I completely blanked during a panel interview for a warehouse manager job

It was last Tuesday in a small, hot conference room with three people staring at me. They asked about a time I handled a conflict between two team members, and my mind just went totally empty for a solid 30 seconds (I know because I watched the clock). I finally just said, 'Honestly, I'm drawing a blank right now, but I can email you a detailed example later.' I sent that example two hours after I left, and they actually called me back for a second interview. Has anyone else just admitted they didn't have an answer ready in the moment?

4 comments

4 Comments

brooke_taylor1mo ago

Honestly, that's not even a big deal... they probably liked that you were honest and followed up. People freeze up in interviews all the time, it's normal. Getting a second interview proves it didn't really hurt you.

skyler_robinson21mo ago

Yeah exactly what @brooke_taylor said, being honest is key. I totally blanked on a basic question once and just said "wow my mind went totally empty, can we come back to that?" They laughed and said sure. Got the job. Showing you can handle a stumble calmly matters way more than having a perfect answer for everything.

mary_hernandez1mo ago

Totally agree about handling the stumble calmly! I did something like that in my last interview, I just smiled and said "Hang on, my brain's buffering for a second." It made the whole room relax. @brooke_taylor is right, it shows you're a real person who can deal with a little pressure. They ended up telling me later that was a plus. It's way better than trying to fake your way through a bad answer.

harris.andrew18d ago

Wait, they called you back after you admitted to blanking? That's the real shocker here. Most places would just write you off for freezing up like that. Good for them, I guess.