With the relentless snow and ice storms hitting huge swaths of the country this winter, it pays to be prepared if you need to cancel your interview. Here is a checklist to follow for weather or other emergencies that may come up when conducting a job hunt:
1. When working through a recruiter, have their cell phone number ready and waiting. Your recruiter can contact the company in ways that won’t jeopardize your candidacy, and should be available to you 24/7. Talk with the recruiter when the forecast looks shaky. Rescheduling before a last minute cancellation may be the best strategy.
2. If you aren’t working through a recruiter, YOU must make the decision on whether to travel to the interview. You will need to contact the company during regular office hours when they will be available to you. This means, probably, making the decision the day before the actual interview. No one, candidate or client, likes to make the effort to get to the office and have the other party not show up.
3. Whether you cancel or the client does due to weather, be prepared with alternative days and times to complete the new schedule in the same phone call. This helps avoid your candidacy getting lost in the shuffle due to schedule changes.
4. If your in-person interview has been rescheduled more than once, offer to do a Skype interview. Meeting in-person has much more impact but rescheduling more than once, even when it has not been your issue causing the rescheduling, may get you labeled as difficult to schedule. Unfair, yes, but it does happen.
Executive Recruiters, Smith Hanley Associates, have over 30 years of experience guiding candidates and clients through the interview process. We’d love to assist you! Contact Managing Director, Jacque Paige at jpaige@smithhanley.com to discuss how we can best serve you.
