What should you do if you are running late for an interview?
Inform the HR contact as soon as you know, with a short apology and a realistic arrival time. When you arrive, apologise once, briefly, and move on. Plan to arrive 15 to 30 minutes early to avoid this.
Explain it simply
Being late is not ideal, but being late without telling anyone is far worse. Interviewers have tight schedules and may be able to move your slot if they know in advance.
Keep the HR phone number and email handy. Call or message as soon as you see you will be late. Give a realistic time, not an optimistic one. On arrival, a single short apology is enough; long explanations waste their time.
Example
Situation: Lavanya's bus to an off-campus interview in Hyderabad got stuck in traffic, and she realised she would be 25 minutes late.
Task: Handle the delay professionally.
Action: She called the HR number from the invite immediately, apologised, explained she was stuck in traffic and gave an arrival time of 10:30. HR moved her slot to 10:45. On arrival she said "Sorry for the delay, and thank you for adjusting" and started the interview calmly.
Result: The interviewer did not mention it again, and she cleared the round. Since then she plans to reach 30 minutes early.
What to say in the interview
"I'd inform HR immediately with an apology and a realistic arrival time. On arrival, I'd apologise once briefly and focus on the interview."
Common mistakes
- Not informing anyone.
- Giving a long excuse on arrival.
- Underestimating your arrival time and being late twice.