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This is a very specific situation that I find myself in.

I was scheduled for a final round phone interview with a company. The email from the recruiter asked for the times I was available for the following week (she clearly wanted specific details for each day, like "Monday: 11-2, 3-3:30, Tuesday: 3-4... etc". I know she wanted specific details for each day because she gave instructions to do just that, with a table for each day and fields for my available times.

In my excitement, I emailed back too hastily, and told her that I was free "Monday-Friday at 2 pm." I didn't give more info than that.

She scheduled me for an interview on Thursday, and with the manager of a very large team.

This made me assume that this person must be very busy and that the very limited time I provided would hurt this person's schedule and make his/her week more difficult. Obviously I don't want that (especially since I'd like to be hired!)

However, I'm torn between becoming an even bigger nuisance by giving more times I'm available (I'd do so in an email tomorrow, which is Monday, the next working day since the interview was scheduled).

I have the following pros and cons:

Pros:

  • Sending more times would give more flexibility to my interviewer, who manages a large team
  • It might also allow me to interview earlier in the week, which I would prefer (but that's just me)

Cons:

  • It'd be annoying! They must already be annoyed by the horribly restrictive time I have (again, I said 2 pm Mon-Fri). And sure, they might be able to pick a better time now, but they already scheduled me, so now it's more work for them.

I'm wondering, what do you think? How do I ago about this? I could do nothing and just have the interview, but I feel bad for not following the instructions and possibly making their lives difficult.

If I do send times, I'd say something like this:

"Hi [Recruiter],

Since the times, I provided for you on Friday weren't very flexible, I am additionally available at these times this week: [insert a chart of free times]. The scheduled time works just as well for me, and there is no need to reschedule unless you find it more convenient on your end. Thanks,

Bob."

That sounds logical and nice, but would it just make them sick and tired and upset at me for being such a nuisance? I mean, it's scheduled already. It's on the calendar. Will sending more times make them super happy that they can make their schedules more convenient, or super annoyed that they might now have to make another change?

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    and there is no need to reschedule this last part of your comment makes you sound like an apologist. This makes it sound a little desperate and that is not a quality HR normally look for; ironically desperation is different to enthusiasm and dedication it seems Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 12:34
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    “the very limited time I provided would hurt this person's schedule and make his/her week more difficult” — I don’t think you make a difference to this person’s week. You’re likely one of several people being interviewed. Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 9:39

4 Answers 4

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Firstly, let me tell you that most of your question is based upon a wrong assumption.

This is what the HR managers generally do:

  • Take the time slots from the candidate
  • See where such a slot can be fit into the interviewer's calender
  • And when they find an appropriate slot, they set up the interview.
  • If they can't, then they'll ask you to give an alternate slot

So, the HR might be in the above process by now. So, if you send updated slots now, then that'd be a nuisance for him/her.

So, I would advise you to let the things go how they are going now.

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    If I were the HR person, you'd seem desperate to me, which you'd definitely not want. So, let the schedules be as is, unless she asks for a change.
    – Dawny33
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 6:31
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    +1 nothing positive about adding time slots at this point, if anything it makes you look unorganised
    – Kilisi
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 6:38
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    Exactly my thoughts. Maybe it would have been easier on the recruiter to be more flexible in your original email but it obviously didn't matter and it's not going to have any effect on your candidacy at all. Two PM is pretty specific but you were available on all five days of the week so it's not even that inflexible.
    – Lilienthal
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 10:38
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    @bob Busy people's calendars will fill up, so it doesn't matter to them if the 2pm slot is your interview and the 3pm slot is that meeting with that man about a horse, or whether it's the other way around. You've already shown flexibility with days - the most important thing for them is that it all gets organised quickly and efficiently, and then doesn't change. You give the impression of over-thinking and possibly an inferiority complex: common when nervous, but it doesn't help. You're a serious professional like everyone else they're meeting that week. Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 11:10
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    If the time were difficult to manage, they would either have asked for additional options or simply declined the interview.
    – Cronax
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 13:41
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You're waaaay overthinking this.

The recruiter's goal was to find a time that's mutually acceptable to the candidate and the interviewer. This has now been accomplished; it's really not important whether or not the solution was optimal. It works for both of you and that's good enough.

Don't waste any more of your time or energy thinking (or posting) about it! Your priority now is to prepare for the interview itself. What you say, and how you present yourself, will be infinitely more important than how convenient the time slot was for the interviewer.

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    I agree. If the OP does want to do anything they could send an email stating "Let me know if that time ends up being inconvenient, otherwise I will meet you at 2pm on Thursday"
    – teambob
    Commented Nov 10, 2015 at 1:23
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You've got the interview, it's booked in and having it at a different time is unlikely to increase your chances of getting hired.

What you're not thinking about it how they are likely to be doing a batch of interviews all in one go, which would probably be on the Thursday, and that's probably why they chose that date.

The only person currently feeling inconvenienced is yourself as you would have liked the interview earlier in the week.

Stick with the date you have been given, and don't worry about it. Just remember in future when asked when you are available, to give the times when you are available! And if you have any preference (for a valid reason) make it known.

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Unless there is something big, like you forgot you had a doctor appointment on Thursday, don't change. Heck, even in that case, I'd probably reschedule the doc instead of change interview. Work is work, you know the doctor is going to be there either way.

For what it's worth, when I was unemployed, I've told HR people that I was free all day and night 7 days a week for interview. Sounds desperate, but HR people just make schedules, not putting any notes about you begging for a job.

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