Why You Should Embrace Pauses in Interviews

Job seekers often fear pauses in interviews. The typical job seeker jumps in to fill the space, even though speaking just to fill a silence means losing control of the interview and accidentally saying something that the job seeker might regret. Learning to embrace pauses in interviews helps job seekers maintain control and confidence during the interview process. If done correctly, this interview technique makes job seekers look even more professional and polished.

There are many reasons why pauses occur during interviews. The three most common pauses in interviews are the pause that occurs before the interviewer asks the next question, the pause that occurs before the job seeker answers the question and the pause in the middle of the job seeker's answer.

Learning to embrace these three common pauses gives the job seeker an advantage over other job candidates. Every job seeker should learn how to remain calm and professional during these pauses, as well as how to embrace them as part of the interview process.

Sometimes there is a pause after a job seeker answers a question simply because the interviewer has not decided what to ask next. Other times, the interviewer deliberately pauses in the hopes that the job seeker will jump in and fill the gap. This interview technique assumes that the job seeker will fear silence and fill the space by saying something he or she did not plan to share, such as speaking negatively about a former boss.

If there is a pause after a job seeker answers a question, the job seeker needs to sit quietly and confidently and embrace the pause. Jumping in to fill the space often means babbling on, saying something inappropriate or otherwise losing credibility as a candidate. If the pause continues, the job seeker can choose to ask the interviewer, "Do you have any additional questions about my work with my previous employer?" This puts the onus on the interviewer to continue the conversation.

Job seekers can practice preparing for these pauses by recording mock interviews. The job seeker should record himself and watch what happens during pauses in interviews. If the job seeker appears nervous, anxious or fidgety, he needs to practice sitting quietly and confidently and riding out the pause.

Pausing before answering an interview question is another important interview strategy, and it is the type of pause that every job seeker should learn to embrace. When a job seeker pauses before answering a question, it shows the interviewer that the job seeker is thinking before speaking. It also reveals that the job seeker is not simply selecting from a series of prepared answers but is instead responding to the question as if it were a true conversation.

Likewise, if a pause occurs in the middle of an answer, a job seeker should simply use it to think about how to finish answering the question. If the job seeker remains confident and collected as these pauses happen, pauses in interviews become natural instead of awkward.

Although job seekers often fear pauses in interviews, learning to embrace these pauses helps job seekers maintain control over the interview process and present themselves as calm, thoughtful professionals.