I like using the drawing above when preparing candidates for an interview with their future employer:

Two lines for the river, on one side, a box for the candidate, a pennant for the client (interviewer) waiting and observing on the other side. The candidate's goal: get to the flag. In the middle flows a powerful stream. Various obstacles impede the way to the other side: cliffs, stones and swirls. The candidate must cleverly negotiate these obstacles, navigate as close as possible without avoiding them.

What I like in this drawing: the candidate has to move in water, which means for him, to leave his comfort zone. Increasing depths force him to swing against the current so as not to drift from his course. He must never lose sight of his goal, never look back and remain focused on the obstacles. All this while keeping his eyes on the other side of the river and the flag he wants to reach.

What about the obstacles? Most of us usually know them from experience, and an experienced interviewer will necessarily identify them:

• a gap in the resume
• tensions with a superior
• misunderstanding with colleagues
• termination by mutual consent
• hesitation in a described situation
• ambiguous formulation in the certificate
• a quick move to another company in a similar position

„What do I say?" ask candidates. There again most of us tend to swim or row faster in the hope to quickly return to calmer waters. And this is WRONG! - Short, irrelevant or too impersonal answers to emotional matters inevitably raise suspicion that something is wrong. Failing to provide a statement or an explanation is again wrong. Refusing to discuss a topic leads to speculation that there has to be something fishy. And THIS is just what the interviewer is especially interest in. Now is time for digging: What exactly do you mean? When was that precisely? Why did it turn out this way?

As a result: you keep revolving around the very topic you wanted to avoid. More than you would have wished. And this means a waste of precious interview time during which you cannot shine. You cannot move on and reach the „freestyle" phase in which you should score points. You lose sight of the original goal because you are busy escaping from the swirl in which you suddenly find yourself stuck. No matter how sensitive the topic: you know about it and you can bet it will be brought up.

But how to behave, then? Navigate straight to the sensitive issue and row with all your strengths as close as possible past it - till touching it without getting caught up in the swirl. By emotional matters, keep an authentic and personal attitude. Explain with plain simple words what happened. Assume your share of responsibility. Consider and evaluate the situation from today's perspective and bear your objectives in mind.

And that's it! Do not you repeat yourself.

• Do not justify yourself.
• Do not speak in an offending or demeaning way about former supervisors or colleagues.
• Do not try to reduce the causes to external circumstances.
• Do not rush forward, let pauses be effective (counting helps: one, two, three...).
• Keep your head up, look straight forward, and establish eye contact.
• Pause as much as necessary, control your gestures.

The all-clear signal is given when the interviewer switches the topic. If he wants to know what happened, he is in fact more interested in where you stand now: What have your learned from it? How did you overcome the whole situation? Have you come to terms with the whole thing? Are you ready and available to take on the coming challenge?

What counts is not the questions, but your answers. If you are a very skilful speaker, your last sentence may lead to the next discussed topic. If not, retry it. But careful, the next stone is already waiting!

Hold on, because you want the job! - Sounds hard? Not if you practise dealing with such situations! With your friends or partner - in front of the mirror or a mini camera.