There are many different reasons why canceling an interview may be necessary. For example, if you're experiencing a personal crisis and can’t focus on the task at hand, you should consider notifying the hiring manager so that they understand the situation. Additionally, unexpected events might cause you to have to cancel interviews as well. If your child gets sick or you acquire an unexpected project at work, these are valid reasons to cancel your interview.

Hiring managers and interviewers understand that not everything can be predicted. They want you to show up prepared and ready for the interview, but they would rather you reschedule than come unprepared. So if something comes up where rescheduling isn't possible or doesn’t make sense in either yourself or the interviewer's timeline, it's okay to politely and professionally explain the situation and cancel the meeting. As long as you communicate respectfully, canceling an interview isn't unacceptable in most cases; it just signals that now is not a good time for this particular conversation.

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