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GyroMight
July 28, 2009 11:44 AM
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I can imagine that showing up early is still better than showing up late.

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gparlett
July 28, 2009 12:47 PM
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@GyroMight: Showing up early is far better than showing up late, because early turns into perfectly on time with a simple 15 minute wait in your car before walking into the building.

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Easton21
July 28, 2009 5:14 PM
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@gparlett: But then you really wouldn't be showing up to your interview early, you'd be showing up in the parking lot early. Clearly you missed the point.

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NYGal81
July 28, 2009 5:28 PM
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@Easton21: Nope...I think the point's pretty clear: if you get somewhere early (which is better than getting somewhere late), find some way to kill the extra time, like sit in your car, or even just wait outside. I do this all the time, particularly if I'm traveling to an unfamiliar part of the city/state.

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Easton21
July 31, 2009 5:41 PM
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@NYGal81: You definitely missed it. There are no implications and inconveniences for anyone when you sit in your car \"early\" as opposed to sitting the lobby or waiting room early.
If you wait somewhere else, you're not arriving to the interview early, you're arriving on time.

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Hooray4Zoidberg
July 28, 2009 5:39 PM
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@NYGal81:

I'd say 5 to 10 minutes early is cool. But too early can be annoying as an interviewer. If someone shows up too early I have to stop what I'm doing to go escort them in. Because there is normally at least 2 other people interviewing this person after me I can't start early or it will affect their schedule as well. I'm forced to either make them wait or start early and stretch the interview. This really sucks if the candidate is terrible.

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t1440
July 28, 2009 12:14 PM
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I conduct interviews here, and early is still better than late. But some people show up 30 - 40 minutes early, which, considering how busy every working professional is these days, can be seen to be just as rude as arriving late.

The \"neighborhood interview\" is a good plan...

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wrjohnston19283
July 28, 2009 12:07 PM
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@GyroMight:


Depends - an hour early seems worse than 5 minutes late. The five minutes you can blame on traffic. The hour they can blame on you being a tool.

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NYGal81
July 28, 2009 5:35 PM
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@wrjohnston19283: I'm curious to get your take on this: if you get somewhere early and then tell the receptionist/front desk something like \"I realize I'm quite early--I got here sooner than I expected. I'm happy to wait until my appointed time. Just wanted to let you know I'm here\" work?

This is something I do when I'm unusually early, and there's some reason I don't want to wait in my car or outside. I realize it can be read both as very earnest (i.e. sorry for being so early, not trying to get in sooner), or very presumptuous (i.e. assuming that they would try to get you in sooner just because you're early).

I never mean it to be presumptuous, and I always happen to have a book or something else to occupy my time so that I never look like I'm sitting there, bored, staring into space. Are people still perceiving me to be jerky or entitled?

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 5:45 PM
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@NYGal81: Is this just an appointment or is it a job interview? The former is likely not to be a problem, though the receptionist might be wishing you weren't there; I mean, if you want to sit for an hour before your appointment in the doctor's lobby I doubt anybody'll care. If it's a job interview or a business-to-business appointment, just don't do that. People who shouldn't have to be aware of you will then be aware of you, and you can't stop that.

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NYGal81
July 28, 2009 5:49 PM
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@Hooray4Zoidberg:
@floraposte:

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it. Fortunately, I'm (semi)gainfully employed, so this has never happened for a job interview. Mostly just other various and sundry appointments. I'll keep this in mind, though, when my next turn on the interview trail comes up.

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GyroMight
July 28, 2009 12:13 PM
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@wrjohnston19283: Yes showing up a hour early is a bit extreme I was thinking more in the 10 mins early area.

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bohemian
July 28, 2009 11:56 AM
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Here we go. I remember all the employment advice in the mid 80's when the job market sucked. You got advice nit picking every little thing. Wear red it is a power color! Sigh.

Have your act together, look appropriate and resolve yourself to the fact that jobs are going to be harder to get right now.

