How should you answer 'how are you doing today' in an interview, according to Steve Huynh?

Steve Huynh says 'how are you doing today' is a pleasantry, not a request for a diagnostic report, so the right answer is 'I'm doing great', said slightly upbeat with a smile, even on a bad day. Volunteering poor sleep, a headache or nerves has no upside, he argues, and breaks the frame of the interview, leaving the interviewer unsure how to play their part and inclined not to hire.

• Huynh frames the goal as presenting a highly competent person who is ready to get to work.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on A Life Engineered (2026-10-21). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode