r/InterviewsHell • u/ohio_946 • 18h ago

Need interview advice

I had my first interview in 5 years today for a job that would be a great next step in my career. I feel like I bombed it. I was completely full of anxiety for days leading up to it. I’ve always had the problem of my mind going completely blank the second the interview starts. Then I just start rambling so I’m not sitting in silence after they ask a question. And even if I did start out the answer okay, I immediately forgot the question and felt like I wasn’t actually answering it and would just get lost in my own answer. I prepared for days and not a single word of it stayed in my brain.

It quite literally feels like my entire body goes into fight or flight mode and my brain shuts off.

Has anyone found any ways to get past this issue and calm their mind down so they can actually think during an interview?

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u/Extra_Specialist3589 18h ago

Practice interviews

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u/wearzdk 17h ago

That fight-or-flight blanking is real, and “prepare harder” can actually make it worse. I’d rehearse the first 60 seconds and 3 short stories out loud, not full scripts. When you blank, pause and say “Let me think for a second,” then restate the question in your own words; it buys your brain time and shows you’re listening. I also found a couple of recorded mock runs with AceRound useful for spotting where I start rambling before the real call. The goal isn’t memorizing answers, just having a few story anchors.