There are various unfortunate things that could go wrong before a job interview, such as feeling unwell, flight cancellations, or even the hospitalisation of a friend or family member. There is one thing we do know – emergencies do happen in life.
Even though interviews are important, there are unforeseen circumstances that require us to know how to reschedule an interview, especially if you are not sure if you can get to the interview venue in time, or even at all.
If you need help rescheduling an interview in advance in a professional and highly acceptable manner, here’s our best guide on how to reschedule an interview for jobs in Malaysia.
How to Reschedule an Interview 101
1. Understand That Time is Precious
Interview opportunities are not easy to come by. Scheduling the initial interview session is already difficult because time is precious for all parties involved, such as the hiring manager, HR personnel, and you as a candidate.
Therefore, you should practice the simple courtesy of contacting the interviewer as soon as you know that you won’t be able to attend the interview in time. The key word is as soon as possible, not cancelling at the last minute (unless it’s a real emergency).
Doing so not only conveys that you are honest and you appreciate the interviewer(s)’s time, but it also opens up the opportunity for the next interview. This is better than not informing the parties in time and ending up on the ‘Rejected’ list.
2. Give a Good Reason
Providing notice is not good enough. You’d have to justify your cancellation with a good reason to reschedule your interview at a later date. This is to provide interviewers with more clarity and opportunities to sympathise with your situation.
Our advice is to truthfully share just the right amount of information to come off as professional instead of ingenuine. For example, giving descriptions such as “family emergency” or “flight cancelled” is good enough as long as it shows that you respect the interviewer’s time and the opportunities provided.
3. Be Expressive
Remember that the burden falls on you to provide as much explanation as possible and resolve the conflict. The best way is to apologise sincerely for any inconvenience caused to the interviewers by an unfortunate event, as well as ask if rescheduling is possible.
The next step is to convey your enthusiasm in a professional manner. Instead of begging for the job opportunity, make it clear to the interviewer or HR how much you appreciate the interview opportunity given and would definitely attend the interview if it was possible.
Even though you are not able to attend the interview, you should still convey appreciation for the interviewer’s time in order to show that it wasn’t easy for you to suggest rescheduling the interview. With the right amount of effort, you could earn another interview opportunity.
4. Be Proactive
The final step in how to reschedule an interview is to seal the rescheduling opportunity. In your message, be sure to suggest a day or two as well as the timing of when you’ll be available if you’re given the chance to reschedule.
Try to be as flexible and gracious as possible in accommodating their schedule because they are giving you a second chance. This also shows that you are truly serious about the job opportunity and that you are willing to make things right again.
If you do receive a second chance, be sure to write a follow-up message thanking them and confirming the date and time of the rescheduled interview.
How to Reschedule an Interview: Sample
Still unsure of how to reschedule an interview professionally? Try this example:
“Dear Mr. John,
Thank you for the interview opportunity given to me to discuss the vacancy. Due to an unforeseen major technical issue in my current company, however, I’m no longer able to make it to the interview session scheduled today at 5 PM.
I had taken a leave day and made all the necessary preparations to attend the session. However, I was summoned urgently as the issue would impact millions of our customers. I apologise deeply for any inconvenience caused to you and your team.
I’d like to reiterate my sincere interest in the vacancy and the opportunity to talk to you about the industry. If it’s possible, I would like to reschedule our interview for a later date as soon as possible.
I’m available on the 17th and 20th of August from 2 PM onwards. However, I will try my best to accommodate your schedule on any other day and time this week, whenever it is most convenient for you.
Thank you very much for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Jane”
Closing Remarks
While rescheduling interviews are certainly not ideal, it’s important to know how you deal with the emergency situation and how to reschedule an interview professionally for jobs in Malaysia.
Understand that most employers and hiring managers are human too. Your ideal company should be able to understand your situation and be compassionate about it. Hopefully, they will be glad to reschedule the job interview at a better time.
