I recently conducted an interview with a job candidate for one of our clients. During the session, the young lady answered all of the questions perfectly. As the conversation was coming to a close, I had one final question. I asked, “Why did you make the transition from your last position to your current one?” The resume was stellar, the interview had gone well so far, but her answer allowed me to easily make the decision to not recommend her for a call back. Her answer, you ask? “I was just late too many times, and they had to let me go.” I paraphrased, but that was the gist.

In my recruiting role, it was easy to discard the resume. However, my career coach heart wanted to scream “please, don’t use that answer ever again!” I will give her points for honesty. However, I could not in good conscience recommend her for the position.

So, if I were her career coach, how would I guide her in answering the question? That’s simple. First of all, I would find out why she had trouble with being on time. There is always a root cause. Then, I would ensure she has made adjustments or has the resources she needs to always be on time moving forward.

As far as how to answer the question, I would recommend that she address the question before it is ever asked. Early on in the interview, I would recommend a dialogue like this:

“You’ll notice I transitioned to a new role 6 months ago. I would like to be up front and share that I had some personal issues (share if possible) that prevented me from consistently getting to work on time with my previous employer. I’m thankful that my current employer provided me with a new opportunity. I have not missed a day or been late since. And, I can assure you, if I’m chosen for this position, punctuality will be a priority.”

Want to read more about how to prepare for an interview? Check out these posts from The Point Blog:

3 Tips for Eliminating the Stress of a Job Interview

How to Answer the Interview Question “What is your greatest weakness?”

Authenticity and the Job Interview