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jc364
July 28, 2009 4:36 PM
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@bohemian: Agreed. You can do every trick imaginable when interviewing for a job you're fully qualified for, and still not hear back from the company you interviewed with. For who knows why.

Job interviews are a lot like fishing: you have to do certain things right in order to stand a chance, yet you could spend all day out there and not catch a thing.

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MaytagRepairman
July 28, 2009 3:24 PM
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@bohemian: I swear I received my first job out of college in the 80's because I recognized everybody else on campus was wearing the red power tie to interviews. I wore something else instead to stand out in the interviewer's memory.

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Cool story bro
July 28, 2009 2:54 PM
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@bohemian: I completely agree. Job interviews are not some intricate series of subtle psychological tricks, where you can ACHIEVE SUCCESS! by wearing power colours or smelling positive. Or split-second arrival times.

Believe it or not, it's what you say and how you respond to questions that makes the difference.

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ceriphim
July 28, 2009 4:32 PM
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@Dabby: I think sadly it's more often the bias of the interviewer than anything else, at least with the vast majority of the amateur interviewers... Those that have little training tend to hire individuals similar to themselves, or who agree with their views.

I'll add the caveat that I've been in retail mgmt for a decade, where interviewers typically have little training and direction beyond a few pieces of paper telling them what to look for. As for other industries, YMMV...

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MostlyHarmless
July 28, 2009 1:40 PM
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@bohemian:
in the mid 80's when the job market sucked

That made me giggle. I am a bad person.

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ugadawg
July 28, 2009 11:59 AM
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As long as you aren't ridiculously early then I think being early is fine. It's a show of respect for the other person that you care about their time and you want to make the most of it by arriving there for the interview. Besides, it gives me a chance to calm my nerves, an opportunity to look about the place, get my self in order in the restroom, and read any company literature that might be out.

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jermscentral
July 28, 2009 12:06 PM
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Interesting; where I work, even if you show up for your interview on time, the boss still makes you wait until he can look like he's \"5 minutes late\" just to make you sweat.

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ceriphim
July 28, 2009 4:34 PM
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@jermscentral: You know it's funny, my boss *always* starts conference calls late. I used to think he was power-tripping, until I had worked with him for a while and realized he's actually just very forgetful and gets tied up with other stuff.

But in your case the boss sounds like an asshat.

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nwaasob
July 28, 2009 12:56 PM
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@jermscentral: Ugh, now that's a wretched self-aggrandizing behavior. I would hate working for someone like that.

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LoveyH
July 28, 2009 12:09 PM
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Wait...you can't write your resume in crayon?! So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong!

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mistifi
July 28, 2009 12:12 PM
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I suffer from this habitual earliness. I'm literally TERRIFIED of being late for things like interviews or work. I've been known to arrive 2 hours early for work during the first 2 weeks at a location, and an hour early for interviews (though I never go in until there's 10 minutes to go).

This fear is mostly due to my complete lack of direction. I get lost so easily that I've basically reprogrammed myself to leave super early, \"just in case\". I get lost getting to offices when I'm already within buildings. I park in the wrong parking lots.... It happens frequently enough that I'm not too terribly interested in reforming my ways so that I get there \"on time\".

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Snakeophelia
July 28, 2009 9:37 PM
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@mistifi: I am THE SAME WAY. I blame the fact that my parents were totally lackadaisical about time when I was growing up, which was totally NOT COOL when they were, say, driving me to a band concert at which I'd been told to arrive no later than 6:45, and my parents are dallying along - \"Don't worry, they won't start without you!\" The hell they won't.

I arrive at least one hour early for anything - a flight, an interview, a date - that really matters, but I do have backup plans so that I don't really appear to be that early.

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NatalieErin
July 28, 2009 3:29 PM
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@mistifi: Ha, me too. This sort of thing is exactly why I got into the habit of carrying a book or the NY Times around with me. In fact, when I replaced my purse recently a main factor was whether or not I could fit at least a mass market paperback in there.

