What to Do If You Cant Answer an Interview Question

What to Do If You Cant Answer an Interview QuestionWhat to Do If You Cant Answer an Interview QuestionThe thought of bedrngnis being able to answer an interview question is a scary one for many job applicants. It happens more often than you might think. Sometimes, you dont know the answer. In other cases, you may know, but your brain freezes at the moment. Or, interviewers may deliberately try to stump you to reveal how youll respond to challenging questions. Being prepared for elend being able to respond can help alleviate some of the anxiety and help you make the most out of a difficult situation. Dont Panic Your mindset going into an interview is a critical ingredient for success. Many candidates assume that they must have a near perfect interview to land the job. In reality, it helps to recognize that other interviewees will also have difficulty answering all the questions to the complete satisfaction of the recruiter. Often, a solid but imperfect interview is sufficient to m ove you on to the next step in the screening process. This realization can help stop you from panicking if you cant answer a question well. Take the time to review the mostcommon interview questionsemployers ask so you will have an idea of what to expect. Stay Calm Your reaction if you cant immediately come up with an answer can be more important than the ability to deliver the answer. Dont stress out. Maintaining a calm, confident posture when confronted with a tough question will help convince the recruiter that your inability to answer a question is an unusual occurrence for you. If you fall apart and get upset, the interviewer may lose confidence in you. Consider saying something like Thats a very interesting question can I take some time to consider it and get back to you later? or Great question, I can answer it in part but would like to consider it further and get back to you. Buy Some Time You can often buy some time to formulate an answer by rephrasing the question or asking for clarification. For example, you might say Are you looking for an example of how I motivated an underperforming colleague in a team situation? By the time the interviewer answers, something may have come to mind. Or, you can also say, That question is a bit of a stumper Can I think about it, and come back to it at the end of our conversation? Its possible the interviewer will forget to ask it again, and that will allow you to follow up in your thank you note. Try to Clarify Maybe you did not understand the question. In that situation, try to identify what you found confusing. Was it just one term or word? Ask the interviewer to define it. Or, you can say, Im not sure I understand what youre asking. Can you explain more? Dont Fake It It can feel embarrassing not to be able to answer a question. But inventing something that might not make sense is worse than politely and briefly stating that you do not know the answer. If you are truly perplexed by the question an d do not think buying time, defining terms, or asking the interviewer to rephrase the question will help, say you are not sure. You can try to spin this to be more positive by saying that youll be thinking about this question after the interview, or that youll do some research, or even that you hope to learn more about the topic if hired. If you give that last response, it can be helpful to relate another time you were unfamiliar with a concept and were then able to master it. Thatll make you look resourceful. Answer When You Follow Up Perhaps the most significant thing you could do if a key question has stumped you is to research a strong answer after the interview. You can then include that answer as part of yourfollow-up communication. Very few jobs require workers to have all the answers on the spot. Demonstrating that you will be persistent, hard-working, and resourceful when you initially lack information can be impressive to employers.