is a third option - ask for the Luton interview to be rearranged. If they ask why, tell them that you have a prior appointment in Aylesbury that morning and you don't want to risk being late. If the Luton employers are any good, they will see this as evidence that you are a responsible person with good time keeping skills.

[Deleted User]

I've been late and known other people to be late and still get offered a job - que prepare to blame the sat nav practise! or I got lost if it comes to it


Never had any luck moving interview times so perhaps I'm a let of the hook if late, well these one's were the ones with the no's afterwards for me, I really think it gets you a x before you've started especially if your travelling beyond your home town


To salvage if you know your going to be late, always phone the interviewer before arriving, eases the blow of being late

redcard

Is it worth the aggravation to find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?

Gavin83

The other issue you have is that it doesn't offer you much prep time either, even if you could get it done the night before its probably less stressful and would cloud the head less if you stuck to one interview a day.

Personally I'd choose the interview for the job I most wanted and move the other. If it harms your chances at least you've put maximum effort into the job you most want. Better to concentrate on one and potentially get it rather than focus on two and fail to get either.

J_i_m

Thanks for the replies, I will try to re-arrange the Luton one, but in my recent experience these things are fairly fixed.

So will be prepared to need to cancel one or the other.

wapow

Rather than cancel why not go for it anyway? If youre willing to lose it then you might aswell turn up late and see what happens? If anything it will be an experience for you and you might learn something about yourself which could benefit you.


You may very well find that the one you didn't really care about is the one that you end up getting

iammumtoone

I think it would depend. If the first interview is the one you would choice to attend, then go to both you will have lost nothing but if you would choice the second interview then seriously consider cancelling the first.

I have attended two interviews on the same day close together, the second one did not go as well, I spent my time whilst waiting to go in thinking about the first interview rather than concentrating on the second. Preparing the night before was not much fun either much better to concentrate on researching one company rather than two. Luckily in my case the first one was the one I most wanted, I got the job if I had attended that one second I am not sure if the outcome would have been the same.

Good Luck

noelphobic

I'd be inclined to ask for the second one to be rearranged. If they say it's not possible then tell a white lie and say you will rearrange something else to enable you to come. If it looks like you are going to be late then ring when you're on your way and maybe say that you had an earlier appointment which you'd rearranged to be earlier but it had over-ran.