Why Being Early Is Arriving on Time 5 Reasons for Interview Punctuality

Why Being Early Is Arriving on Time 5 Reasons for Interview Punctuality One of the first interviews I  attended shortly after graduation was for a marketing position for the Disney  Store based in London. Being a typical Northerner, London was a bit like Narnia  to me it was a strange and mystical place which I wasnt sure really existed,  but the letter asking me to attend suggested that there really was such a place! At the time I wasnt that well-travelled and there were no smartphones, so  getting to London and finding my way around was quite a stressful  experience. It seems ridiculous now, but  the Tube completely befuddled me and I ended up going in the wrong direction on  several occasions.  Against all odds, I did actually get to the interview on  time, but the interviewer whisked me into a room the moment I arrived. Unfortunately I was so stressed all I was  able to do was hyperventilate and repeatedly say the words ?Mickey Mouse?. Unsurprisingly I didnt get the position, but  15 years on it has at least provided me with an anecdote to demonstrate the  importance of being prepared and punctual for an interview. I learnt the lesson the hard way but  I have written a few essential tips from my experiences so you don?t have to and, as you will see below, being early is very much the best policy: 1) Don?t wing it: By: Peter In today?s society it is so easy to rely on a smartphone to  get to places, but phone batteries can run out and signals/GPS aren?t always  reliable, especially in rural areas and in the middle of large city centres.  Even  if everything is OK with the technology, it has been known (dare I say it?) for  Google to be wrong (there goes this website?s rankings!). Plan your journey and print out directions. It  is also advisable to print out contact information in case you need to ring  ahead for assistance. 2) Be at one with  yourself: Arriving early to an interview allows you time to de-stress  from the journey and collect your thoughts. It will give you time to go over  the questions you have prepared, run through your presentation (if applicable),  and review the answers to questions that  are likely to be presented to you. It will also give you time to calm your  nerves, have a drink of water and go to the bathroom if necessary. This will hopefully  allow you to enter the interview as relaxed and comfortable as Lenny Henry in a  Premier Inn double bed. 3) A glimpse into the  future: First impressions are extremely important. How you behave at  an interview is a reflection of how you will potentially behave if you were to  be offered the position. Being late for the interview may suggest to the  interviewer that you would be regularly late if you were offered the job and employed  by the organisation. Being late isn?t the only action this may apply to. Nose picking,  putting your feet on the desk and drinking from a hip flask are also unlikely  to be considered as acceptable future traits. 4) The interview before  the interview: In many organisations the interview starts as soon as you  arrive in the building. How you interact with the receptionist or secretary may  well be taken into account when considering you for the position this gives  the organisation an idea of your personality outside of the formal interview  setting. If you arrive late or on time then you may be missing out on the  ?unofficial? part of the interview process. So arrive early and be nice to all  staff you encounter, but definitely no flirting! 5) Ring ahead: If you are running late for any reason ring ahead. It is easy to think ?I?ll explain everything when  I get there? when time is against you but, again with today?s technology, it is  assumed that most people will have a mobile phone and the capability of giving  the organisation an update on your progress. However, you may want to think carefully about  the reason you give for your lateness.  Being scared of escalators, a man stopped me in the street to talk to me  about breakdown cover or I saw a really cute dress in the window of Topshop are  unlikely to be considered acceptable reasons! These are just a few of the reasons why being early is being  on time for a job interview. If you take this advice on board I am positive you  will be setting yourself up for interview success and future employment as the  early bird catches the annual salary, company car and pension scheme, but I wouldn?t  suggest that you adopt this mantra in all aspects to your life as you are  likely to become really unpopular at house parties.