Picking Interview Slots: First or Last?
If you’re in the fortunate position of getting to choose your interview time slots, let me first start by saying, there is no right or wrong selection here, it’s all about you. If you’re a morning person that thrives in the hustle and bustle of the early hours, go for an early slot.
If you need three cups of coffee before even taking a shower, you may want to consider an afternoon time slot. In this article, I’ll outline a few tips, tricks and words of advice on picking interview time slots for professional interviews.
1. Track Your Energy
In general, I’m not much of a morning person but mornings are when I get a ton of work done. I like to bury myself in tasks that require thinking, such as writing or grading papers, alongside a steaming cup of tea and enjoy the solitude of the morning hours, alone and quietly.
Obviously, this level of energy and focus is not ideal for job interviews! My more social, outgoing, peppy aspects of my personality don’t start to peak until around 10 or 11am and then dip again right before lunch.
Understanding what time of day you are naturally exerting specific types of focused energy can be a huge advantage when it comes to picking interview times. Sometimes experimenting with Informational Interviews is a good way to test when throughout the day you are most energized by interviews. Try a few different times and assess your energy levels. Go with times that make sense for you!
2. Mondays and Fridays
In most professional environments, particularly hybrid or remote, Mondays and Fridays tend to be quieter days where folks are either out of the office, taking time off, or working on collaborative or solo projects. It’s also the time of the week where folks are catching up from fires over the weekend or trying to get out of work as early as possible in anticipation of the weekend.
Generally speaking, I discourage job seekers from taking a Monday or Friday interview slot. It’s just too easy to get lost in the commotion of the weekend.
3. The First Slot
So, you really need to know yourself on this one. If you really feel like you are a strong candidate, you interview well, you’re confident and you know you’ll hit it out of the park in your interview, I see no reason to not go first.
Going first can be a huge advantage- but only if you are a strong interviewer. By going first, you set the benchmark for how all other candidates will be assessed and compared to. If you do well, it’s harder for the search committee to forget you and they will compare everyone to your interview experience. If you do poorly, you will then become the reference point of what the committee is not looking for.
Use your best judgment here and know yourself. I moved into a new role this past year having been with the same employer for 4 years. I knew the organization forwards and backwards, I was super confident I could do the job, I knew my interviewing skills were strong and I was already on a first name basis with members of the search committee.
I chose to go first and I feel like it served me well. I mean, I was offered the position!
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4. Don’t Go Last
As opposed to my more flexible advice on going first, I’ll straight up say, don’t go last! Some folks like to think going last gives them an advantage in that they will be the last interview in the committee’s minds as they make final decisions.
Traditionally, interviews used to be conducted very casually and off the cuff with some employers even offering employment on the spot. With modern technology and interviewing considerations like fairness and equity, on the spot hiring is happening less and less.
Typically, in professional hiring, the search committee has a rubric and assesses each candidate as they interview. By the time they get to the end, they already have a pretty fair idea on who is making it to the next round before they do the last interview.
If you have to go last, turn up the charm and excitement and attempt to stand out as much as possible. You’re definitely coming in from behind compared to other candidates so really go for it!
5. The Most Popular Spot
Depending on how many people are interviewed, the most popular spot in a 4-6 person interview line up is 3. Here’s why.
Going first or second requires candidates to be very confident and secure in their abilities and knowledge of performing well in interviews. Many professionals hate interviewing and don’t believe they are good at it (or have had straight up bad/traumatic past experiences) so will likely decline the first few spots. Going last is a generally bad idea so that leaves you with the middle or third slot.
Going third also gives the search committee a few test runs to see how their questions are landing and gives the committee time to bond a little bit and create a more open and conversational interview style.
As a career coach that has hired other career coaches, our style of interviewing tends to be extraordinarily conversational and situational because we all know the mechanics, tricks and hacks to successfully passing an interview, now we want to go deep into getting to know the person.
Going towards the beginning of the interview rounds helps you stand out from the crowd and stick in the committee’s mind.
Again, there are no right or wrong answers here, it’s just important to know yourself, your strengths and your ability to connect with people. If you are a rockstar, stellar candidate you’re going to stick out no matter when you interview so if you don't get the chance to pick your interview slot, don't fret.
Prepare, practice and perform. These are the fundamentals of all interviews and are elements that are in your control. If you come in prepared, practice and ready to perform, you’ll be fantastic, just believe in yourself!
Related:
6 Powerful Signs That The Boss Interviewing You Will Care About Your Career
10 Perfect Questions For Young Professionals To Ask An Interviewer
Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
