Interview conflicts

We know that students are busy people and sometimes things just come up. While we expect you to attend all interviews for jobs on the Full-Cycle Service job board, if you have an interview conflict, we’ll do our best to work with you to find a solution.

Examples of interview conflicts:

Scheduled midterms/exams
Mandatory medical appointments
Conflicting interview times
Personal/family emergencies
Important academic/professional events
Time zone differences (requested time must fall within the standard 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET)
UWaterloo interview site is different from your home campus (applies to Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Global Business and Digital Arts students only)

We assess all interview conflicts on a case-by-case basis. If you think you have an individual interview conflict, keep the Co-operative Education team informed, using the process below, to determine the best course of action.

Please note that while we do our best to work with other students on the interview schedule and the employer to resolve your conflict, employers may not always be able to accommodate your request. In this case, you may be removed from further consideration for the job.

What to do if you have an individual or group interview conflict

Individual interview conflicts

Important: Do not contact employers to rearrange interview times or dates. The Co-op education team is here to help with interview conflicts.

If your interview is today and you have an emergency:

Call 519-888-4026 for assistance. Do not send a message in WaterlooWorks.

If you are an Architecture, Architectural Engineering or Global Business and Digital Arts student:

If your UWaterloo interview site is different from your home campus, request a location accommodation by submitting the interview conflict form.

For all other interview conflict scenarios:

Please note: WaterlooWorks no longer displays the names and email addresses of other students on the interview schedule. We made this change in consultation with the Privacy Office based on student concerns and the need to protect private personal information. Once you submit the interview conflict form, we will help to facilitate a switch if possible.

Submit the interview conflict form.

Visit WaterlooWorks > Submit a Form > Recruiting Term Support > Interview Conflict – Request alternate time
Complete the form with as many details as possible, including:
- Times you are and are not available
- Your location availability (if the interview location is different from your home UWaterloo campus)
Submit the form.
For tips on how to submit/edit forms on WaterlooWorks, visit WaterlooWorks Help.

Once we receive your completed form:

We’ll work with other students and/or the employer to resolve your conflict as soon as possible.
It may take more than one business day to resolve the conflict.
Please do not submit multiple requests for the same interview conflict.

If your request is approved:

You’ll receive confirmation once we’ve resolved your conflict and the changes will be reflected in WaterlooWorks on your interview schedule.

If you do not receive confirmation by 4:30 p.m. on the day before your interview:

Please contact the CEE Hub:
- 519-888-4026
- ceehub@uwaterloo.ca
- in-person on the main floor of the Tatham Centre.

If your request is declined:

You are expected to attend your interview as scheduled.

Please keep in mind that employers take time out of their day to interview students. Missing interviews is unprofessional and deprives other students of the chance to interview. It may also jeopardize the availability of future jobs.

If you have questions about a scheduled interview or interview conflict, click the Send a message button in WaterlooWorks and select Interviews as the category. Doing so will direct your message to one of our interview coordinators.

Group interview conflicts

If you have multiple interviews scheduled at the same time and one (or more) of them is a group interview, you may choose to attend the one you are more interested in. Please follow the steps below:

Step 1	Submit the interview conflict form. Visit WaterlooWorks > Submit a Form > Recruiting Term Support > Interview Conflict – Request alternate time Complete the form with as many details as possible. Submit the form. For tips on how to submit/edit forms on WaterlooWorks, visit WaterlooWorks Help.
Step 2	Attend other interviews as usual.

If you have questions about a scheduled group interview or group interview conflict, click the Send a message button in WaterlooWorks and select Interviews as the category. Doing so will direct your message to one of our co-op service specialists.

If you miss an interview

When you agreed to our WaterlooWorks Terms and Conditions, you agreed to attend all interviews for jobs that you applied for in WaterlooWorks. Attending all interviews not only protects your reputation with the employer, it also allows you to learn about the position, establish a relationship and contribute to a positive experience. Keep in mind that employers are taking time out of their day to get to know you and other Waterloo co-op students.

If you miss an interview, we’ll contact you and ask you to write a letter explaining the circumstances that caused you to miss your interview. Regardless of your reasoning for missing an interview, it’s polite and professional to explain the circumstances and thank the hiring company for giving you the opportunity to meet. This can help to establish a relationship with an employer and may even open the door to a second chance or other opportunities.

If you miss multiple interviews, you could receive a consequence (assessed on a case-by-case basis). If this is the case, you will still be able to arrange your own job for co-op credit, receive support from your co-op advisor and access resources through the Centre for Career Development.

In the future, if you think you might need to miss an interview you can follow the instructions above to see what is possible for your situation. If your interview is today and you have an emergency, call the CEE Hub at 519-888-4026 for assistance (do not send a message in WaterlooWorks). In addition, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your interview schedule, you can request relief from one or more of your upcoming interviews.