Kevin Douglas (not his real name) sat poised in-front of the manager. He believed he’s already halfway through the interview, and he is not only gaining momentum – he is also acing every question. In fact, he felt it wouldn’t be long before his most coveted job will be offered to him. It could have happened if the manager didn’t ask the silliest question he ever heard: “Are peanuts and coconuts related?” Kevin then froze, stuttered, and laughs.

The truth is, Kevin is not alone when it comes to this experience. Thousands end up failing the job interview simply because they haven’t come prepared for the “silly question.” Though we believe there’s no way you can ever be ready for it, there are some techniques on how to reduce its sudden impact on you. Here are some points to remember:

1. Anticipate it.
Never EVER underestimate managers, even the most traditional ones. They may give you questions out of the blue. Because you haven’t anticipated the question, you end up shocked, confused, and you then begin to falter.

2. Don’t immediately answer the question.
There’s a good chance you’ll end up blabbing your way out of it. Instead, take a deep breath, smile, and while you’re doing them, organize your thoughts. If you need more time, just tell the interviewer straight, “Oh, I haven’t really thought about that. Let me think about that for a minute.”

3. Never question.
Don’t ask the interviewer what he or she means by the question. Though some managers and HR officers ask them for fun, majority do so because they want to test your level of aptitude. Questions that require mathematical analysis may be needed for an engineering position. Managers can also determine your knowledge, as well as your ability to handle pressure, just by the way you come up with your answer and looking at your body’s composure.

4. Try your best.
There’s a good chance that your answer will be wrong, but for most interviewers, that doesn’t really matter. They want to know how patient, determined, analytical, and relaxed you are. As long as they can see that you really tried your best without stuttering, you still have a good chance to your preferred job.

5. Be honest.
If you really cannot answer the question no matter how hard you try, then just be honest. Tell the interviewer you don’t have an answer at the moment. You don’t have to match the question by also being “silly.”

6. Be witty with your answer.
You don’t have to be very detailed with your answer. Instead, be witty. Doing this could showcase your ability to converse and match other people’s thinking ability.

Regardless of what question is asked, never allow fear and panic to set in. These kinds of questions have no definite right or wrong answers. Just relax, maintain eye contact, and you’re good to go. It also helps if you keep the conversation going.

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