ESS Candidate Newsletter – JUNE 2021
Columbus, OH – JUNE 2021
In this month’s, ask the recruiter, we discuss how to keep the interview moving when you get hung up.
Introduction – Aaron Wandtke
Recently Filled Positions
Ask the Recruiter – “What do I do if I draw a blank?”
Introduction:
June feels like a month of riding the waves. As a country, we are currently riding the vaccine wave as more and more become vaccinated each day. Travelers are flocking to schedule those vacations we have all missed over the past 18 months. As both a job seeker and a company looking for talent, there are many great opportunities available and a lot of pent-up demand.
Opportunity is the word to describe the current market conditions because there is a lot of it out there for anyone seeking it. The availability of a great job, the vaccine, vacation destinations reopening are just some of the opportunities available right now.
If you would like to discuss the right opportunity for you, please let me know. If you are struggling to attract the right talent to your company and department, let us talk, as I would be happy to share some best practices of what our clients are doing to win the competition for talent.
Ask the Recruiter – “what do i do if i draw a blank?”
The interviewer asks you a simple question that you have answered a hundred times before and you know you have the perfect answer. When you go to speak, nothing comes out. Worse yet, you just lost your train of thought and can feel yourself becoming flustered. Now the hives and the sweat begin!
This dreaded blank can sink an interview in no time. So how do you respond when you draw a blank without blowing the entire interview?
- Recognize it and move on – The biggest mistake an interviewee can make is to sit there and laugh about it and provide commentary for several minutes. Acknowledge the blank and ask the interviewer to repeat the question immediately.
- Change your position – Many people get comfortable in their chair and unconsciously become relaxed and calm which affects their remained engaged and in listen mode. When you ask the interviewer to repeat the question, change your position in the chair. If you were sitting forward, sit back. If you were sitting back, sit forward. Wake yourself up and change your flow.
- Ask for a minute – In some situations, asking for a moment to collect your thoughts is appropriate. Simply ask for a minute, look in a different direction and refocus yourself back to the situation at hand.
Completely avoiding “the blank” is difficult. Preparation and knowing how to refocus and remember examples from your past are important skills to use. The right amount of preparation, rest and focus will ensure you have a successful interview.
If you would like to discuss other strategies we recommend, please call or email.
I can be reached at 614-885-8490 or by e-mail at aw@ess123.com.
