Showing up late to a job interview might cost you the opportunity but one candidate learned the hard way that being too early can also backfire. He was reportedly rejected after arriving 25 minutes early for the scheduled interview.
In a viral post on LinkedIn, a business owner claimed that one of the major reasons why one candidate was not selected for a position was that he showed for "significantly" early to the interview.
"I had a candidate show up 25 minutes early to an interview for an office administrator position last week. That was a major deciding factor in why I didn't hire him. What are your thoughts on candidates showing up significantly early?" wrote Matthew Prewett, a cleaning service owner in Atlanta.
‘I felt rushed’
After the post gained attention, Prewett clarified why he saw the candidate's early arrival as a "negative". "Showing up early is good. Showing up extremely early can suggest that someone is not good with time management or that they expect to be accomadated time wise. Overall, I felt that it demonstrated a lack of social awareness and a lack of proper time management as he was not coming from a great distance," he wrote.
Prewett added that with the candidate showing up much earlier, he felt rushed and as he owns a small office, the candidate could listen into his calls which he felt uncomfortable about. He also added that common interview etiquette dictates that the a candidate can show up five to fifteen minutes early but not more than that.
{{/usCountry}}Prewett added that with the candidate showing up much earlier, he felt rushed and as he owns a small office, the candidate could listen into his calls which he felt uncomfortable about. He also added that common interview etiquette dictates that the a candidate can show up five to fifteen minutes early but not more than that.
{{/usCountry}}The post divided the internet with some siding with Prewett while most others supported the candidate. "Absolutely not. What a ridiculous assessment. Send him my way. I’ll hire him immediately," said one user.
"What if his only transportation was the bus or something where he didn't have control over what time he arrived? I would look at it as he did what he had to do to make sure he was on time," said another.