By Khalilah Starks

Punctuality.  Companies love it!  It shows your interest, enthusiasm, and professional maturity.  So, it’s very important that you show your ability to be punctual from the very beginning – starting with the interview.  It’s best to arrive 5 to 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment.  Any sooner and you’ll run the risk of being bothersome.  Let me tell you why.  Recruiters often have jam packed schedules and if you arrive too early, they sometimes feel like they need to shift things around in order to accommodate your early arrival…even if you don’t request it.  Many companies strive to provide as positive of an experience for applicants as possible, which includes trying to keep applicant waiting times at a minimum.  The last thing that you want to do is make it more difficult for the company to achieve that objective.  Doing so will start you off on the wrong foot before you’ve had the opportunity to say, “Hello”.

If you get to your interview too early, that’s actually a good problem.  Go to a nearby coffee shop to pass the time.  An even better idea – take a walk (weather permitting) or sit in your car to go through some last minute preparations so that you can shine in your interview.  Don’t let something as simple as arriving too early affect your chances of landing a great job.