How to cancel/reschedule an Interview (for Job Applicants)

You've got an Interview scheduled with an Organization - and suddenly something comes up. Family duties, parental responsibilities, scheduling changes - all these things happen and any reasonable Interviewer(s) will completely understand. So first and foremost, don't panic. Its okay to have to reschedule.

Before I go further - if you're an Information Security Specialist with at least 5+ years of professional work experience and looking to explore new opportunities, I have 2x opportunities I'm currently recruiting on with a Client of mine in the manufacturing industry looking to grow their SOC Team. Please note, you MUST be in the Greater Toronto Area and not require sponsorship. I did a post about it last week - you can read it here - and reach out to me for more details either here on LinkedIn or email me at dean@techrecruiters360.com, and I'd be happy to see if I can help you.

Okay moving along - here are some best practices you should follow based on my past and current experiences as a Recruiter when you have to cancel/reschedule a Job Interview:

1. Give as much advance notice as possible. The sooner the better; they will appreciate it. Whoever your point of contact is at the Organization, reach out to them via phone, email, text or whatever channel of communication you can use to reach them. Personally what I advise - unless you're in an emergency situation and/or don't have the ability to do so - call them to let them know (especially if you have a high level of interest in pursuing the opportunity). If you get voicemail, leave a voicemail and additionally send an email to inform them as well. If you're being represented by a Recruitment Agency - let your Recruiter know and they will do this on your behalf.
2. You don't need to go into in-depth, specific explanations. Especially if it is something to do with your personal life or family, there is no reason to explain in vivid detail why you are cancelling. It could be as simple as just saying "A family situation came up which I need to deal with and I can no longer do the Interview at [time/date]."
3. Offer up alternative dates/times. If you're looking to reschedule, don't just leave it off by expecting them to offer up alternative dates and times. Offer up some alternate dates/times you'd next be available at your end. By you initiating your next schedule availability, you're giving the impression that you do indeed have a high interest in pursuing things and you're not just canceling because you're no longer interested. Make sure you provide multiple timeframe/date options to avoid having to go back and forth to set a new Interview, so they can respond with what works for them given your new schedule. We want to lock the new date/time in ASAP.
4. If you're really interested in the opportunity and want to continue with the process - reiterate your interest. Recruiters especially can be very cynical when it comes to last minute cancellations. The reason for this is, many Candidates, instead of letting Recruiters know they are no longer interested in pursuing an opportunity, simply cancel interviews last minute and do not respond to any of our requests to reschedule. Often, we simply start recruiting again and looking for other Candidates to replace the cancelled interview. So you have to make sure when you are cancelling, to let the Recruiter or your point of contact know you are still very interested in moving things forward. Just not at the currently scheduled time/date. This is also why I highly recommend calling and having this conversation over the phone. Its more challenging to show sincerity via email. But if phone is not possible, email is fine.

I hope these tips help you with cancelling/rescheduling your Interviews so you leave a positive impression. Even if you're unable to continue the process with an Organization at this time - who knows when you might find yourself in contact with the same people again in the future for a different job opportunity. I like to say, its always a good time to leave a great impression.

If you found this article helpful - make sure you give it a Like and Share with your network, as well as share your own thoughts in the comments below!

Want more? Here is more content from last week:

2 new Tech roles I'm currently recruiting on - you must be in the Greater Toronto Area!

Live Stream Replay: AMA. I did an Ask Me Anything segment on my Live Stream last week where I responded to everyones Job Search related questions from the comments.

Looking for a Co-Op or Internship? Quick tip for those of you who are. This will save you time from reaching out to the wrong Recruiters.

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That's all for this week; if there are any topics you'd like me to cover in a future edition, let me know in the comments - see you next time and don't forget to Like, Comment, + Subscribe!

Dean Kulaweera