Getting to a Job Interview On Time

An interview is one of the few situations where being on time is part of the evaluation itself, not just good manners. Walking in late — even by five or ten minutes, even with a good reason — puts you in the position of apologising before you've had a chance to make your actual case. Most of the ways this goes wrong aren't about the interview itself; they're about underestimating the trip to get there. Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad traffic doesn't move at a consistent pace through the day, and an estimate that looked fine on a map can fall apart during a lunch-hour jam or a sudden downpour.

How much buffer to actually book

• Add 20-30 minutes on top of the app's time estimate, not as a rough guess but as a fixed rule. Ride-hailing ETAs are based on current traffic conditions at the moment you check, not conditions an hour from now when you're actually en route.
• Book the ride earlier than feels necessary if the interview is during a peak traffic window — roughly 8-10am and 5-7pm in most major cities. If your interview falls in one of these windows, treat the buffer as closer to 30-40 minutes.
• Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the interview time, not exactly on time. This gives you room to find the right floor or office, use a washroom, and settle before you're called in — arriving at the exact minute leaves zero margin for anything unexpected inside the building too.

Why live tracking matters more than the ETA

An ETA at booking time is a prediction; live tracking during the ride tells you what's actually happening. If you can see on the map that the car is stuck and running behind, you have the option to message the interviewer proactively — "running about 10 minutes behind due to traffic, will be there by X" lands very differently than walking in late with no warning. That single act of managing the delay instead of being surprised by it often matters more than the delay itself. Keep the tracking screen open during the ride so you're not blindsided at the door.

What to do if you're going to be late anyway

• Message as soon as you know, not when you're already outside. A heads-up sent 20 minutes ahead, based on what the live map is showing, reads as organised rather than apologetic.
• Give a real, specific new time based on the tracked route, not a vague "on my way." "I'll be there by 11:15" is something the interviewer can plan around.
• Don't try to rush the driver. Arriving flustered undoes the benefit of arriving a few minutes earlier — a calm arrival ten minutes late beats a rushed one on the dot.

Frequently asked questions

How early should I book a ride before an interview?

Book with enough lead time to add a 20-30 minute buffer over the app's stated travel estimate, and account for finding the office once you arrive — especially for a location you haven't been to before.

What if I don't know the exact office location within a building?

Set the destination as precisely as the app allows, and if the address is part of a larger complex or plaza, plan a few extra minutes to locate the specific floor or entrance once you're dropped off.

Should I mention traffic delays to the interviewer?

Yes — a brief, specific message sent as soon as you notice you're running behind is better than arriving late unannounced. It shows you're tracking the situation rather than caught off guard by it.