Daniel Haarburger always asks job candidates a simple, common interview question: What does your day-to-day life look like?

One candidate gave him a textbook example of the “worst response that I’ve ever heard,” Haarburger, the CEO of Denver-based dog toy company Woof, tells CNBC Make It. The answer, he recounts: “Life’s a hot-mess express right now. It’s pretty wild.”

“I was like, well, that’s not how you want to start an interview,” says Haarburger, who’s hired for more than 50 different roles since launching his company in 2019. “So that [interview] didn’t go too well. That was someone blatantly saying, ‘I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.'”

You do need to be honest during job interviews, Haarburger notes. Lying about who you are and what you’re capable of, including on your resume, isn’t just unethical — if discovered, you’d likely be immediately disqualified from the position. Plus, bosses often want to hear about your weaknesses, hiring expert and staffing agency LaSalle Network CEO Tom Gimbel told Make It in January.

DON’T MISS: The ultimate guide to acing your interview and landing your dream job

So if your life is indeed a hot-mess express — maybe you’re deeply frustrated by your current job, or overwhelmed by something outside of work — take a moment to think about how you’re making progress handling the situation. Then, make that the focus of your response: “My day-to-day life is pretty busy, because I have [X] responsibilities. I’m managing them with scheduling strategies like [Y].”

That kind of answer helps you be honest about something you can improve on, while actively showcasing your ability to work on your shortcomings, Gimbel said: “We all have weaknesses, and we need to admit what we’re not good at. Be honest about what you stink at.”

Haarburger offers another piece of advice: No matter what you say, keep your demeanor and body language consistent throughout your interview. This shows confidence and clear communication skills, which leaves a lasting impression, he says.

“[I like] when someone feels calm, direct and clear, versus when someone starts rambling and getting distracted and jumping across points,” says Haarburger.

Specifically, you should make sure your hands are visible while talking, have a straight back with relaxed shoulder blades and practice good eye contact, Stanford University lecturer and communication expert Matt Abrahams told Make It in May.

“When you watch someone who is swaying, you assume they are nervous,” Abrahams noted.

Want to land your dream job? Take CNBC’s online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers really look for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay.

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