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NYGal81
July 28, 2009 5:44 PM
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@NatalieErin: I do this too! Always have some kind of book, and frequently carry a small tote bag some I don't have to worry about it fitting in the purse. Of course, that tends to make me look like a bag lady, but oh well.

I asked in another thread if it makes me a jerky, entitled person if I get to an appointment early, but then let the front desk know that I *know* I'm early, and I'm happy to wait for my appointed time. I, too, leave a lot of time to get places (accounting for traffic, weather, other delays, etc). I feel like it's much more respectful of someone's time to be early and patiently \"wait your turn\" than to be late and throw off other people's days.

My perspective might also be heavily shaped by occupation. I'm a therapist, and I always let clients know that I won't start a session early, no matter how early they get there, because I don't want to set an expectation that I can do that routinely. I also won't give extra time at the end (unless there's a crisis) if people come late. So I never expect people to take me early for appointments, and I also never expect them to give me extra time if I *am* late.

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pecan 3.14159265
July 28, 2009 6:22 PM
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@NYGal81: Part of it is about perception. Some people simply find it distracting that there is someone waiting, even they have been assured that it's okay.


You're definitely not being a jerk if you let them know that you're there early (especially if you took public transpo and there's nowhere else to wait, or it's raining and you have nowhere to sit), but assure them you're willing to wait. But if there's no reason other than you just arriving early, and letting them know you're there, it's just better to stay away until 15 minutes before your interview.

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Temescal
July 28, 2009 2:14 PM
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@mistifi: I'm so glad to read that I'm not the only one that has that problem! I'm pretty sure I have spent more time in my life waiting in my car (or walking around) before interviews than at interviews themselves.

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mimbypims
July 28, 2009 1:54 PM
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@mistifi: I am like this as well. I've taken to driving to the interview location a day early for practice so I can make all my stupid driving mistakes ahead of time. On interview day, I still tend to arrive pretty early, but I wouldn't go into the office until about 5 min before the actual start time.

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Outrun1986
July 28, 2009 4:44 PM
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@mimbypims: I am another habitually early person. If I have something important I do the practice drive before too, but only if its in a place I am not familiar with. If I know where it is then its no big deal. This is better than showing up 1 hour early. People have been annoyed when I showed up to work 15 min early, eventually I get it down to where its a little closer to the time I am supposed to show up. For an interview you can always sit in the car or go into the restroom and get yourself organized if you are more than 10 min early.

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 5:47 PM
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@Outrun1986: Though if you're in the bathroom more than 10 minutes people are going to wonder about you.

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pecan 3.14159265
July 28, 2009 2:17 PM
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@mimbypims: My parents ask me all the time whether I need to practice my route in advance of getting to my first day at work. I look at them like they're crazy because my time is much more valuable than to sit in traffic for 30 minutes when I already know where I'm going. In fact, my first job, they didn't even give me a choice. They were all, \"let's have family time, have lunch, blah blah\" and on the way, they drove me to my new office and told me how to get there, despite the fact that I already told them I knew how.


Now that I live farther away, I don't have to worry about such helicopter parenting!

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Trai_Dep
July 28, 2009 3:34 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Well, at least they don't pin your name & address to your blazer anymore.

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reishka
July 28, 2009 1:49 PM
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@mistifi: I'm the exact same way. I could know my way directly to the place and back (if it's the area I live in) and it could only take me 10 minutes to get there, but I'll still leave an hour early just to make sure that I get to the right place. It's much, much worse when I'm going to a place outside my town, especially if I'm going to Hartford or New Haven. I don't know them particularly well, so I always end up arriving a good 45 minutes early, barring anything disastrous happening (such as getting lost)

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pecan 3.14159265
July 28, 2009 1:03 PM
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@mistifi: That's a little extreme! I've been known to be in the area about an hour before (at the most) but that was kind of a fluke. I thought it would take longer than it did. Another time, I was driving to Maryland for an interview and I had so much time before the interview that I got a quick manicure.


