The 1 thing NOT to do if your mind goes blank during an interview

It’s one of the most dreaded scenarios in an interview: you’re mid-sentence, and suddenly, your mind goes blank. The words escape you, your thoughts scatter, and panic begins to creep in. The good news? You’re not alone, and this isn’t the end of the road. Even seasoned professionals, public speakers, and actors like Sally Field (remember her 2007 Emmys speech?) have experienced this. The better news? With preparation and expert-backed strategies, you can handle this situation like a pro. At Graduate Coach, we’ve worked with thousands of students, graduates, and professionals to conquer interview anxiety, including those moments when your brain freezes. Here’s your step-by-step guide to navigating and overcoming these moments.

We’ve all been there – in the middle of speaking, you lose your train of thought, information at the tip of your tongue vanishes from your brain and your mind is completely blank.

You are not alone.

It has even happened to famous actors – remember the tongue-tied Sally Field during her 2007 Emmys acceptance speech?

While this may be no big deal when chatting with friends, it can feel like a catastrophe when it happens during a job interview.

Here’s what you should not do if your mind goes blank during an interview

The one thing you should not do if your mind suddenly goes blank during an interview is to sit there with an equally blank expression on your face!

The very best way to assuage these fears is to review a set of strategies that you can employ when and if the dreaded blank mind strikes you during an interview or other important speaking engagement.

So what can you do if you find yourself in this dreaded situation?

Here are 4 strategies to help if your mind goes blank during an interview:

1. Silence can be golden – When you are in the middle of a brain gap, the seconds can feel like hours and you can become positive that everyone around you is scrutinising your silence. In reality, long pauses can actually be used to make your words more effective and can give you a few precious moments to collect your thoughts. Try practising in front of a friend and forcing yourself to pause for longer than you think feels comfortable. You may find that a strategic series of pauses can emphasise your points and drive home the message that you are thoughtful, well-spoken and level-headed. Use it in your favour.
2. Be honest and ask for help – There is nothing wrong in saying that your mind has gone blank. If you find yourself struggling to remember what you were saying, try gently asking for help from your interviewer. Something along the lines of, “I’m afraid I got so caught up in what I was talking about that I seem to have lost my place. Where was I?” Your listener should have no problem prompting you to help you get back to your original point.
3. Don’t be afraid of notes – Depending on the position for which you are interviewing, a small notebook that enables to you take notes during the meeting can make you seem like a smart candidate who plans ahead. Your small notebook will enable you to make brief notes as you go, or to bring in a general outline of what you plan to talk about. If during the interview you feel you want to digress in order to illustrate a point, you can jot down the original point you want to return to for when you need it, or vice versa.
4. Say something – anything! Finally, and perhaps most importantly – say something! If you remain silent with a panicked expression on your face, your anxiety and your interviewer’s trepidation will grow and grow. While you may feel a bit off-topic or rambling, saying anything relevant to your topic can kick-start your brain back into high gear and get your interview back on track.

If your mind keeps going blank in interviews, we can help you!

Why does your mind go blank during an interview?

Unless you have a medical issue, the cause of your blank mind is likely to be due to you becoming distracted. You have more than one thing on your mind and you are likely trying to remember them all at once.

During an interview scenario, the added stress of wanting to come across well to others can make us forget what we want to say because we’re juggling so many points.

Worrying over your interview increases the risk of your mind going blank.

The cruel irony is that the more you worry about coming up blank during an interview, the more likely it is to happen.

Chartered psychologist Bev Stone did some work on people who experience blank minds while presenting and says that it is better to be ‘distracted in that you’re not that bothered whether you win or lose’.

This is easier said than done during an interview when you want the job really badly but you will find that you will relax physically and mentally and therefore perform far better.

How to avoid brain freeze in an interview

As with all things in life, preparation is key.

We mentioned above, your mind goes blank during interviews because you become distracted.

An interview question that you did not prepare for gets thrown your way and your mind instantly starts racing through different potential answers triggering some interview anxiety followed by your mind going completely blank.

The truth is, that most people do not put enough time into preparing for their interviews.

Before you attend your interview you:

1. Must know what your key skills are and how they are transferable to the role that you are applying for.
2. Should know the job description inside out and be able to outline some of the challenges that you might face in the role.
3. Should have excellent answers for competency-based questions prepared in the STAR format.

Here at Graduate Coach, we train students and graduates on how to prepare for and excel in interviews. The 3 pointers above are only a few of many tips and techniques that we instil in the people we help. Who then go on to land their dream job after training with us.

Over the years we have helped many people who have suffered from interview anxiety and as a result, they lose confidence.

Many of them come to us reporting: ‘I go blank during interviews’ or that ‘I blanked on an interview question’. Others come to us asking: “why does my mind go blank when asked a question?”

If you can relate to this, get in contact with us today!

You can call us on: +44 (0)207 014 9547, and one of our friendly team members will outline how we can help you to overcome your interview anxiety, regain your confidence and ultimately land your dream career!

Some related resources:  

1. Take the first two modules of our interview course for FREE!
   
   Our Founder, Chris Davies created the ‘Nail That Interview’ course to help students, graduates and career changers to get the job they really want.
   
   
2. To emphasise the importance of preparing for your interview we’d encourage you to watch this video:

In this video, Chris talks about the types of questions we need to be prepared for. He also elaborates more on what to do if you get asked an interview question that causes your brain to freeze.

3. To discover why people fail interviews, we’d encourage you to watch this video: