Is being 3 minutes late to a job interview acceptable?

A TikToker job seeker has sparked controversy by posting a video describing being criticized for arriving three minutes late to a job interview.

Alyssa Yeoman says her interview was going well until she was asked about her tardiness.

The latter immediately admitted that she arrived at 11:03 a.m. for her scheduled interview at 11 a.m., explaining that she was late due to traffic congestion.

“I thought there was a 5-minute grace period for being late, no matter where you were going,” she said.

The TikToker polled netizens on this question and opinions were somewhat divided.

“A five-minute grace period is not traditional, but if a candidate alerts me that they are late, I will never let that aspect hurt their chances,” says one woman.

“Arriving late isn’t ideal, but this reaction says a lot about the company culture, Red Flag,” declared another Internet user.

“You should always arrive early for an interview, but 3 minutes late isn’t enough to rule out a good application,” says another.

“Being late for an interview is never a good sign. It’s about making a good first impression,” says one netizen.