I always leave early, just in case. But I tend to have a good idea of where I'm going, and I rarely get lost. I just always give myself time because I always think I might get lost. But it hasn't happened so far.

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MostlyHarmless
July 28, 2009 1:45 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: I am absolutely terrified of getting into a wreck, or having a flat or getting stuck in traffic for just enough time to make me late. If taking public transport, I also weigh in the possibility of it breaking down. So I leave with the worst case scenario in mind in terms of time it takes to get there. Needless to say, on good days I get to places an hour early. And that applies for tests, interviews, life changing appointments, catching trains or flights. If its an interview, I just hangout somewhere nearby till theres 15 minutes left.

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balthisar
July 28, 2009 12:20 PM
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This goes for business meetings, too. Because we have restricted access, I have to either get people in one of the lobbies, or make them wait. Please, don't call me 20 minutes before a meeting expecting to be let into the building! Five minutes is appropriate; otherwise go to the bagel shop and wait.

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mobilene
July 28, 2009 12:42 PM
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As a hiring manager, I don't mind at all if someone shows up for an interview as much as 20 minutes early. I have no problem whatsoever letting them sit in the lobby until I'm ready. Much earlier than 20 minutes, and I do start to wonder why they didn't stop by Starbucks to kill the extra time.

If I don't get the call from the front desk by 5 minutes before the interview is to start, I start to worry.

Show up for an interview late and the candidate will have to absolutely knock my socks off to get the job from me.

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ludwigk
July 28, 2009 6:14 PM
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@mobilene: When I interviewed for the job I have now, I was about 15 minutes late. I was completely mortified, but after the interview began, I felt like I was absolutely acing it. A week later, I got an offer letter. I actually got two offer letters in one day, and for the first time in my life, I had an immediate choice regarding my future profession (they were in slightly different aspects of software development). I felt so special! That was almost 3 years ago.

Now that I'm leaving my job to return to school full time, my company has been interviewing the hell out of the available job market, which is of course good for them. It's like waving a golden ticket in front of ravenous school children.

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babyruthless
July 28, 2009 7:11 PM
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@ludwigk: I showed up for an interview to be a legislative assistant (for the state legislature) stupidly late. We're talking an hour. The legislator had told me the route to take, and I stupidly believed her. I think I doubled the amount of time she said it would take, and it took even longer than that. By the grace of God, and the fact that she, too, had been stuck in unhold Atlanta traffic for a ridiculous amount of time, she hired me. The fact that it was unpaid probably helped, too.

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FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave
July 28, 2009 12:46 PM
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I tend to show up exactly on time to the second right in the interviewers office. I find using a zip line and a flash-bang ensures that I not only make a distinct impression, but also leaves the interviewer stunned/blinded by my pure awesomeness.

It's also a bargaining point as I explain that not only can they take the money to repair the window out of my future paychecks, I can advise them on how to avoid people crashing through their windows. The most preferable method is brick pattern window clings. It makes the person thing they can't crash through the window, in addition to cost savings by blocking out a percentage of the light to lower cooling costs!

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Trai_Dep
July 28, 2009 3:36 PM
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@FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave: Damn. I always save my Flash-Bangs for when I'm asked a question I didn't anticipate. Good to know!

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FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave
July 28, 2009 3:55 PM
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@Trai_Dep: That's what smoke grenades are for. Distraction. I find OC/Rubber Ball grenades are perfect for polygraph situations as they throw all of your physical responses off. I think I need to start a new SIT Team. Special Interview Tactics.

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ceriphim
July 28, 2009 4:38 PM
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@FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave: Careful not to let those things off near a garbage can though, or you might be showing off your amazing skills with the fire extinguisher.

On second thought, if you that tactic to land a firefighting job I want credit!

Thirdly - CS grenades during a polygraph would work too, eh?

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FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave
July 28, 2009 6:08 PM
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@ceriphim: Would throw off your pain response, breathing, and make you sweat. Yeah, I think it would work.

