How to Use Your Punctuality to Get the Job

Punctuality is a highly sought-after trait in employees. With 29 percent of workers admitting to showing up late to work at least once a month and 16 percent weekly, mentioning you’re punctual can give you the edge over other candidates. Here are some ways to promote your attendance record on your resume and during the interview.

Highlight Your Dependability on Your Resume

Two words that recruiters love to hear on a resume are “dependable” and “reliable.” This means they can trust an employee to consistently arrive at work on time so tardiness will not be an ongoing issue.

However, you can take it one step further by getting into specifics like saying you had perfect attendance at a previous job or you were on time 100 percent of the time. This should help grab their attention and get your foot in the door.

Wait for Key Prompts During the Interview

Career coach Kerri Twigg mentions there are several different prompts during an interview that are perfect for discussing your punctuality. Here are some examples:

• Tell me about the way you earned a reputation for being on time.
• Tell me about how you showed up on time prepared to do the work. What does that look like?
• Tell me about a time your team depended on you to be somewhere. How did that support the success of the project?

It’s important you jump on these opportunities and show a recruiter that being punctual is a habit of yours. To ensure you’re prepared, take time to think of past examples prior to the interview.

Tell the Recruiter Outright

If the topic of punctuality doesn’t come up in the interview, you can always subtly insert it into the conversation. For instance, when a recruiter asks, “Is there anything you would like to add?” or “Why should I hire you over other candidates?” you could mention always being on time is one of your main strengths.

Employee tardiness is a big problem in today’s workplace. Demonstrating you’re always on time is something to focus on in your resume and interview. Following these techniques should help you and can set you apart from other candidates.

Struggling with your job search? Contact the friendly professionals at Encadria Staffing Solutions today.