The 3 Worst Times to Schedule Your Interview
You can do all the preparation in the world but, if your interviewers are distracted, tired, and unfocused you may not have a great interview. Productivity is predictable, showing that Tuesday might be the best day to schedule an interview: Several studies have shown that Tuesdays are the most productive days of the week for most professionals. Tuesday might be the moment you’re at your shiniest, work-wise, and can bring your best game to the interview.
Unfortunately, not every interview can be on a Tuesday. But there are still runner-ups, and days to avoid scheduling your interview, if at all possible. So, when should you schedule your interview? Start by avoiding these three times.
1. First Meeting Of The Day
Typically people are more alert and focused in the morning but, if you schedule your interview either right when the office opens or before, you may be setting yourself up for a bad interview experience. Having a meeting first thing in the morning can often result in interviewers being preoccupied by thoughts of home life or what they need to get done for the day.
Instead, make sure there’s at least a 30 minute buffer between when the office opens and when your interview is scheduled, that way you get the coveted early morning slot where focus is at its peak and preoccupation has been dealt with.
2. Just Before or Just After Lunch
If you schedule your interview just before lunch, you run the risk of being rushed out because your interviewers are too hungry to focus. If you schedule your interview just after lunch, you run the risk of having an interview with someone who ate a heavy lunch and is now tired or unfocused.
Although it can’t always be easy to predict when someone is going to take their lunch, avoiding midday interviews (after 11:30 and before 1:30) may help you ensure that your interview isn’t filled with thoughts of lunch.
3. Last Meeting Late In the Week
The last meeting of the workday can sometimes be the only time you have available, and that’s okay, if it’s on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. By the end of the workday at the end of the week, many people are filled with thoughts of weekend plans and things they want to do when they get home. You could also run into a time crunch in this slot if your interviewer has somewhere to be by a certain time, which may limit the chances you have to really impress them with your experience and know-how.
Bottom Line
What you say in your interview, both with your body language and your words, is the most important part of the process and you should come prepared. However, don’t forget that your interview can be impacted by when you choose to schedule it. Avoid the aforementioned worst times to schedule your interview; try to schedule your interview mid-morning or mid-afternoon, early in the week to give yourself the best possible environment to succeed.