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pecan 3.14159265
July 28, 2009 1:13 PM
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@FrankieAvalonin'_GitEmSteveDave: I would hire you if you could design a zip line system inside the office so internal memos can simply be weighted and sent along the line.

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pecan 3.14159265
July 28, 2009 12:47 PM
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When you show up extremely early, it makes everyone nervous because either they have to rearrange their schedule to fit you in earlier, or they have to ignore you for the next hour and let you sit in the lobby. But your presence alone hinders the administrative assistant or secretary from doing what he/she needs to get done because they have to babysit.


I've always gotten to my interview spot early, very very early in some cases when I wasn't sure where I was going or how long it would take with traffic. I just found a coffeeshop and set my alarm to 15 minutes before the interview time (giving myself time to walk back there and smooth out my clothes and check myself in the mirror).


Don't show up late at all, but don't show up extremely early, either. You may be there at the request of your potential employer, but they decide whether to hire you. 10 minutes is a good buffer time. It gives the employer time to finish what they're doing or find a good stopping point, it gives them time to clean their desk or what not, and it gives you time to go over your talking points and prepare yourself again.

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MostlyHarmless
July 28, 2009 1:47 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Thanks for paraphrasing the article for me :P

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MissPeacock
July 28, 2009 1:17 PM
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I think 15 minutes early is sufficient. Usually, when you arrive they have you fill out various paperwork, and by the time you get finished, it's time for the interview.

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halo969
July 29, 2009 2:06 AM
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@MissPeacock: Agreed. Every interview I've had required me to fill out an official application even if I had already done that previously online. And some of those suckers are long and take a good 15 minutes to fill out. They practically want you to recreate your resume by hand.

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Kogenta
July 28, 2009 2:36 PM
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@MissPeacock: I'd say 15 might be pushing it, but I suppose it depends exactly what sort of company you're being interviewed for.


I find 5 mins early is generally a good bet. Depending on how many interviews they're doing, you might still have to wait around for anywhere up to half an hour while the guy ahead of you finishes due to backlog.

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 5:49 PM
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@Kogenta: Yeah, when we're interviewing, there's no new paperwork--you've sent all that in already. It might be worth asking when you get an interview time if there's paperwork you should allow time for.

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littlemisslondon
July 28, 2009 1:27 PM
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We've just finished interviewing for an assistant for me, and from that experience, I can say: 5-10 minutes early just looks like you've hit green lights on the way up, or you're well-organized. 20 minutes early looks desperate and like you don't have anything else to do with your time. 5-10 minutes late means you hit bad traffic, and more than 10 minutes late without a very good excuse means you're disorganized and I probably don't want you in charge of helping to organize my life.

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ceriphim
July 28, 2009 4:39 PM
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@littlemisslondon: I agree in the case of being 20+ minutes early. People just stand or sit there trying (desperately) not to look nervous/uncomfortable.

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chakrabs
July 28, 2009 1:45 PM
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I'm usually anal about punctionality and being in NYC, I dont really trust public transportation anyway. So I'm usually at least a half-hour early. However, I always just bring a book or some info about the position/institution before presenting myself about 5-10 minutes before the interview time. It's never failed yet!

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ElizabethD
July 28, 2009 1:54 PM
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As someone who has interviewed a lot of potential employees, I so agree with this. Don't be late, but right on time is excellent. Hang back by the elevator, in the hallway, outside the front door, wherever until the exact moment your appointment begins. Don't make your presence known if you do arrive early. It's annoying, awkward, puts the interviewer on the spot and makes them feel defensive.

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chiieddy
July 28, 2009 1:56 PM
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I sit in the parking lot with my latte and review my notes and practice (and then read a book to try to relax)

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GoodBytes
July 29, 2009 3:19 AM
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@chiieddy: Yes, then your latte spill on you by accident, and now your in pickle. :P

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savdavid
July 28, 2009 2:16 PM
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How many jobs does the writer of this article interview for? Sounds like he/she ain't doing a good job if they are constantly interviewing for a job.

