Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Reschedule your interview
• Method 2 of 3: Cancel the interview entirely
• Method 3 of 3: Canceling an interview as an employer
• Tips

You may find yourself in a difficult situation if you have already scheduled an interview with a promising employer, and now must be in two places at the same time, or if new opportunities have opened up before you. In this case, you need to cancel or reschedule the interview, which is quite difficult to do in a tactful manner. However, you can easily and politely cancel the interview without losing your professional look in the eyes of the employer.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Reschedule your interview

1. 1 Reschedule your interview only as a last resort. Try changing other plans before doing this. The interview serves as a first impression for a potential employer, so rescheduling may seem unprofessional. If possible, change other parts of your schedule before rescheduling your interview.
2. 2 Contact the interviewer well in advance. Rescheduling an interview can be a huge inconvenience for everyone involved. Therefore, it is important to contact the potential employer at least 24 hours before the scheduled date.When speaking with him, provide a brief explanation of why you need to reschedule your interview. Be as honest as possible. Offer the interviewer several alternative interview dates that work for you.
   • If you are postponing this interview because of another interview, it is best not to tell the interviewer about it. Tell them that you are having business or family circumstances and that you would like to reschedule your interview.
   • If there is an emergency and you are unable to give 24 hours advance notice, contact the interviewer as soon as possible to inform him of the incident. If this is really a critical situation (you are injured, you have a family emergency, etc.), your potential employer should understand this.
   • If you are still interested in the job, make it clear when you call to cancel your interview. Say something like this: "I'm sorry, but I had an emergency and I won't be able to come for an interview tomorrow. But I am very interested in this position and would be extremely grateful if we could reschedule the interview."
3. 3 Talk to the interviewer directly, rather than leaving a message. Try to establish direct contact with the potential employer instead of sending an email or leaving a message. Talking on the phone will make you look like a responsible professional. Make an effort to reach the interviewer in a variety of ways, and only leave a message or email if you can't get through on the phone.
   • Never send SMS to reschedule an interview, otherwise you will look unprofessional.
   • If you ended up leaving a message or sending an email, ask the interviewer to contact you to confirm that they received your notification.
4. 4 Sorry for the inconvenience. Typically, when scheduling an interview, the schedules of several people are agreed upon. Therefore, the cancellation or postponement usually causes inconvenience for several participants in the action. Don't assume that the interviewer's schedule revolves around you, so apologize for causing any inconvenience. Try to be flexible if you ask for a date change. If the person sees that you are working hard to get the interview going, they are more likely to agree to reschedule it.
5. 5 Send the interviewer a follow-up message. After you contact the interviewer regarding the reschedule of the date, send him a private message or email, re-apologizing and showing your interest in the company. The person might be upset or annoyed about your cancellation, so use this message as an opportunity to express your sincere regret and desire to reschedule the interview.

Method 2 of 3: Cancel the interview entirely

1. 1 Notify in advance about the cancellation of the interview. As soon as you know you need to cancel the interview, contact the interviewer. Don't waste anybody's time delaying this moment. Better to do it as soon as you realize that you are no longer interested in interviewing for this position. The interviewer will appreciate your advance notice and you will look much more professional.
2. 2 Be honest about the reasons why you are canceling the interview. Whether you have accepted an offer from another company or are simply no longer interested in a scheduled interview, let your employer know. He should rate your honesty as he can resume looking for other candidates.
   • If you have already accepted an offer from another company, call the interviewer and notify him of this. Say something like this: “Thank you for inviting me to interview for this position, but I have already accepted the offer elsewhere.I did count on the opportunity to work for your company, but for now I would like to cancel the interview. Thank you very much for your time! "
   • If you cancel an interview because you hear negative things about the company, be a little evasive about canceling the interview. Say something like, "I appreciate you scheduling an interview with me, but I would like to cancel it. I decided to focus on career opportunities elsewhere, but I am grateful that you took the time."
3. 3 Remain professional so you don't burn bridges behind you. You never know when you will need another job, or when your paths with the interviewer will cross (in a professional or personal setting). Therefore, when canceling an interview, it is best to maintain courtesy and professionalism, as burning bridges is always a bad idea. Don't be rude when canceling an interview or disrespect the employer's company. Stick to a simple explanation of why you want to cancel, and then end the conversation.

Method 3 of 3: Canceling an interview as an employer

1. 1 Contact the candidate as soon as you realize you need to cancel the interview. It is professional ethics to give advance notice of cancellation or postponement of an interview. Waiting until the last minute can be bad for your business. If you are genuinely interested in hiring a potential employee, be sure to demonstrate high professionalism. Canceling the interview at the last minute may cause them to lose interest in your company.
   • In case of unforeseen circumstances, contact a potential employee immediately. Please provide a brief explanation of why you are canceling the interview and indicate that you will be in touch to reschedule the date. If this is really an emergency, the person should get into your position.
2. 2 Tell the candidate that the position is already taken. Some employers do not notify candidates that the position is already taken, but simply stop communicating. This is extremely unprofessional and bad for business. If you have closed a position for which you were interviewing, please inform the candidates about it. Your best bet is to call them, as this is a more personal and less chilly way of notifying a good candidate that you are no longer interested in hiring them. You can also send an email, but this is a less personal form of communication.
3. 3 Reschedule your interview as soon as possible. If you are interested in hiring this potential employee, reschedule the interview as soon as possible so that you have multiple dates to choose from. Since you interfere with his schedule, you should be flexible about rescheduling the interview. Express your sincere desire to interview and ask what you can do about it.
   • If you are unsure of what date you can reschedule your interview, let the candidate know that you will stay in touch and notify them in a timely manner.

Tips

• Don't reschedule your interview simply because you want to get out of town for the weekend or if it resonates with your meeting with friends. Move it only if absolutely necessary.
• Don't schedule an interview without first checking your schedule.