Interviews - Be Early

"Better late than never" does not apply to interviews.  Being late for an interview is not acceptable and is not excusable.

Aim to get to the interview at least 10 minutes early.

If you are relying on public transport and you have the choice of arriving 30 minutes early or 2 minutes early, always take the 30 minute option. Even getting into the vicinity of the interview 1 hour early is better than arriving 1 minute late.

Obviously you do not want to arrive at the interview 30 minutes early, so take a walk around, clear you head, relax, read through your resume again, re-read the job description.

You could also use this extra time to see what’s around – lunch option, shops, child care facility, gym etc. You may see some facilities in the area that trigger a question in the interview or that may in some way help you to answer a question….. for example:
Q – “….you are returning to work after taking a year out to raise a family. What are your plans in the way of child care?”
A – “The childcare centre around the corner looks great. I popped in there for a brief chat and they have places and have long opening hours which would suit perfectly. Do you know if there are any other parents here that use the facility? Do you know anything about the facility?”

Tick and Tick – your answer shows that you are serious about the job, proactive, and also interested in their views and opinions. Small things like this can make all the difference.

Compare the above scenario to this:
Q – “….you are returning to work after taking a year out to raise a family. What are your plans in the way of child care?”
A – “Not sure. Haven’t given it much thought yet. I’ll look into it if I am offered the job.”

You have just Failed.

Using that extra 15 minutes to check out the local area could pay off.  Don’t waste it.