When I was a recruiter, I was surprised by how infrequently I’d hear from candidates before an interview. I assumed they’d have tons of questions about a variety of different things, and in all honesty, I was prepared to answer a lot of them. And yet, once interviews were scheduled, I didn’t hear from most people until they stepped foot in the building for the first time.
This made no sense to me at first—until a few of my friends explained to me that when there’s a dream job on the line, they assume that the wrong pre-interview question will ruin their chances. If you’re like a lot of my friends and are unsure about what you can and can’t ask, know that these three are not only allowed, but expected.
1. You Can Ask for More Specific Directions to the Office
I’m a firm believer in the fact that if someone isn’t explicit about how to get to the office (or in larger buildings, what to do once you get there), you should be proactive and bring it up. And yet, I know a lot of people who are afraid to ask for additional directions or instructions, even though they understand they’re running the risk of getting lost and being late for the interview. So, if you look the office up on Google and literally can’t find it (this does happen), or know it’s in a big, fancy building with security, don’t be scared to reach out.
How to Ask
Unless you’re meeting with a company that has a huge neon sign glowing from the roof, many offices have unique quirks that can make it tricky to find them. It might be a weird highway exit, or a door that requires a code to get in, or a security desk that’ll take 15 minutes to process you—whatever the case may be, use the template below to get the information you need.
Dear [Hiring Manager],
Thanks so much for scheduling my upcoming interview. I’m excited to speak with you in more detail about the position. In order to be as prepared as possible, I wanted to reach out and ask [what floor your office is on/if there’s a security desk/the best place to park/where the building’s located in the complex].
Best,
[Your Name]
2. You Can Ask Who You’ll Be Meeting With
It’s important to know who you’re meeting in each interview. And not only when it comes to having enough copies of your resume. Part of your pre-interview work should include researching everyone in the room (in a non-creepy way, of course) so that you can come up with relevant questions, understand personalities, and sound as informed as possible.
How to Ask
If you want a little more intel on the people you’ll be meeting with, use this template to make your life a whole lot easier:
Dear [Hiring Manager],
I’m very excited to meet the team during my upcoming interview on [insert date of your interview]. I was wondering if you know who I’ll be meeting with. I’d love to make sure I [have enough copies of my resume for everyone/know their names beforehand].
Thanks in advance!
[Your Name]
3. You Can Ask for Alternate Times to Meet
This is something that should come up as soon as a recruiter proposes a time for you to discuss a job opportunity. However, as clear as I tried to make it when I was recruiting, I could tell that candidates felt uncomfortable telling me that they couldn’t be available at my proposed time. “I can move my schedule around, even if that means canceling every single meeting ever,” they’d say.
The thing is that I always blocked off a couple of times on my calendar for each candidate, so there was plenty of flexibility on my end (and I often wished people knew that!). And unless you’re working with the most disorganized company on the planet, I’m willing to bet the recruiters you’re speaking with are just as reasonable about rescheduling.
How to Ask
Again, if someone proposes a time that just doesn’t work for you, that’s perfectly fine. But if you’re having trouble responding, lean on this email template:
Dear [Hiring Manager],
Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview for [insert role]. Unfortunately I am not available at the time you proposed. However I am free on [insert two or three dates and times that work for you] and can be flexible on [two or three other dates and times during which you can shift other obligations]. Please let me know if any of these times work for you.
Best,
[Your Name]
I get it—the stakes are high when a job is on the line, especially a dream position. However, don’t forget that if you’re being scheduled for an interview, the company’s pretty excited about your application. So while it’s great that you’re taking it so seriously, don’t forget that certain requests before any interview aren’t unreasonable. And unless you’re dealing with the most irrational recruiter on the face of the earth, you won’t offend anyone by speaking up and asking for more information.