We all want to ace that next job interview, but the reality is, everyone fumbles a few answers from time to time. The main thing to remember is that whether you’re a candidate up for your dream job or a pro football player in the final seconds of a playoff game, the clock stops for no one — you’re still in the hot seat and have to forge ahead!
When you drop the ball, not unlike football players will inevitably do on the gridiron this season, you have to get up, dust yourself off, continue to run and refuse to be thrown off your game.
[See: The 8 Stages of a Winning Job Search.]
Yes, you can still win. Have any doubts? The next time you watch a game and get dismayed by your team’s players not performing their best, but still managing to win even by one point, take that as proof that you too can make a comeback.
Here are several ways to not only recover from a botched job interview, but to really bounce back, score those extra points with the interviewer and win the job-hunt game.
Recover quickly. When you’re asked why you want to work at the company you’re interviewing with and say “the free food” as an ill-received joke, just shake it off and get back on your game. You can follow up with something like, “Kidding! OK, only half-kidding — I’ve heard excellent things about your lunches. But, I’m also really eager to contribute to an organization with values that are aligned with mine and to leverage my skills and connections for the organization.” Own your answer, but definitely feed off of the vibe the interviewer is giving you. (And keep in mind that sometimes it’s not so much what you said but how you said it. Remember to smile!)
Pause. And what happens when your faux pas can’t be appropriately made light of by cracking a joke? Rely on good judgment and tact. When you need to take a time out, communicate that. You can even say, “I’m going to take a minute to gather my thoughts.” What may feel like 10 minutes to you in reality is probably only one or two. Take your time. Don’t rush. Regroup, get centered and then speak again to tackle that answer.
[See: 10 Things New Grads Can Do Right Now to Get a Job.]
Call it out. Other times, your fumble may be very obvious — as in blatantly so. You know what they’re thinking: “Is this candidate for real?”
For instance, if an interviewer asks you about your major and the focus within it, don’t try to fake it by creating a story around some degree you never earned that’s related to the position. Could you get the job anyway? It depends, but if you continue going down the rabbit hole of fabricating things, chances are you won’t end up working there anyway. Honesty is your best policy.
When I was a corporate recruiter, I never actually caught a candidate in this kind of lie (usually that would come up during the background check), but if this happens to you or you lie on your resume, your best bet is to come clean.
Cut yourself some slack. For example, when salaries are discussed, don’t worry so much about how you ask for more money; just stay focused on the game plan of negotiating.
When candidates negotiated their starting salary with me, some were really eloquent. Others? Not so much. I could always tell who was more experienced in this realm and who wasn’t, but the reality was that their negotiation style didn’t matter so long as they actually asked the question.
So, when you’re inevitably asked about salary requirements — and then you ask about the salary range for the position, and then the conversation starts going in circles and you blurt out what you’re currently earning without padding in the total package of your benefits, paid time off and more — just remember to exhale. You can always update them on your full earnings at offer time, and do your research on the average market salary beforehand.
When you hopefully get to offer time, ask for more money. Some of the most successful negotiations I dealt with were based on candidates simply stating the words: “Can the salary go higher?” So just ask — remember, like in football, the more you practice, the more seamlessly you’ll execute the play for more moolah!
[See: 25 Awesome Business Jobs for 2016.]
Remember that you’re on the same team. Recruiters want you to succeed — they truly do. Recruiters’ performance is typically based on something called time to fill — meaning, it’s a race to fill the jobs quickly with competent, quality candidates who result in productive new hires. And hiring managers want to fill positions swiftly so their current team isn’t overworked. Plus, if hiring managers take an extensive period of time to fill their positions, someone in finance may assume their department is running fine without that additional head count, so adios to that requisition!
If you fumble even by feeling like your small talk wasn’t the sharpest or you said you like the Giants and the interviewer is a huge Patriots fan, take a deep breath. It’s not a deal breaker. Ultimately you’re on the same team. And when you do get that job offer and accept, both of you will do a victory dance!
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What to Do When You Fumble an Interview Question originally appeared on usnews.com
