How to Select & Schedule the Best Time for a Job Interview
Many aspects come to mind when looking for a new job. One area that seems to be filled with an abundance of questions is scheduling the best time for a job interview.
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We often realize that not every time of day is ideal for interviewers.
This could impact how the interview goes, if it's rushed, biased, precedes a bad mood or if it's the best time of day for us to dominate the interview questions.
These are all valid questions and we hope to help you find easy answers to all of them with quick tips to gain your dream job.
The Importance of Scheduling a Job Interview at the Best Time
Understanding the time of the day and week are both keys to optimizing your interview time.
Some interviews may be only a few minutes while others may last hours. In all cases we must understand when we and the interviewers are functioning the best.
How these times impact us may affect the following:
- Ability to focus
- Ability to communicate well
- Relationships established
The ability to focus in the interview affects you and the interviewer.
If you schedule your interview too early in the morning most likely you and the interviewer are not fully engaged in the process as you are still shaking off the morning grogginess.
This affects your communication as well since a sharp thinker is often viewed as desirable. Making sure you schedule your interview at a time that can allow you to think the most clearly, is vital.
The relationship established in the early morning is often not as strong as the ones created when in prime progressive states of mind.
When is The Best Day to Schedule a Job Interview?
Monday may be the day that many people opt to start new goals on but it is not the best day for an interview. Monday has been known for being dreaded since the time we were in school. It isn't a day people associate with joy in most cases.
This means that Monday is also not the day to make the best impressions.
On the other end of the week is the beloved Friday, but this extreme difference does not make the day more favorable.
On Friday most people are tired and over the week of work ready for a break. So isn't the best day to optimize relationships with potential employers.
Therefore, you should aim to schedule your appointment mid-week rather than beginning or end.
Some key points to remember in scheduling the best time slot for a job interview is:
- Do not be the first interview of the day
- Do not be the last interview of the day
- Schedule somewhere in between the first interview of the day and the middle
- Not right before lunch
- Schedule mid-week interviews! Tuesday- Thursday
These key points are important to remember when scheduling regular and phone interviews.
How To Schedule a Job Interview at the Best Time?
Consider the best time slot of the day for an interview.
This often follows the important outline of not too early and not too late in the day and avoids that pre-lunch distraction.
Most of us know what that feeling is like.
The closer we get to lunch break the more we anticipate it and the less engaged we become in day-to-day work tasks.
Therefore, it has been determined that in most cases the best time slot for a job interview is;
- 10 am = Best time of day
Know yourself. If you are not a morning person and are not at your best in the morning then avoid this at all costs. You not only are considering the best job interview times for the interviewer but also yourself.
10 am is typically the best time for a job interview but if you aren't a morning grouch is not the best time for you. Consider an early afternoon interview in this case. Not immediately the following lunch but around 2 pm is a great time.
- 2 pm instead of 10 am = If you are not a morning person
Interviewers are Workers too. An interviewer is no different than you. The interviewer is an employee who has job stresses and distractions, just like many of us.
So when scheduling the best time for a job interview consider what times of the day you feel most productive during your own schedule.
When is the Worst Time of Year to Schedule a Job Interview?
Another important area to be aware of is holidays. It's the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also the least productive time for an interview. This means is the worst time to schedule a job interview.
Avoid times surrounding holidays in general:
- Don't schedule right before a holiday
- Avoid scheduling over a holiday
- Don't schedule immediately following a holiday
This is a lot of no’s to interview times when looking at the time of year to schedule, but holidays are only at select times and are not hard to avoid. Besides, you should rest and rejuvenate over your holiday too.
How to Make a Great Impression While Scheduling for a Job Interview
Another way to schedule the best slot and make a great impression is by asking the interviewer what time and day is most convenient for them.
They may choose a day and time that is not convenient for you, but showing that you are willing to compromise your schedule to suit theirs makes an impression.
The job search process can be time-consuming considering all the variables from application to booking the best job interview time.
A simple way to get yourself out into the job market is using LoopCV.
Adding your application to LoopCV is simple and they can then automatically apply for you to jobs in your desired field. This can get you started to the next step and be prepared to choose the best time to schedule an interview.
Originally published Sep 1 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to interview in the morning or afternoon?
It is best to interview in the morning but you do not want to be the first interview or have the interview right before lunch (12 pm).
What is the best time of day to interview?
The best time of day is 10 am, but if the mornings are unavailable and you are forced into an afternoon interview the 2 pm time slot is best for afternoon interviews.
What time Slot is best for an interview?
The best time slot is between 10 am-11:30 am. The second best time slot is 2 pm-3:30 pm.
Is it better to be the first or last interview?
It is better to be first rather than last. However, the best time is in the middle around 10 am making you more likely to be the second or third interview of the day which is far more preferable.