Bouncing back from awkward interview moments

You’ve just finished an interview. You walk out of the building feeling humiliated and frustrated. Despite putting in hours of research and preparation, you stumbled over your answers, found yourself rambling to fill awkward silences, and lost your train of thought while answering key questions. You’re convinced you’ve blown it.

The good news? It’s probably not gone as badly as you think.

In the words of Kerry Hanon, author of Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, “we are all our own worst critics. Chances are the little voice in your head is a lot more critical than what the person observed on the other side of the table.”

The truth is awkward moments happen to everyone. The key is knowing how to acknowledge them and move on gracefully. 

Here’s how to deal with four cringe-worthy scenarios.

1.   Your mind goes blank

You’re mid-answer and your mind goes blank. All that preparation you’ve done goes out the door because your brain has decided to stop cooperating, leaving you scrambling to think of what to say next.

What to do: Interviewers know that job interviews are stressful. They’ve probably experienced a mind blank or two in their time.  

There’s no shame in admitting you’ve lost your train of thought. In fact, it may work to your advantage.

Apologise, explain, and ask the recruiter to repeat the question. Chances are, they’ll add more detail to the original question or rephrase it in a way that’s easier to understand.

If you’re still none the wiser, as them to give you an example to help you draw on your own experience.

2.   You badmouth your last employer

Your last job didn’t end on good terms. Maybe the work environment was toxic, you got fired, or you had a fight with your boss.

Whatever the reason, try and resist the urge to badmouth your previous employer. it’ll reflect badly on you, not them.

That said, in the heat of the moment, things slip out. If it happens, don’t beat yourself up.

What to do: As soon as you realise what you’ve said, acknowledge it and put on a positive spin on it. For example: ‘I just realised that sounded very critical, which is not how I intended it. There were some great things about working for that company. I’ve taken away a lot that will help me in my next role.’

3.   You can’t think of an answer

You can do all the preparation in the world and still get thrown by a question.

When your mind goes blank, it can be easy to go into panic mode.

But consider this. The interviewer is probably throwing in a curveball question to see how you react under pressure.

How you respond is much more important than being able to answer, so try and keep your emotions in check.

What to do: Resist the temptation to bluff your way through it or, worse, lie. That’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, take a deep breath, maintain an assertive posture, and allow yourself a moment to think.

There are several tactics you can use to navigate this situation.

1.    Ask the interviewer to rephrase the question. It’ll buy you some time to formulate an answer.

2.    Try the “reframing” tactic. This is something politicians do when asked a tough question. To reframe, think about the original question, focus on the part of it you can answer, and express your thoughts on that aspect of the question.  

3.    Try thinking out loud. Sometimes interviewers ask tough questions to get an idea of how you work through problems. After you’ve taken some time to reflect on the question, explain your thought process to the interviewer and go from there. For example, if you’re asked about any processes you follow to complete projects, but you don’t have an actual process, think through how you would approach the project and the steps you’d take to complete it.

This will show the interviewer how you think and work through unexpected obstacles without losing your cool.

4.   You fail to give the interviewer what they want

If you’ve answered a question to your full capability but the interviewer is waiting for more, ask for further clarification.

There’s nothing wrong with asking, ‘does that answer your question? Is there anything else I can share?’

Counter questions project confidence and show you can think on your feet. It may also transition the interview into a different topic you may have more insight on.

Final Word

Next time you’re in the waiting room shaking, remember this. Your interviewer is human.

They may have a fancy title, but chances are, they’ll have experienced their fair share of awkward interview moments.

They’re far more likely to show you empathy than the door.

Need some help preparing for an interview? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.