What to Do When You’re Bombing Your Interview

What to Do When You're Bombing Your Interview

 

Interviewing for a job position is inherently challenging for many people. Even with ample preparation, you never really know for sure how it’s going to go or whether or not you’ll connect with your recruiter. In some cases, things can quickly get off track, and you may even find that you’re bombing your interview. Although there is no one-size-fits-all formula, there are a few things you can do to help your cause.

Keep Your Cool

A typical reaction to a stressful situation like this is to freak out and become unraveled. But this is only going to add to the problem and hurt your chances even more. Although it’s easier said than done, you should try to keep your cool. Even though you’re aware that the interview isn’t going ideally, it’s not too late to recover.

Rephrase a Response

Say that the interviewer asks you a question and you completely botch the answer. As a result, you feel like you’ve come across as being unqualified and inept. In this type of scenario, you’ll want to take a deep breath and saying something like, “Can I please rephrase that?”

Then take another stab at it and try to give a better response that’s more along the lines of what the interviewer is looking for.

Throw in Some Humor

If you’ve failed to connect with the interviewer or there’s a bad vibe in the air, you can usually help you situation by using a bit of humor to lighten the mood. Recruiting specialist and author, Yolanda Owens offers some advice.

“Throughout the interview, balance humor with statements and examples that paint the perception of you as a smart, results-driven, team player who can roll with the punches. [Then] deliver a good punch line when appropriate.”

For example, you might tell a funny story or make a witty remark. With any luck, this will counteract any mistakes you’ve made and help you win over the interviewer. That’s why it’s recommended to brainstorm ahead of time and have a funny story at your disposal if need be.

Don’t Overshare

Another mistake that many job candidates make is offering too much information when it’s not really necessary. For instance, you wouldn’t want to discuss why you were fired from your last job if the interviewer doesn’t directly ask you about it. You also wouldn’t want to get too personal with private matters that could potentially turn off a recruiter. If you notice that you’re oversharing, try to keep a lid on it.

When it’s clear that you’re bombing your interview and things aren’t going so well, it’s important to make some key adjustments to rectify the situation. In a worst case scenario where it’s beyond repair, you’ll at least want to learn from your experience so you can prevent making the same mistakes in the future.

Looking for job opportunities? Check out SelecSource jobs for available positions in Georgia.

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