\n<\/p>\n
There\u2019s only one thing scarier than an interview: cancelling one\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Whether you can\u2019t attend an interview because you got another job, or unexpected circumstances have gotten in the way of a role you\u2019re still keen on pursuing \u2013 cancelling an interview is sometimes the only option. But with recruiters\u2019 time at a minimum, letting them know the bad news (and not burning bridges) can be tough.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already covered some\u00a0good reasons to call an interview off, but to make sure you\u2019re doing it in the right way, here are a few tips on how to cancel an interview:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Newsflash: interviews aren\u2019t the only thing you have to be punctual for.<\/p>\n If you really need to cancel one, it\u2019s absolutely vital that you do it as soon as you find out you can\u2019t attend. This is because recruiters are often short on time, the slot you miss could be used to interview another candidate.<\/p>\n And since the interviewer has had to dedicate a space in their calendar for you to unexpectedly stand them up \u2013 the least you could do is give them the opportunity to allocate it to something else.<\/p>\n Remember: leave it too late, and you could end up sabotaging your professional reputation, and put your chances of any potential future opportunities at risk.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We hate to break it to you; but a text doesn\u2019t always cut it \u2013 especially if you\u2019re cancelling an interview.<\/p>\n To ensure you\u2019re able to give a personal and professional message, try calling first. Not only will you be able to able to get an immediate response, you\u2019ll also be approaching the situation with the urgency it deserves.<\/p>\n Emailing may seem like a valid choice \u2013 but these can get lost or sent to a junk folder, not to mention read the following day if the recipient has a long list of messages to get through.<\/p>\n Additionally, if you\u2019re looking to reschedule, a back and forth phone conversation is a much more efficient way to set a new date that works for both of you.<\/p>\n And if they don\u2019t pick up? Don\u2019t panic. Leaving a voicemail and\/or emailing to ask them get back in touch is a great way to cover all bases.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Is it too late now to say sorry? Maybe for JB, but not for you.<\/p>\n Because let\u2019s face it, cancelling an interview isn\u2019t something you should approach too casually. To acknowledge the inconvenience you may be causing, always take the time to apologise \u2013 even if it\u2019s not your fault.<\/p>\n For example; your car might\u2019ve broken down unexpectedly, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should use your phone call as an opportunity to rant about how your mechanic\u2019s sub-standard work has affected\u00a0you.<\/em>\u00a0Be humble, considerate, and apologetic, and you\u2019ll be far more likely to get an equally polite response.<\/p>\n And if you don\u2019t want to reschedule, that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t say sorry.<\/p>\n Always thank the employer for the opportunity, apologise for your inability to attend, and tell them you\u2019ll be in touch if your circumstances change.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to explaining your reason for cancelling, not everything will make the cut.<\/p>\n Although honesty is important, you should also maintain a good level of professionalism. So aside from making sure your reason warrants a cancellation, you should avoid going overboard with detail too.<\/p>\n This means giving a good, honest reason (e.g. you got another job) \u2013 then avoiding the temptation to exaggerate or elaborate. Not only could indulging in personal aspects of your life make you look unprofessional \u2013 it could also put your credibility at risk.<\/p>\n For example:\u00a0I have to deal with a family emergency<\/em>: believable. My Grandma was abducted by aliens<\/em>: unbelievable.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure whether\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0reason is valid, here are\u00a0five good reasons to cancel an interview.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, following up isn\u2019t just for\u00a0after an interview.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re keen on rescheduling (or already have) \u2013 send a follow-up email to reiterate your interest in the company and the role, and apologise again for the inconvenience your cancellation may have caused.<\/p>\n Because although your original phone call may have been totally sincere, there\u2019s no guarantee the employer doesn\u2019t still have hard feelings. After all, you\u00a0had\u00a0<\/em>to let them know you couldn\u2019t come, but you don\u2019t\u00a0have<\/em>\u00a0to send a follow-up email.<\/p>\n Show them you\u2019re interested enough to make the extra effort, and they\u2019re far more likely to consider you in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s only one thing scarier than an interview: cancelling one\u2026 Whether you can\u2019t attend an interview because you got another job, or unexpected circumstances have gotten in the way of a role…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uptymes.com\/edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Give (at least) 24 hours\u2019 notice<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Use the phone<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Apologise<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Give a good reason<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Follow-up<\/strong><\/h3>\n