10 Most Common Reasons Given For Not Attending Job Interviews

One of the most frustrating moments in a Recruiter's life is to call up the client/employer to advise the job interview arranged earlier has to be canceled.

I encountered that again today. This gentleman is officially without a job as of today because his contract work ended yesterday. As of last Thursday, he was very excited to receive the news that he got short listed for an interview. Over the weekend, something must have occurred that caused the change of mind. Check out his reason: I don't think I should go for the interview because I do not have any transport. My reply was, "No worries. The company is willing to provide you the transport." Stunned by my reply, he went on to justify the true reason why he does not want to attend the interview was that the nature of work that requires field work is just not his thing now. What shall I say? Cliched at best, no? I can probe further and he will continue to justify and this will go on and on. Experience does make a difference and in cases like this, no persuasion is needed because ultimately it is his career and he should be more concerned than I am.

Is his reason one of the common ones? Probably not. My list below is compiled from my many years of experience as a HR Practitioner and now in the recruitment business. Some of them are valid but most of them are really lame, indicating man's worst nature when comes to careers: fickleness.

1. Just got another offer.
   
2. Discussed with my husband over the weekend. He said I should not try for the job. Err...why? It's personal. I can't tell.
   
3. Have second thoughts on the location.
4. Sick. I think I'll just passed this.
5. Forgotten that I actually have a company training to attend.
   
6. I cannot locate the office and had been spending the past half an hour looking for it. Tell them I'm not keen anymore.
7. Have to go back hometown last minute - parents are sick.
8. Car broke down. I'll passed this opportunity.
9. Not so keen about the company anymore. Heard something unpleasant about them from some friends.
10. The worst: No notice given- just did not turn up and the hand phone line went dead. It's like the guy has just decided to take a vacation out of planet earth. When finally managed to locate him, usually a couple of days later, the common reply, "Oh, I totally forgotten about that. I was outstation."
    

Giving last minute notices with lame excuses or not turning up at all without any notice are examples of poor job hunting ethics. This can be avoided if you take some time to seriously consider a job interview invitation. Most people unfortunately have the "kiasu" mentality by saying yes to whatever that comes their way and thought it was not a problem to cancel it at last minute.