You are in a middle of an interview and your interviewer is interrupted by a telephone call... what do you do?  

Tim was being interviewed by a Hiring Manager.  A co-worker walked in and told the Hiring Manager he needed to talk a call.  I asked if I should leave and he said no, just give me a moment and I will be right back with you... what happens next.

I followed up with Tim and he said he felt awkward sitting there while the interviewer was on the phone.  When he got off the phone there was silence. The interviewer sat there and looked at Tim and then glanced down at the resume and there was awkward silence. Tim thought the interview was over and there goes my shot.

Not necessarily true.  Silence, intentional or not, may happen in a job interview for a variety of reasons.  First of all, the interviewer just got off the phone from an important call. The mind can only think about one thing at a time.  The silence is because he has to regroup and pick up where he left off and his mind can’t jump from one topic to another that quickly.  He is looking at your resume to jog his memory.

You have two choices…  (1) Do nothing and watch your interview go down the drain or (2) You can jump in and reiterate a recent and relevant point or ask an intelligent question to resuscitate the conversation.

When he asks what your strengths are mention you are adaptable and flexible.

Another reason for awkward silence is an inexperienced interviewer.  Just because this person is interviewing you doesn’t mean he is an expert.  In this case, it gives you a great opportunity to lead in with some information about you and then ask a question such as “What do you like about the company”?

Some time there can be awkward silence because it is clear from the beginning that you and the employer are not a match.  There is a lack of chemistry and you don’t hit it off.  Do the best you can, ask good questions and then say “What else would you like to know about me?

It gives him an opportunity to end the interview.

There is another time you will hear silence and that’s when it is planned.  It is called a stress interview. If the interviewer sits and stares at you that is not a sign you need to keep talking.  Candidates will start rambling and over explaining and that’s all your doing is opening doors that you won’t be able to close and you will be eliminated.  Sometimes the interviewer will ask a question that brings that uncomfortable silence.  It is when he or she makes a statement like “Tell me about your failures.” That statement can cause you to stress. 

Remember the interviewer is watching you. Give examples of when you have failed, but then talk about what you learned in the process and how you made it successful.

Are you like Tim?  Work with me in the Job Hunter’s Boot Camp and learn how to break up the stumbling blocks.