Job seeker rejected from interview because he was 1 minute late
Making a good first impression at a job interview is important; part of that is how you present yourself. Professional presentation of yourself can take many forms.
For example, you don’t want to show up in flip flops and a t-shirt or thirty minutes late. Well, for a job candidate it didn’t matter. The job recruiter didn’t even give him a chance.
The job seeker dropped $350 on a new suit only to be turned away for being one minute late.
A man, who posts under the username @care4people on TikTok, shared a post from Reddit̵[ads1]7;s “r/antiwork,” a subreddit described as a place “for those who want to quit work … and want personal help with their own jobs/work – related matches.”
The poster featured an interview for a tech startup of around 15 employees. He decided to take a chance, so he picked up a brand new suit for $350. The interview time was 10:30 and he showed up exactly on time. However, he had to wait for an employee to open the door as it was locked.
“The person took about 30 seconds to come out to greet me,” he wrote.
Unfortunately, when the person opened the door, the clock had struck 10:31. So even though he showed up on time, his efforts were in vain. The employee let him know that they are “very tight on time” because they “don’t want any of the [their] future candidates will be late.”
They rejected him and refused to give him the interview. He believed he “dodged a bullet” because he “would hate to work for a company” that penalizes people for showing up one minute late. The TikToker who shared the post felt that both sides were wrong. The candidate should have turned up earlier, and the company went too hard.
“You should always show up 10 minutes early, and the second you walk onto the property is the second the interview starts,” he said. “But if they’re that strict, then that’s a red flag. It’s not like you were five minutes, which I could understand.”
The harsh move also confused commentators who believed the company did not take into account the many mitigating circumstances that can make someone late.
So, does showing up late for an interview affect your chances of being hired? A survey by SimplyHired found that a whopping 93% of employers felt that lateness was unacceptable in the interview process.
This candidate’s situation is different since he technically arrived on time for the property. But as the saying goes, “If you’re five minutes early, you’re already ten minutes late.” If waiting a few extra minutes in the lobby means you have a better chance of getting the job, it’s most likely worth it.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. He writes about entertainment and news.
