In-Person Interviews: Confirm the Location and Plan Your Journey
Organize times, a named contact and the route to reception. Use a completed worksheet, a journey calculation and messages for unexpected problems.
Before an in-person interview, confirm the full address, entrance, named contact, date, time and time zone. Plan the journey to reception and keep the contact for unexpected problems accessible. Follow the invitation or the team's confirmation for check-in time. Your travel buffer depends on the journey you can actually make.
Check where and when to report
Reread the invitation and compare the city, site, street, number, additional directions and date. A company name or map pin may lead to headquarters while the interview takes place at another site. If messages contain two addresses, ask your contact to identify the right one before choosing a route.
Oxford recommends checking the invitation, planning the route and following the instructions received for the meeting. This is university careers guidance to adapt to your appointment. University of Oxford Careers
Distinguish the interview time from the requested reception check-in time. Confirm the time zone, especially when the person arranging it is elsewhere. Also ask whether another activity is planned and how long the appointment is expected to last, so you can arrange other commitments without inventing an end time.
The first recruiter conversation guide helps recover the role, reference and stage's purpose. If the sender's identity or an unexpected location change raises questions, use the contact verification guide before sharing further information or heading to the new destination.
Complete an arrival worksheet
Manchester recommends checking the building, floor and room, and keeping a contact's name and number in case you get lost or delayed. This forms part of its university interview preparation guidance. University of Manchester Careers Service
Fictional exercise created by FoxApply. Rafaela has an interview invitation for commercial assistant role AC-18 on November 12, 2026. All names, the address and journey times in this simulation are invented. After clarifying the entrance and requested arrival time, her worksheet reads:
| Field | Confirmed detail in the scenario |
|---|---|
| Interview | November 12, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., UTC−3 |
| Check-in | 9:15 a.m. at reception, as confirmed by the contact |
| Destination | 120 Model Street, Example City, East Site |
| Entrance and room | Entrance A, ground floor, site reception. The team will take her to the room. |
| Named contact | Beatriz from recruiting, and role AC-18 |
| Contact for unexpected problems | Process phone number and email, kept in the private worksheet |
| Materials | Invitation and the identification document requested in the instructions |
A manual inquiry to fill the gaps could be:
Hello Beatriz. I confirm the commercial assistant AC-18 interview on November 12 at 9:30 a.m., UTC−3, at East Site, 120 Model Street. Which entrance should I use, and whom should I ask for? Is there a check-in time before the interview or any requested material? Which contact should I use if I have difficulty on the journey?
If you need an access arrangement, describe the practical need, such as a step-free route or help finding the entrance. Ask how it will work and wait for confirmation. A building photo does not establish which routes will be available that day.
Calculate the journey with an explicit buffer
Check the route for the relevant day and time. Include the trip to your transport and the final section from the stop or parking area to the entrance. If using an app's estimate, note when you checked it and review changes before leaving. A practice journey can help when feasible.
Rafaela's exercise uses these fictional planning figures:
| Part | Time allowed |
|---|---|
| Getting to transport | 8 minutes |
| Waiting and main journey | 32 minutes |
| Final section to the entrance | 10 minutes |
| Buffer for unexpected problems | 20 minutes |
| Planning total | 70 minutes |
For a 9:15 a.m. check-in, the planned departure is 8:05 a.m. Without using the buffer, the estimated journey would end at 8:55 a.m. Rafaela checks where she can appropriately wait and keeps the agreed check-in time. These figures illustrate the calculation. Your journey may require different parts and a different buffer.
Choose an alternative you can actually use, considering access, cost and operating times. Do not record unchecked transport as your backup. A buffer reduces dependence on an exact estimate, but it does not predict traffic, disruption or entry permission.
Prepare the message before a problem occurs
Keep the address and contact available even without internet access. Check your phone's charge and a way to retrieve essential details. If something goes wrong, find a suitable place to contact the team and state what happened, your approximate location and the available estimate.
In the fictional continuation, at 8:40 a.m., Rafaela's transport is interrupted. The new estimate gives a 9:20 a.m. arrival at the entrance. She could send:
Hello Beatriz. This is Rafaela, attending today's AC-18 interview at 9:30 a.m. My journey has been interrupted. The current arrival estimate is 9:20 a.m., after the agreed 9:15 a.m. check-in. Could you advise me on how to proceed? I will update you if the estimate changes.
She still needs guidance. Sending the message does not confirm an allowance, a new time or that the interview will go ahead. If the first channel does not work, try the alternative contact supplied, without inventing a number or searching interviewers' personal profiles.
If you cannot attend, explain and ask whether another date is possible. Switching to video also needs agreement. If confirmed, the video preparation guide helps you prepare for the new format.
On arrival, use the invitation details
Give your name, role or reference and named contact at the designated reception. If the entrance is closed or the team cannot find the appointment, check the invitation and contact the person responsible. Wait for instructions about entry and where to wait.
Afterwards, record what happened and the agreed next step in your application tracker. To prepare the interview content, return to the resume version you submitted. FoxApply can help compare it with the job description, while travel and entry details are checked with the relevant sources and process contact.