No shows are no good, no matter what position you’re interviewing for. “Oh, it was just another recruiter,” you might think. “It’s not like the line manager would know about it.” Well, think again.

Your level of common courtesy says a lot about who you are. Also, what we do outside the workplace often mirrors how we behave inside the workplace. If a candidate fails to show up at an interview, most recruiters would consider the candidate unresponsive and, as a result, may refuse to consider him or her for the position.

There are, however, a few situations where a no-show can be justified. Generally speaking, though, these should largely be confined to so-called acts of god, personal or family accidents, or instances of profound personal misfortune.

While not showing is perhaps the worst thing you could do, showing up late may be just as bad. When this happens, most recruiters tend to adopt a bad impression of the candidate and will probably hesitate to consider them for a second interview.

If you’re running late, be sure to call the recruiter and let them know. It’s not as good as being on time, but it demonstrates courtesy and responsiveness.
As for failing to show up without a legitimate reason, just remember that the interviewer will ultimately have a bad impression you.