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MooseOfReason
July 28, 2009 8:17 PM
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@savdavid: Criticize the advice, not the person.

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ceriphim
July 28, 2009 4:42 PM
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@savdavid: \"According to resume consultant Adam Sterling\"

There, I saved you the trouble of having to look up the answer to your question. It's his job to write about this stuff.

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Laura Northrup
July 28, 2009 4:24 PM
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@savdavid: The writer of the article is looking at it from the hiring end.

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HogwartsAlum
July 28, 2009 2:17 PM
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I'm the receptionist and I'm the one who has to get you paperwork, etc. before your interview. If you arrive way too early and sit there watching me like a magpie on a telephone wire while I work, it makes me very uncomfortable. I might chat with you, but I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE STORY.

I actually made a funny PowerPoint about applying and interviewing and emailed it to my then-boss (she was the accounting and HR person). She thought it was hilarious. I would attach it if I knew how!

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NatalieErin
July 28, 2009 3:31 PM
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@HogwartsAlum: Same with people who come in early for business meetings.


At my company, I'm the receptionist plus a million other things, so I do actually have stuff to do other than answering the phone. I don't really want to talk to someone about a specific account when another vendor is waiting in the lobby.

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Rachacha
July 28, 2009 2:25 PM
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I have often times shown up a bit early (10-15 minutes You are taking public transportation and it is freezing outside so you don't have a car to sit in and there are no obvious coffee shops in the immediate area...my career often requires my employers to be out in the middle of nowhere), but I will usually tell the receptionist that I am early, and I would like to wait in the lobby area for a while. If she insists on calling the interviewer, I request that she tell the interviewer that I know I am early, and if he needs time to wrap up what he is working on I understand and I am fine waiting...no pressure on him.

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matukonyc
July 28, 2009 2:32 PM
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@Rachacha: The trouble is, when I am hosting interviews and I know someone is waiting outside, it's impossible to do anything else other than just go out and meet them. To tell you the truth, it's not something I look forward to doing in the first place, and when someone arrives early it feels even more like an imposition.

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 8:00 PM
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@matukonyc: And that's the problem. Even if the applicant says not to bother, it's not really up to the applicant to say, and there's no way of knowing if it does bother or not. It's risking making your first impression a situation your interviewer needs to juggle rather than your awesome appropriateness.

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Rachacha
July 28, 2009 8:33 PM
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@floraposte: And as the potential employer, you should not feel imposed. If you agreed on a time to start the interview, and the applicant shows up a bit early, do not feel imposed to begin the interview until that established time. If the applicant can not understand that you are a busy person, working on a daily schedule and seems to get annoyed because you are making him wait, you do not want him working for you anyway.


However, if you are going to be late for the interview because a \"fire\" needing your immediate attention just cropped up and you need a few minutes to hand things off to your staff, then let the applicant know either in person that you are running behind either in person, or through the receptionist.

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 11:14 PM
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@Rachacha: No, I'm afraid I'm going to feel imposed upon, and I'm going to consider the candidate somebody who failed to consider that impact. I understand how the candidate may want me to feel, but that's not going to change how I actually do feel.

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Anita Ham Sandwich
July 28, 2009 2:32 PM
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I complete agree. I'm an admin for deans at a university and they do a lot of interviewing. Usually their schedules are so booked that the candidate who's early just ends up standing around. If they can meet with the candidates right away, they're annoyed because it throws off whatever they were doing in that free block of time.

When someone shows up exactly on time, I love it.

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cromartie
July 28, 2009 2:35 PM
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For interviews and business meetings, I make every attempt to follow two rules:

1) Be 15 minutes early.

2) Never arrive less than 30 minutes after the start of the person whom you are seeing's day begins, unless they have specifically request you to do so.

15 minutes, to me, is the maximum amount of early both parties feel comfortable addressing. I also never want to be there at the same time the appointment upon whom I'm calling. They should have time to answer e-mail/phone messages and get sufficiently caffeinated before they have to deal with me.

