Little mistakes that we make during job searches and interviews often aren’t so little after all.
Showing up late for an interview and not acknowledging or apologizing for being late is one thing. Just because the person interviewing you doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean they aren’t going to hold it against you. If showing up late is how you make your first impression, it’s not a good one and the fact that you don’t acknowledge it can make it worse.
Timeliness is one way that people will judge you and get a glimpse of what you’re really like. If you show up late for an interview and not say anything, they’ll immediately wonder how you’ll be if you were actually working for them.
Another thing I’ve experienced is when someone says they’re going to call you at a certain time or will send me an updated resume or provide something that I need to help them with their job search by a certain time. The deadline comes and goes and I’m still waiting for it. A day goes by, and nothing. Then I follow up with the person and they tell me they’ll get to it that day and then another day passes by and I’m still waiting.
I know people who have done that with hiring managers too where they are asked to provide something by a certain date (ie. an updated resume, a writing sample, references, etc), they don’t meet the deadline, and it just doesn’t look good.
Often, a hiring situation comes down to 2 candidates and a hiring manager might end up taking the person who doesn’t make a mistake or who doesn’t scare them away. In other words, the person who gives the hiring manager a reason to not hire them loses the job as a result.
