You have been shortlisted for the interview process; it’s great. But when you get to the hiring managers office he asks you that dreaded question “So, what do you know about our company?” You feel a bit nervous while organising your thoughts, and you start talking, but the interviewer can hardly hear you so he’s wondering whether you could raise your voice.
At that awkward moment comes an utterly natural disaster! You accidentally let one rip (fart) two minutes after the interview starts. Damn it! This bloody three-bean chili you had the night before ruined your career chances! Your face gets hot, and you start to nervous-sweat. But how do you go about? Well, you could play it off like nothing happened and let the fart go. You could also burst into hysteric laughter or add a couple of coughs and noises to offset the fart. Even if your fart is audible during your dream job interview, there is a way to deal with it maturely. The secret here is to take personal responsibility and admit to your action. As with any other thing in life, people who lie or try to stay away from the consequences of their actions, are not respected. Yes, you can actually be respected for owning up an ill-placed fart.
The farting carver
There’s a famous fart joke by the former US President Abraham Lincoln which gives us great lessons on how to tackle this awkward situation with dignity and respect:
The Farting Carver. (via William Herndon): "Well there was a party once, not far from here, which was composed of ladies and gentlemen. A fine table was set and the people were greatly enjoying themselves. Among the crowd was one of those men who had audacity -- was quick-witted, cheeky and self-possessed -- never off his guard on any occasion. After the men and women had enjoyed themselves by dancing, promenading, flirting, etc., they were told that the table was set. The man of audacity -- quick-witted, self-possessed and equal to all occasions -- was put at the head of the table to carve the turkeys, chickens and pigs. The men and women surrounded the table, and the audacious man being chosen carver whetted his great carving knife with the steel and got down to business & commenced carving the turkey, but he expended too much force & let a fart -- a loud fart so that all the people heard it distinctly. As a matter of course it shocked all terribly. A deep silence reigned. However the audacious man was cool and entirely self-possessed; he was curiously and keenly watched by those who knew him well, they suspecting that he would recover in the end and acquit himself with glory. The man, with a kind of sublime audacity, pulled off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, put his coat deliberately on a chair, spat on his hands, took his position at the head of the table, picked up the carving knife and whetted it again, never cracking a smile nor moving a muscle of his face. It now became a wonder in the minds of all the men and women how the fellow was to get out of his dilemma. He squared himself and said loudly & distinctly: "Now, by God, I’ll see if I can’t cut up this turkey without farting."
The moral of this story
Many of you would probably think that this guy was remembered for letting the fart rip in front of the people, but in reality the way he treated the situation reflected positively on his self-respect, because he didn’t run out crying. He was essentially respected more after the fart than before. If this awkward incident ever happens to you, then stay calm, look the interviewer in the eye and apologise, hoping that you will go through the interview without farting again. Remember being straightforward, honest and open during a job interview is a virtue for you as a candidate and will undoubtedly demonstrate aspects of your personality and ethos when dealing with uncomfortable situations like this. Taking this approach, the interviewer will not just gossip about the fart as such, but rather how you dealt with the whole situation, particularly in twisting it to your benefit.
See there’s always a solution for everything. Even for the most seemingly complicated problems. Have you ever farted during an interview? Well, dare to admit to what you have done and how the poor interviewer treated you in turn. Did finally you get the job? Let us know in the comments section below.