You get a call, and they want you to come in for an interview! Out of excitement, you may immediately blurt that you're available at any time.
You get a call, and they want you to come in for an interview! Out of excitement, you may immediately blurt that you're available at any time. Few applicants think about the importance of their interview time. Yet it's more important than you think. Consider these tips on why your scheduled time matters in an interview.
Say 'no'
to Friday An interview on a Friday is always a bad idea.1 Think about it – it's right before the weekend. People may have their minds elsewhere. Interviewers may not be focused on your interview, which can be incredibly frustrating.
Don't agree to a Monday This is a tricky day. Many applicants falsely believe that Monday is the best day for an interview, since it's the beginning of the week.2 Monday interviews also won't go so well regardless of whether it's for a medical coding or billing position. Monday is a stressful workday for people. Your interviewer may have a lot on his plate and find your interview to be a nuisance. Or, the person's flight was delayed from the weekend trip and your interview gets canceled. Interviewers also may have overlooked it and scheduled a meeting in its place. Overall, Monday is'nt a good day to have an interview. Your potential employer will be distracted and possibly irritated regardless of how much you prepared.
Choose between Tuesday and Thursday before 10 a.m. These are the days you should agree to. Scheduling too early may mean that your interviewer will be grouchy or hasn't had their coffee yet. You always want to give your prospective employer a chance to ease into the workday and get organized before you arrive at his office.
Don't choose around noon If you decide to select a time around noon, you may have a rushed interview. People either are about to go to or are coming back from lunch. Either way, their minds will be somewhere else other than on you. If it's before lunch, you're interview will be cut short since they're racing to go eat. If it's after lunch, they may get back late and have a meeting right after your interview. Skip this time frame.
Pick between 2 and 4 p.m. If the 10 a.m. slot isn't available, the next good time to go for is between 2 and 4 p.m. This period of time is well after lunch and any post-lunch meetings. Your interviewer will be well-fed and focused. They won't be considering leaving the office yet, which may happen in interviews after 4. If you choose a time after this, there's no doubt you'll get rushed through it and be a blip in the radar – unmemorable. To have a good conversation and make a solid impression, you want to have at least a half hour of time where the interviewer is directly focused on you.
These are just some tips on why timing matters in a scheduled interview. However, if you can't pick, don't get choosy. Remember – what works for your potential boss works for you. If he asks to meet on a Friday, agree to it. If you're given the choice of a few time slots, pick one that falls within these suggestions.
1 http://www.beyond.com/articles/the-worst-day-s-and-time-for-an-interview-8259-article.html
2 http://www.employmentblawg.com/the-best-time-to-schedule-an-interview/