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nycdor
July 28, 2009 2:40 PM
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I have to totally agree with this. I just had to hire for a junior level position and so many applicants were as early as 30-40 minutes! It's super annoying and yes, disruptive, especially in a really busy workplace. I honestly *would* rather someone be 5 minutes late because of a wonky train or something. Even better would be 5 or maybe 10 minutes early at the most. Stall!

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flyingember
July 28, 2009 2:43 PM
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I don't see how being early is an issue unless it's super early. (like ~30 minutes)

Unless the place has flex hours having someone arrive at the office early means they'll be settled down on time.

If it's an hourly job you have to get there early to be clocked in on time.

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Bruce Bayliss
July 28, 2009 2:50 PM
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This is SUCH a no-brainer.
Of COURSE you get there early. To make sure that you're not late, which is the worst thing you can do.
But just because you get to the BUILDING early doesn't mean that you have to barge in, expect everyone to drop everything and interview you AT THAT VERY MINUTE.
Get to the office of the person interviewing you on time or a minute early.
When people did this to me, I've sent me off for a coffee and told them to get back at the agreed time.
Turn up too early and you give the decided impression of being a bit dim-witted.

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Rangersyl
July 28, 2009 3:05 PM
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This is so true - I've done over a hundred interviews over the past year and hated it when the applicant would arrive 45 minutes early. Yes it happens! We do panel interviews so then it becomes an issue of finding all the panelists to see if they can go early etc. or waiting and feeling rushed while you're finishing up other work before the interview starts.

Arrive an hour early, by all means. But take a coffee break or whatever and don't enter the building until you're 20 minutes early.

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emax4
July 28, 2009 3:35 PM
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Miss Peacock and a few others have it right with being there 15 minutes early. I'd always ask if there is the typical application that must be filled out (even though they have your resume). That would give you a better idea of when to show up in order to give yourself time to fill out the paperwork.

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3skr1mad0r
July 28, 2009 3:44 PM
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While in the military, it was ingrained in us to be 15 minutes early for everything. We called it \"courtesy time\". I still do that for interviews and meetings. Being that I currently work for the DoD as a civilian, the rule still holds true.
If you have extra time, goto the restroom and double check your appearance in the mirror. You don't want to go walking into the interview with eye boogers or dried toothpaste on your lip.

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Rectilinear Propagation
July 28, 2009 3:54 PM
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From a cultural perspective, most people don't feel comfortable making someone wait for them...

See, that's where they lose me. You're not making someone wait if they show up early. They're just early. If anything they're making themselves wait.

Getting mad at someone for being early seems like you're just looking for an excuse to be pissed off.

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floraposte
July 28, 2009 11:17 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: They're assuming that we'll conveniently house them during that time. We don't have a place for that that isn't disruptive to work, and that's not particularly unusual. Has this candidate considered this possibility? If the answer is \"apparently not,\" that's a shortcoming.

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chocolate1234
July 28, 2009 6:30 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: I'm guessing you haven't interviewed someone before? Whenever I'm interviewing someone for a new position, I'm always grateful when they show up 5-10 minutes early. My days are incredibly busy, and it's sometimes hard to even fit in an interview. When someone arrives incredibly early, I'm distracted, interrupted in whatever I'm doing, and feel as if I need to wrap that up as early as possible to get on with the interview. My office is incredibly small, so if someone is waiting, they are not \"hidden away\" in the lobby. Plus, showing up SO early makes me wonder a little bit about the candidate. Since it seems like common sense NOT to show up so early, it makes me wonder if they lack common sense, if they just feel entitled, or if they are just that desperate. We have a Starbucks down the street - just head there for a half hour.

It's not that interviewers are looking for a reason to be pissed off. It's that interviewers see a LOT of people, and believe it or not, something as simple as arrival time does tell you a lot about a potential hire.

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getpickd
July 28, 2009 7:00 PM
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@chocolate1234: This is right on. I was a hiring manager at a small office and we didn't have a traditional waiting area. It was especially awkward when people were required to wait. I would recommend checking in 5-10 minutes early at most.

