Running late to an interview? What to do, who to call and what to say

How late is late for an interview?

For an in-person interview, on time means early. CareerOneStop, the U.S. Department of Labor’s career site, suggests planning to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and to be ready to sign on 10 to 15 minutes early for an online interview. Iowa State University’s career services office recommends arriving about fifteen minutes early so you can settle in and fill out any forms the company asks for.

So if your realistic arrival time has slipped past that window, treat yourself as running late, even if you could still walk in at the exact minute. Reception may need to sign you in, issue a visitor badge or walk you to another floor, and that takes time you no longer have.

The single most important rule is timing: contact the employer as soon as you know, and always before the interview is due to start. A call five minutes before the start time reads as courtesy and planning. The same news delivered ten minutes after the start time reads as a no-show that turned up. Interviewers often have back-to-back slots, and an early warning gives them the choice to shuffle the schedule, start with another candidate or move you to a later time.

• A few minutes past your early-arrival window: let them know, but you may still start on time.
• Likely to be late for the start time itself: call now, give an arrival estimate and offer to reschedule.
• Badly delayed or unsure when you will get there: call, apologize and ask to reschedule rather than guessing.

Who to call when you are running late, and what to say

Call the number given for interview logistics. That is usually the phone number in your interview invitation or confirmation email, the recruiter or coordinator who scheduled you, or the front desk or main line of the office where you are interviewing. Iowa State’s career services advice is simple: if you are running late, call the career services office or company and let them know the situation. If the interview was booked through your college’s career center, call that office too.

Do not hunt online for a hiring manager’s personal cell number. Stick to the published or provided line. Have ready your full name, the job title, your interview time, the interviewer’s name and an honest arrival estimate with a few minutes of buffer. Keep the call under a minute. Write down who you spoke with, what they said about waiting or rescheduling, and any new time they gave you.

Safety comes first. Never call, text or type instructions while driving. The CDC lists sending a text and talking on a cell phone among examples of distracted driving, which can take your eyes, hands and mind off the road. If you are driving, pull over somewhere safe before you call, or ask a passenger to make the call for you. A few extra minutes of lateness is far better than a crash.

You can also delegate the call. An AI assistant with a phone-calling tool can place this kind of logistics call for you if you give it the facts it needs (your name, the role, the interview time, your arrival estimate), the exact message and question, and clear limits: it may pass on your apology and ask whether to wait or reschedule, but it must not accept a new time without checking with you. It should say it is calling on your behalf and never pretend to be you. Afterwards, check what the office actually said, using the transcript or recording if the tool provides one. Our guide to whether AI can make phone calls for you covers what to expect. Asking a passenger or an assistant to call is only worth it if it keeps your hands on the wheel.

Running late email and text scripts

A phone call is the fastest way to reach someone who is already waiting in a lobby or meeting room, but a short written message is a useful backup and a record. Send it right after you call or leave a voicemail. Text only if the recruiter or coordinator has already texted you or given you a number for texting; otherwise use email.

Keep each message to a few lines: who you are, the interview time, how late you expect to be and the choice you are offering. Leave out long explanations. If you are driving, these messages wait until you have pulled over or a passenger can send them.

Running late to a video interview or having technical problems

Video interviews come with their own kind of lateness: a forced software update, a link that will not open, a camera that will not start, or a connection that drops halfway through. Duke University’s career center suggests giving yourself at least 30 minutes before a virtual interview to get set up, and notes that some interviewers call five minutes early. Our video interview tips cover the setup in detail.

If you cannot join on time, tell the interviewer or recruiter before the start time, by email and by phone if you have a number. Say what is wrong in one sentence and offer a fix. Duke’s advice for a bad connection is to tell the interviewers you are having technical issues, offer to call back, and have a backup plan such as moving the interview to a mobile phone or a landline. If the invitation includes a dial-in number, joining by phone for audio is often the quickest rescue.

Switching to a phone call changes the format, so it helps to know how phone interviews differ: you lose eye contact, so pace your answers and keep notes in front of you.

• Restart the app or device once, then switch devices rather than troubleshooting for ten minutes.
• Join from your phone using the same link or the dial-in number in the invitation.
• If you get dropped, rejoin and send a one-line message: “I lost connection and am rejoining now.”
• If nothing works, offer a phone call now or a new time, and let them choose.

What to say when you arrive late

When you get there, check in calmly, take a breath and greet your interviewer as you normally would. Apologize once, briefly, and thank them for their flexibility. Then move on. A long story about traffic or an excuse that blames someone else uses up interview time and keeps the focus on the delay instead of on you.

If the interviewer mentions the delay later, acknowledge it simply and steer back to the conversation. If they say they have less time than planned, ask what they would most like to cover, and keep your answers tighter. Good interview preparation pays off here: if you know your key examples, a shortened interview can still go well.

Afterwards, send your usual thank-you email after the interview. You may add one line thanking them for accommodating your late arrival, but do not reopen the apology at length.

If you need to reschedule instead

Sometimes arriving late is not the right call. If you will be very late, if you cannot predict when you will get there, or if the employer says the interviewer has back-to-back meetings, asking to reschedule is more respectful than arriving with no time left. Offer two or three specific alternatives and let them choose.

Be realistic about the outcome. Employers do not have to offer a second slot. The University of Texas at Austin’s natural sciences career services office, for example, warns students that companies are not required to offer a second chance to interview, and its on-campus interview policy asks for 24 hours’ notice to cancel. Rules like that vary by school and employer, which is another reason to communicate early and clearly.

Once they agree a new time, confirm it in writing. Our interview reschedule email template and interview confirmation email template give you ready-made wording.

1. Call the number in your invitation and ask whether they would like to reschedule.
2. Offer two or three specific dates and times you can definitely make.
3. Write down the new time, location or link, and who confirmed it.
4. Send a short confirmation email the same day restating the new details.
5. Plan the new trip with a larger buffer than last time.

How to avoid running late to an interview

Most late arrivals come from small surprises: the wrong building entrance, a full parking garage, a security desk queue or a transit delay. You can remove most of them the day before.

Plan to arrive in the area 30 minutes early, then wait nearby and walk in during your 10 to 15 minute window. If you arrive with time to spare, you can review notes, check your outfit (see what to wear to an interview) and settle your nerves.

• Confirm the date, time, full address, floor or suite, and the interviewer’s name the day before.
• Check parking, transit routes and which entrance visitors use, and do a trial run if you can.
• Add a buffer for traffic, weather and security check-in, more for an unfamiliar route.
• Save the contact number from your invitation in your phone and write it down as well.
• Charge your phone and, for video interviews, test the link, camera and audio in advance.
• Lay out your clothes, documents and copies of your resume the night before.