It’s no secret that being able to get around is an obvious advantage in everyday life. So, don’t be surprised if employment agencies and potential employers ask if you have access to reliable transport to be able to come to work on time, whether for your daily schedule or on an on-call basis.
While not having a car could be a sticky situation if your employer brings the issue up, it’s a challenge that shouldn’t automatically disqualify you from consideration. So, what can you do about it?
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Don’t Bring It Up In Your Cover Letter
While it’s always better to be honest about your potential transportation challenges, it’s not something that you should bring up in your cover letter, which is where you should focus on making the case for why you would make a great candidate for the role.
Being upfront with your transportation issues so early in the job search process only takes you out of consideration right away. At this stage, you should be doing everything to build yourself up and get the interview, and that means not bringing up issues that could diminish your chances of getting an interview.
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Don’t Bring It Up In Your Interview
If you think that not having a car won’t get in the way of coming to work on time every day, there’s no reason you should bring it up during the interview, especially if the interviewer (or panel) doesn’t raise the issue first. Your transportation is your personal business — unless asked, you need not talk about it with the hiring manager.
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Be Honest When Asked About It
What if the interviewer asks if you have reliable transport? That is the time to be upfront and honest about it. However, don’t blow the issue out of proportion by going into the finer details of your transportation issue. If the interviewer asks, explain your situation briefly, as well as what you plan to do about it.
If your transport situation means that you can only work certain shifts when public transport is available, be sure to mention this. More often than not, employers will be considerate and appreciate your honesty. If you can come to work on time at a manageable schedule, it’s nobody’s business how you get to work every day.
For more job search tips and tricks, let the staffing experts of Top Notch Personnel help you through the challenges of job seeking and interviews. Contact us today to learn how our staffing services can help you.