How to Apologize and Reschedule After Missing a Job Interview

After doing all of the stressful initial work of your job search—crafting a professional resume and cover letter, searching job advertisements, applying to promising job openings, and more—you’ve finally landed an interview. Yet, through no fault of your own, you missed the interview. Perhaps you or a child fell ill, or your car broke down, or you were stuck in traffic, or you lost internet or phone service.

Is it even possible to explain and remedy the situation? It is—if you contact the employer as soon as reasonably possible and follow up with a formal written apology via email.

Inform the Interviewer as Soon as Possible

If you are missing an interview, you almost always will know you are going to miss it before the scheduled time. As soon as you know it is inevitable that you won't be able to make the interview, make calling or emailing the potential employer a priority. Be honest about the situation and stress that the interview is important to you and you want the opportunity to reschedule.

Communicating the issue as quickly as possible will show the employer that you value punctuality, despite the circumstances, and that you still are genuinely interested in the position. It also provides the employer with an insight into how you would deal with missing a meeting with a client or co-worker. Employers understand that issues come up, and if you handle it professionally, it could end up being a positive for you in the long run.

How to Explain What Happened

Even if the circumstances preventing you from making it to an interview could not have been anticipated or were otherwise unavoidable, make it clear to the employer that you understand it was your responsibility to be there at the designated and that you know you failed to meet that obligation.

Explain the reason for missing the interview, but make sure you leave the employer with the impression that you are someone who understands personal responsibility and takes it seriously.

Send a Follow up via Email

Even if you've successfully rescheduled your interview with a prompt phone call, a follow-up email to thank the employer for a second chance and to confirm the date and time of the rescheduled interview is a good idea.

If you were unable to reach the employer via phone and only left a message, the email can serve as a way to state your apology and request a second chance.

Review a Sample Email Message

This sample email assumes you only were able to leave a message with your phone call and that the reason you missed the interview was an accident on the highway. Your specific circumstances obviously will be different, but the gist of the message is the same.