5 Ways To Help When You Are Bombing The Interview

Have you ever been sitting in an interview thinking it’s going pretty well?  And then…you get a few questions in and you mind goes 100% blank?  You can’t think of anything, your palms start to sweat and your face goes red.  Those seconds of silence can feel like a lifetime as you sit there staring at the interviewers not knowing what to say.  I can guarantee it actually isn’t that long, but it will feel like it.

I have been in this situation before so I know how it feels.  Many years ago, I was in an interview and my mind went blank about half way in.  I was asked a question and could not come up with anything!  I sat there in silence and the interviewers must have felt sorry for me.  We took a break, they offered me some water, and then I limped along and gave some response that I am sure was way off base. 

The problem was, I didn’t know techniques about how to handle these situations in interviews. And, I thought you needed to come up with an answer right away.  In a surprising turn of events, I was still offered the position! They must have seen how my other responses outweighed my bad response.  I am happy to report I did my hardest in that position to show them that I am better than I performed in the recent interview. 

That position helped me progress to my dream job so I am grateful to those interviewers who gave me a chance.  Fast forward 17 years later, as a corporate recruiter and interview coach, and I have learned a thing or two about what to do when this happens. 

So why does this happen and how can you get through it?

I always suggest you do a post mortem each time you go through an interview to see what went well and what you need to develop for the next interview.  Maybe your preparation didn’t focus enough on the areas that apply to the position.  Or maybe you didn’t do your company research to ensure you had transferable examples ready that would be specific to their company.  Whatever the reason,  all is not lost if you try these techniques before giving up and skipping the question.

#1:  Buy some time

When your mind goes blank, you need some time to try and think of an example or response.  Try using a phrase like “That is a really good question.  Let me think about that for a moment.” or “Would you mind rephrasing the question for me so I can see what experience relates best?” Again, those seconds will feel like forever.  Announcing you will take a pause, or hearing the question rephrased, may be exactly what you need to get on track.

#2:  Ask to come back to the question

If buying time or rephrasing the question doesn’t work, you can admit you can’t think of anything right now and ask to come back to the question.   It can be as simple as telling the interviewers “I can’t think of the perfect example right now, can we come back to that question at the end?”

When using this technique, you want to pay attention to every future example to see if it triggers an interview example you can use when you come back.  If you are able to take a notepad to the interview, write a few jot notes about the question so you remember to think of examples during the rest of the interview.

#3:  Remember the STAR Method

Remember that you can answer most behavioral based interview questions using the STAR technique. Google this method and you will find lots of information on how to structure responses easily. Or better, book some time with me to really nail down the technique and increase your skill and confidence!

If you are blanking on a question, think of what skill or competency the question is asking about (problem solving, initiative, teamwork etc.).  Next, come up with an example you have already prepared, related to the skill or competency, and answer using the STAR technique.

#4:  Use a hypothetical response

If you really can’t think of an example or response, tell the interviewers how you would handle the situation when you are in the role.  This may be enough to impress them and you can say something like: “I can’t think of a perfect example to use, but I would like to let you know how I will handle this situation effectively when I am in the job”.

#5:  Send a response in your thank you note

If you completely missed answering the question, or felt you answered it poorly, you can use this method to recover.  If you have downloaded my freebie about “15 things you can do NOW to stand out from other candidates”, you know that sending a thank you note is something not many candidates do and something that will get you noticed.

Get your freebie here.

In this note, you can thank them for the opportunity AND write a short summary of how you would answer the interview question now that you had some time to think about it.  It may be a bit late in the process, but, it is better to include it late than never!  If the rest of your interview impressed them, this may be enough to reassure them that you ARE the best candidate for the job offer.

I would, under all circumstances, not recommend that you just start talking in hopes that your example will show up after a few sentences.  This is called word vomit and it never turns out good!  You will be better off trying these techniques rather than just saying random words in hopes that will be enough for the interview panel.

Let your passion for the work shine through in all areas of your interview including the introduction, formal interview questions and post interview discussion.  Focus on showing the company how your skills, knowledge and experience will be a perfect match and show them your value.  How will you make things better, easier, faster, or more profitable if you are selected for the role? 

When you do a good job showing the many great things you have to offer, the one or two questions that did not go perfect will not have as much weight in the end.  You can WOW them in the role after you get the job offer and prove they made a good choice hiring you!

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