It may seem like the interviewer is being overly sensitive here, but unfortunately, when you're looking for a job, it's the applicant that is at the mercy of the interviewer.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!
July 28, 2009 5:03 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: Thank you!! I couldn't figure out how the interviewers who have responded to the OP could be so weak minded as to be thrown off by someone actually arriving early!! If the interviewee wants be sit there 45 minutes, that is on them. The appointment time is still the appointment time. Perhaps a position change with less responsibility and stress about what people think may be in order for these interviewers.

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TheAlarmist
July 28, 2009 6:30 PM
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I think 5 to ten minutes early is ok.

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IfThenElvis
July 28, 2009 6:33 PM
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Don't take a coffee break! The last thing you want is being distracted by a full bladder. I always find a public washroom and make sure I'm well drained before an interview.

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Yoko Broke Up The Beatles
July 28, 2009 8:01 PM
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@IfThenElvis:


Coffee also makes people - including me - jittery. Not good when interviewing.

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katewrath
July 28, 2009 6:50 PM
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YES! Sit in your car, walk around the block, hang out at a Starbucks -- I don't care, but please, don't show up more than 5 minutes early.

In our office, the waiting area is a pair of chairs between the desks of two assistants. It's not a lobby by any stretch of the imagination, which is okay, because we're not the kind of company that needs a lobby. But when we're interviewing for a new opening, and people are sitting in between the two assistants for 15 or 20 minutes at a stretch? AWKWARD.

Seriously, piss off. We gave you that appt. time because that when we could see you.

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mythago
July 28, 2009 7:45 PM
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And then you bump into the boss over at Starbucks? Hmm, no.

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Yoko Broke Up The Beatles
July 28, 2009 8:02 PM
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Hey, where did that woman in the picture get my sign?


By the way, anyone hiring out there? I am indeed awesome and I need a job!

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badgeman46
July 28, 2009 8:44 PM
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Coffee break before an interview? Call me crazy, but being hyped up on caffeine and having to take a leak during an interview may backfire. It seems as if it is being condoned to show up \"fasionably late\" like at a BBQ. Personally, as someone who has hired people before, this makes you seem like a total butthole with no work ethic. I'll take an early person all day. I mean they are just sitting in a chair, not running amok.

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BytheSea
July 29, 2009 12:46 AM
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This is standard anywhere. This one wing of my family arrives half an hour early to every large family dinner. The turkey is still cooking, the sides aren't even in the oven yet, most of the house inhabitants just got home from church or got out of bed (ahem) and are half dressed. Now someone has to be taken off chair or table setting duty to entertain the early guests, sending the chef and her other attainers into an even greater frenzy. It's just rude. We are not impressed.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.
July 29, 2009 2:23 AM
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If you show up really early, be sure to plant yourself in the lobby and keep tapping your watch whenever anyone walks by to emphasize how very early you really are!

(/sarcasm)

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baristabrawl
July 29, 2009 4:33 AM
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Oh for shit sakes. Who arrives more than 15 minutes early for an interview, anyway? I usually have to change at least once because I've gotten toothpaste on my tie.

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Carlee
July 30, 2009 5:24 AM
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I usually take public transportation so I end up being early to appointments and such - however, I'd hang out outside the building until say 15 minutes before hand and then head in. I even did this when I was going to jury duty and I didn't want to sit outside the courthouse for half an hour before it open so I went to Starbucks around the corner.

Being an assistant to someone who has lots of appointments, it's super annoying for people to be too early. I sit in a cubicle - I have no extra chairs, plus you'd have to actually sit there in my cubicle with me. That would definitely not work. The best solution would be to hang out out of sight until maybe 15 minutes, then stop by to let me know you are here already, and then ask if there's a coffee shop nearby (or restroom, etc). Whether you actually drink coffee or use the restroom is irrelevant - it's just a way for you to stay out of my (and my boss's) hair until it's time for your meeting.

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