You shopped around your resume. You followed up with employers. You got a callback, and now it’s time for your big interview. Only, time is not on your side.

Even the most organized of perfectionists can have their plans sidetracked. If this happens to you, and you find yourself running late for your meeting with a potential employer, all is not lost. While tardiness can lead to a negative first impression, you can still do your best to set things straight and take control of the situation.

Here are the key points to help you when it comes to saving face when running late.

1) Call Ahead

Don’t keep your employer in the dark. As soon as you suspect you won’t be on time, call them and let them know.

If they don’t know where you are, they may not wait around. This could mean you lose your chance at the interview entirely. They will also be confused and that could lead to frustration on their part, once again impacting your first impression with them.

2) Tell Them Your ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)

When you call ahead to let them know you’re going to be late, set a reasonable time that they should expect you. This will allow them to return to other work until then, or if they don’t have enough wiggle room, they can look at rescheduling.

Be as accurate as you can without being too specific. Try to overestimate if you need to, the last thing you want to do is be late twice.

3) Take A Minute To Compose Yourself

Your interviewer might be flustered that you’re late, but you are likely going to be as well. All the time and effort you put into securing this interview is being jeopardized, possibly by forces outside of your control. So before you step through the doors to meet your potential employer, take a second and steady yourself. A few deep breaths, a bit of fresh air, whatever helps you clear your mind and refocus on rocking your interview.

4) Apologize

Acknowledge that you have inconvenienced your interviewer by arriving late. Let them know that you did not intend to hold them up, and be honest with your apology. Don’t go overboard, or you risk sounding insincere. But don’t be too casual, or it will seem like you are dismissing the issue.

After you have apologized, move on with the conversation. You don’t want to put too much focus on your tardiness, so be sure to try to steer the conversation back on track once you have acknowledged your mistake.

5) Give A Good Reason

Tardiness and absenteeism is a common concern for any employer. It’s more than likely that your interviewer has heard every excuse in the book. Be honest in your explanation. Don’t embellish details or make things up.

Part of this is making sure you did plan ahead for any small contingencies, such as traffic or faulty alarm clocks. If you are being responsible, then the only reasons you will have to provide for being late will be valid ones, such as a family emergency.

6) Accept Rescheduling

Your employer’s time is valuable. They set aside what they could for you to accommodate your interview. They may not have the flexibility to postpone until you arrive.

If that’s the case, they should let you know when you call ahead that the meeting will need to be rescheduled. Be sure to ask about another date and time that works for them, even if they don’t initially mention rescheduling.

And if they do reschedule, be polite and thank them for the opportunity. Don’t try to insist on keeping the original time or complain about the inconvenience.

7) Send A Thank You Letter

A good tip for any successful interview is to follow up with a thank you letter. This is especially helpful when you want to show genuine appreciation for the flexibility your interviewer extended you by meeting with you after you were late.

You can apologize again for your tardiness and continue on to express gratitude for the opportunity to meet with them in the first place.

The best advice to follow about being late is to not be. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. But with these helpful steps you can try to recuperate from your social faux pas, and get yourself back on track to impress your potential employer.