We\u2019ve all been there; you\u2019re presenting in a meeting or being asked questions at a job interview and suddenly your mind goes blank. All that preparation goes out the door because your brain has decided to no longer cooperate, leaving you scrambling to think of what to say next.<\/p>\n
Mind blanking happens to the best of us, but it\u2019s the last thing you want to happen when you\u2019re in a job interview. The good news is that it\u2019s a perfectly natural response that affects everyone \u2013 it\u2019s something built deep within the human psyche and ties into that other common issue – fear of public speaking. Humans are pre-wired to avoid rejection and being ostracised, but our body\u2019s reaction to these feelings can surface in the most unhelpful way possible \u2013 such as having our minds empty of all relevant thoughts and information at a crucial moment!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s so easy to take how our minds work for granted; most of us can get through our days without having to consciously think about things too hard. Breathing, eating, movement, driving, communicating with others \u2013 our brains take care of so much without us even being aware. However, there\u2019re times when we do need our minds to be present and do some heavy lifting, like a job interview! Experiencing a sudden blankness in your mind when all eyes are on you can be a scary and discomforting situation that\u2019ll easily knock your confidence and potentially derail your interview.<\/p>\n
Being successful at a job interview requires a few different skills. For a start, you need the relevant experience for the job in question. But if you\u2019ve been invited to interview chances are you\u2019ve got that part covered. You also need to be an active listener, a good reader of body language and social cues, a clear communicator and have the ability to recall information on the spot – something that\u2019s not so easy to do when you suddenly encounter a mind blank!<\/p>\n
Interview prep helps:<\/span><\/strong> Bring notes:<\/span><\/strong> Calm yourself:<\/span><\/strong> Sometimes all the prep in the world can be undone when the nerves take over and your conscious awareness decides it\u2019s all a bit much so it\u2019s going to pop out for a cuppa and a lie-down. While you might be tempted to cut your losses and run, being able to recover from a mind-blank is important in an interview and thankfully there are a few tips and tricks to help bring you back on track.<\/p>\n Say yes to the water:<\/span><\/strong> Take your time:<\/span><\/strong> Repetition helps:<\/span><\/strong> Try not to wing it:<\/span><\/strong> Remind yourself that although a job interview is important, the people sitting across the table from you are human too and this experience no matter how daunting, will also be over soon. You will walk out that door and life will go on. Trying not to sweat the small stuff will help keep your mind present and functioning.<\/p>\n
\nThe best way to succeed and avoid pesky mind blanks is by preparing beforehand<\/a>. Job interviews are a task that requires your conscious awareness to be present and firing on all cylinders \u2013 these aren\u2019t meetings that you can coast through on autopilot. Do your research on the role, try to anticipate the types of questions you\u2019ll be asked and start thinking about examples that you can speak to. Leaving things up to chance is asking a lot of your brain, especially when you may already be dealing with the pressures and stress that come with wanting to do well while being judged by strangers.<\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s nothing wrong with showing your interviewer that you\u2019ve come prepared. Writing out some notes to help you in an interview i.e. some key examples from your experience that highlight how you dealt with certain situations, can be a great way to stay on track with your answers. The key thing here is to not rely too heavily on your notes \u2013 they should be there as a prompt and a backup, not something you read from or focus all your attention on.<\/p>\n
\nMind blanking in an interview is almost always a result of nerves \u2013 our bodies can do strange things when we\u2019re feeling the pressure of being put on the spot. Before your interview, allow yourself some breathing space \u2013 some time to calm yourself before facing the \u2018lions\u2019. We have some handy tips on how to deal with interview nerves<\/a> to help get yourself in the right mindset.<\/p>\nMy mind has gone bank \u2013 what do I do?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nHaving a glass of water can be your best friend in an interview, especially when a question has stumped you. Pausing to take a drink of water is a simple but natural way of stalling for time, allowing your brain to sort through those feelings of panic to find the actual useful information you know is buried in there somewhere.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t feel like you have to answer something straight away \u2013 taking a natural pause, nodding thoughtfully, taking a breath \u2013 these are all things that don\u2019t feel out of place in conversation and can be great opportunities to collect your thoughts.<\/p>\n
\nRepeating the question \u2013 as long as you don\u2019t do this with every question that comes your way, repeating what you\u2019ve been asked can be a way of mentally retracing your steps and will help your brain re-focus and access the relevant information.<\/p>\n
\nAvoid rambling \u2013 our instinct when it comes to being put on the spot is to fill the silence with anything and everything. But interviews aren\u2019t the place for going off-topic and potentially running over the time allocated. As tempting as it may feel if you\u2019re genuinely struggling to summon the right information, it\u2019s better to be honest rather than fill the gap with nonsense; there\u2019s nothing wrong with asking your interviewer if it\u2019s OK to come back to that question because your mind is drawing a blank, or to repeat themselves. Honesty is more endearing than rambling.<\/p>\n