Tuesday or Friday?
8:30 am or 4:00 pm?
Determining the “best” date and time for your job interview can be stressful. Should you go early when the interviewer will be fresh and more likely to remember you? Should you go earlier in the week instead of on a Friday when he or she might be thinking more about weekend plans than your response to his or her interview questions? Talk about complicated.
As a career counselor, I too have fed into overcomplicating the issue—encouraging job seekers to have a strategy that takes into consideration the factors mentioned above. But when I take my career counselor hat off and look at my own experience as an interviewer and an interviewee, I don’t think it really matters when you schedule your interview.
Your goal is to wow them—to convince them that you’re the best candidate for the job, that you’re genuinely interested in working for their company, and that you have a firm grasp of the responsibilities of the position for which you are being considered. Most interviewers are looking for passion—that gleam in your eye that you can only get when you’re truly excited about what you’re talking about. And, assuming you did a great job of preparing for the interview including practicing responses to possible interview questions, and that you look your best (ex. no five o’clock shadow at 8:15am), passion will help you overcome any disadvantages that may be associated with the date or time of your interview.
Most companies want to hire rock star job candidates. If you go in there and knock their socks off, it’s not going to matter if they’re just waking up from a long winter’s nap or if they’re daydreaming about a weekend getaway.
The next time a recruiter calls to ask you to schedule an interview date and time, don’t get caught up over thinking it. You’ll be better served spending that time learning about the company including their products and key competitors and honing your interview skills.
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