You’ve heard it repeated time and time again:  be on time for your job interview!   Yet most employers have encountered situations where an applicant did indeed show up late.  Here are some practical steps you can take to help you get to your next job interview on time.

First of all, make sure you know exactly where you’re going.  If in doubt, call the company to verify the address.  If you are completely unfamiliar with the location, you may wish to visit the area a day or two beforehand.  If you are unable to do this, be sure to give yourself plenty of extra time to get there.   You don’t want to show up late because you got lost or were misdirected.

Select an appropriate outfit (including shoes) to wear in advance, and inspect it thoroughly.  The day of the interview is not the time to discover that your shoes are scuffed, your blouse needs to be dry-cleaned, or your pants need to be hemmed.  Dealing with this type of thing at the last minute can easily cause you to be late.

People typically bring copies of their resume with them when they attend an interview.  However, you don’t want to be sorting out paperwork while you are also trying to get ready.  Instead, get all of your documents in order the day before your interview, so that you are not trying to attend to this at the last minute. 

As you can see, the key to getting to your interview on time is preparation.  Follow these steps, and you’ll arrive on time and ready to make a great first impression!