Job Applicant Spent $350 On A New Suit For An Interview But Was Turned Away Because He Was 1 Minute Late—'We Are Very Time Strict Here'
He had to wait 30 seconds for the recruiter to let him into the building, causing him to be late.
Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels & TikTok Making a great first impression at a job interview is essential; part of it is how you present yourself. Professionally presenting yourself can take many forms.
For instance, you wouldn’t want to show up in flip flops and a t-shirt or thirty minutes late. Well, for one job candidate, it didn’t matter. The job recruiter didn’t even give him a chance.
The job applicant dropped $350 on a new suit just to be turned away for being one minute late.
A man, who posts under the username @care4people on TikTok, shared a post from Reddit’s “r/antiwork,” a subreddit described as a place “for those who want to end work…and want personal help with their own jobs/work-related struggles.”
The poster had an interview for a tech startup of about 15 employees. He decided to look snazzy for the opportunity, so he picked up a brand-new suit for $350. The interview time was 10:30AM and he showed up exactly on time. Though, he had to wait for an employee to open the door since it was locked.
“The person took roughly 30 seconds to come out to greet me,” he wrote.
Unfortunately, when the person opened the door, the time had struck 10:31. So, even though he showed up on time, his efforts were in vain. The employee let him know that they are “very time strict” because they “don’t want any of [their] future candidates to be late.”
They turned him away, refusing to give him the interview. He believed he “dodged a bullet” because he “would hate to work for a company” that penalizes people for showing up one minute late. The TikToker who shared the post felt both sides were wrong. The candidate should have shown up earlier, and the company acted too harshly.
“You should always show up 10 minutes early, and the second you enter the property is the second the interview starts,” he said. “But if they’re that strict, then that’s a red flag. It’s not like you were five minutes, which then I could understand.”
The harsh move also baffled commenters who felt the company wasn't considering the many extenuating circumstances that can make someone late.
So, does showing up late for an interview affect your chances of them hiring you? A survey from SimplyHired found that a whopping 93% of employers felt tardiness was unacceptable in the interview process.
This candidate’s situation is different since he technically arrived on time at the property. But as the adage goes, “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.” If waiting a few extra minutes in the lobby means you’ll have a better shot at getting the job, it’s most likely worth it.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. He writes on entertainment and news.