When You Don't Know the Answer, Say THIS [Tips for Interviews]

You are going to be asked questions in the interview that you don't know the answer to, and it could totally ruin you, or it could be your moment to stand out way beyond other candidates and capture that sweet offer. So I'll give you 6 ways to swerve and appear super confident when you do not know how to answer a question. And stay to the end because I have the exact script to say when your mind goes Here are 6 strategies depending on the situation. So strategy 1, first remove that's a good question from your lexicon. It's patronizing and insincere. I mean, do you really think why should we hire you is a profound and unique question, or are you just saying that to buy time? If you're trying to buy time, then buy it, Daddy Warbucks. Say, hmm, let me think. Have you ever said that's a good question in an interview, or what do you say instead? Let me know in the comments. Strategy number 2, don't take things too literally. This is where many people get tripped up. If they ask you, tell me about a time someone at the company did something unethical and how did you handle it? That may not have happened to you and your mind goes blank, but you have prepared. You've watched my video on behavioral interviewing and you have the absolutely magical story toolbox that I provided for you, and I will also link it below so that you're ready for any of these questions. And instead of shutting down, you suggest another example. Well, one situation where I felt it was my ethical duty to speak up is when the company wanted to add new payment methods, but I pushed against it because there was a really high security risk, and so on. Where you found a near match to the question despite it not being exactly what they asked. But in the end, what they really wanted was to see how you speak up and you stand up to others, and you delivered that. So that you know what to expect in the interview type that you will do the most often, and that is the first round phone interview, I will put a free guide below that will help you to ace every first round interview. So strategy number 3, offer an alternative. If a company asks you to give an example in an interview and you don't have one, or asks you if you have a certain skill and you don't necessarily have it, instead of going blank or simply saying, no, I don't have an example, such as if they ask you for a time that you were treated unfairly at work and you don't have an example of that, you can say, that hasn't happened, but I have worked with an underperforming coworker which was a challenge, if you'd like me to share that. And the interviewer will say yes or no, and they will probably really appreciate that you're offering another answer because a lot of times they understand that their questions can be a bit specific, and your ability to help them to get to know you is very helpful, and offering other answers can help them to learn more about you. Strategy number 4, ask questions. If an interviewer asks you a question where you aren't sure what they're asking, or they use a term or acronym you're not familiar with and you have no idea how to respond, ask. I know this can feel embarrassing, and yes, they may think, hmm, I can't believe that person doesn't know this acronym, or whatever it is, but it is way better than pretending to know and BSing your way through it. And no, I will not explain that acronym. But if you confidently say, I'm not familiar with that acronym, could you clarify? Or another good strategy is rephrasing the question to make sure you understand. Such as if you're interviewing for a recruiter position and you're asked, well, how do you recalibrate? What? I mean, maybe they use that term internally, but it's vague to you. You may ask, You're asking how I recalibrate in my role. Are you referring to in the context of when a candidate rejects an offer or working with hiring managers, or what, what calibration are you referring to? Remember that a job interview is not an exam. You don't need to take questions at face value, and that person probably gave little to no thought as to their wording of their questions anyways. Also, make sure you're asking very good questions throughout the interview, and I'll put a free document below of some of the best questions to ask in the interview. Strategy number 5, yes, and instead of no, but. This comes from improv, and it works beautifully in interviews. Instead of shutting down the question and saying, I don't know how to do something, think about if you have some similar skills or examples of learning something quickly. So that can sound like, as a response to, have you used X tool, which is a super common question companies are always asking, have you used our very specific suite of tools? You can say, well, I have used Y, which is a more complex version of X, and they're very similar. You're accepting the premise and reassuring them instead of shutting it down and being precise and saying no when really your answer is actually more of a yes. Strategy number 6, think out loud. When you genuinely can't pull an example out of your rearview mirror, Say so honestly. You know, I can't think of a specific example at the moment, but here's how I'd approach that situation. Or, I don't have that exact skill, but I've actually looked into it and here's how I plan on building it. Or, I haven't done that exact work in the past, but I did have to learn this other complex skill at my previous job and I ended up getting ramped up in just under a week. Then walk through your thought process. This provides something for them to work off of if nothing else comes to mind. The main thing is that you remember that the interviewer is rooting for you to succeed in the interview. Giving near answers, alternative answers, asking clarifying questions, taking a pause— all of these things are normal. Be real, be honest, be you. You've got this. Wi-Fi high five!