What to do when you realise your job interview is going badly
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We recently solicited readers to submit their most pressing career-related questions.
With help from Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of âTame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,â weâve answered the following: âWhat should you do if you realize a job interview is going downhill?â
âThis is every job candidateâs worst nightmare,â says Taylor. âItâs a great question, because the interview process is not just about how well you respond to questions. It also about how you regain traction after challenges.â
Maybe things are going south because the interviewer is asking really tough questions to see how you perform under pressure. Or, perhaps youâre having trouble articulating your thoughts, or thereâs just no chemistry between you and the hiring manager. Whatever the culprit, you never want to find yourself in this situation.
But if you do, here are some tips for getting your job interview back on track:
1. Donât be too hard on yourself. Itâs easy to be self-critical during âthe inquisition,â feeling youâre under a microscope. âBut cut yourself some slack,â says Taylor. Chances are youâre over-thinking it and youâre actually doing just fine. And even if your game feels a little off, remember that most savvy interviewers take into consideration the fact that interviews can be challenging and nerve-wracking for even the most qualified, confident professionals.
2. Keep your cool. In your zeal to make a good impression or take back the interview, you might fall prey to the chatterbox zone. âTake a deep breath, smile, and pause as needed so you can better collect your thoughts before you answer the next question,â she suggests. âRemember that sometimes less is more.â
3. Rephrase or explain. This is a two-way exchange. If you misspoke or want to elaborate to better refine your answer, do it. âYou have the opportunity to create segues and add depth to a prior answer,â Taylor says. âFor instance, even though the interviewer has moved onto the next question, youâre entitled to say, âIf I may, Iâd like to clarify something on that last question âŠâ Pause, and then give your input.â
Itâs helpful to watch for body language, such as a nod, to guide you. If the hiring manager seems to be listening attentively, you have the green light to elaborate even further â but be careful not to dig an even deeper hole.
4. Donât rush to judgment. Interviewers are also under pressure. Theyâre tasked with hiring the right person, which can be daunting. âItâs easy to make quick judgments about the situation, such as, âHe looks annoyed, I probably answered that poorly.â But in reality, you donât really know whatâs on their plate; they may have a tight deadline or something unexpected to deal with, so try to assume the best and let it play out,â says Taylor.
5. Listen carefully. Increase your laser-focus on the questions youâre given. If you feel youâve drifted during the interview, make a concerted effort to listen more closely, she says. âYou can easily miss information and nuances by strategizing too early on your response.â
6. Continue smiling. One of the best approaches in any interview, especially the backbreaker variety, is to maintain a pleasant smile, no matter what comes your way.
âFirst, it will help relax both you and the interviewer,â Taylor explains. âSecond, it conveys a confident persona â which will help you give you a greater sense of power.â
7. Stay positive and energetic. The absolute worst thing you can do is let the interviewer know youâre upset about how things are going. (Plus, this might all just be in your head â and the change in attitude could end up being the thing that makes the interview go downhill.)
âPut your mindset into an assumption that youâve already aced the interview, despite any setbacks,â she says. âBy envisioning this, youâll help fulfill a positive outcome. Keep your energy up, even if things are, or seem to be, looking down. â
8. If you donât understand a question, ask your interviewer to clarify.
If your interviewer looks confused, maybe you didnât answer the question they were asking. âAsk for clarity,â Taylor suggests. âIf you donât, you risk looking like youâre not on the same page or a poor listener.â
An even better approach is to paraphrase the question yourself, rather than requesting that of the interviewer. For instance, you can say: âYouâre asking if I reported the results on those meetings ⊠correct?â
9. Be honest. If you donât know the answer to an inquiry, donât make one up. âItâs much safer to segue to what you do know,â Taylor says. âYour best bet is to say something like, âThatâs a great question, and Iâd like to get back to you on that. I do know that X âŠ'â
10. Get the interviewer more engaged. âIf youâre faced with disinterested or distracted interviewers, and start to wonder if theyâd notice if you sprinted to your car, donât lose heart â just change the dynamics,â recommends Taylor. Ask the hiring manager open-ended questions (versus âyes or noâ ones). They can be a follow-up on their inquiry, or you can ask about what they enjoy most about their work or the company, for example.
âOnce you get them to talk, theyâre more likely to stay involved. And if you have the gift of clever, well-timed humor, use it to ârefreshâ the conversation and break tension barriers, but tread carefully.â
11. Know that it may be a sign. If you feel that youâre tanking during the interview, you may have received a gift: This may be a glaring indication that itâs a bad fit. âAn interviewer whoâs rude or disinterested could also be a tyrant of a boss,â Taylor says. âItâs easy to feel like youâre losing the game in an interview. But if, despite your good performance, it felt like an office duel, just imagine reporting to a daily fencing match.â
There are so many variables in the job interview, and some are out of your control. But if you seize the opportunity to stay focused, upbeat and can âhit resetâ real-time, youâll vastly improve your odds of success.
This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.
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Author: Jacquelyn Smith is a careers editor at Business Insider.
Image: Unemployed Belgian Mohamed Sammar (R) answers questions during a simulated job interview, which is recorded to help him get feedback afterwards. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
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