WHAT TO SAY or DO when you can’t Answer an INTERVIEW QUESTION!

In this article, you are going to learn “what to say or do when you can’t answer an interview question.” If you got an interview coming up and you are nervous and worried about what to say or do, if you cannot answer a particular job interview question, then this article is definitely for you.

What to say or do if you can’t answer an interview question

This article will cover below topics to help you pass your interview.

  • 5 crucial tips on what to do and say when you cannot answer a job interview question.
  • How to react when you can’t answer a particular job interview question.
  • How you can limit the possibility of you not being able to answer an interview question.

Checkout some of the interview questions and the answers:

Interview Questions That We Cannot Answer

Here’s five crucial tips on what to do and say when you cannot answer a job interview question.

Tip 1: Don’t Panic

It is normal, majority of people who go along to job interviews cannot answer at least one question, but it is how you react that is most important. Remember, if you cannot answer an interview question, you are effectively under pressure and how you react to that pressure is very important. You will learn how to do that as we progress.

Tip 2: Make sure you React honestly and positively

Remember, you are not just being assessed at your job interview on your answers to the interview questions. Your attitude and your personality are also very much being assessed. So make sure you react honestly and positively.

Tip 3: Do not bluff or be dishonest

Do not try and bluff your way through an interview question answer and certainly do not be dishonest. If you try and answer the interview question, but deep down, you know you cannot answer it. You are only going to dig yourself a hole and make yourself look foolish.

Let’s assume you are in your interview, they ask you a question but you think you know the answer, but your mind goes blank, because this happens a lot.

Here’s what to say:

“That’s a great question! Can I just take a little bit of time to consider my response and come back to you later in the interview, please?”

The hiring managers and interviewers will say, yes, no problem at all.

You can come back to that question if your mind has gone blank. You are not just dismissing the question. You are just asking for a little bit more time to consider your response.

What to say if you do not know the answer

Here’s what to say if you do not know the answer, you genuinely do not know the answer to the interview question. There are two things you can say:

The first one is as follows:

“I don’t know the answer to that question. However, I am somebody who wants to learn and develop, and I would look forward to learning how to do this in the role if I am successful.”

That is you reacting positively. You are thinking forward about you being in the job and you are open to learning. You are not just dismissing it and saying, I don’t know the answer.

The second one is as follow:

“That’s a very good question. I’m an honest person and I must be truthful with you. I don’t know the answer. However, I would genuinely like to find out the answer and I will come back to you later today with my response.”

This is a smart thing to say, because what it allows you to do is then to follow up with an email as soon as you get back with your answer.

How to follow up after the interview with your answer

Here’s what you should write in your email. Here’s how to follow up after the interview with your answer.

Say this:

Dear sir, madam,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed today for the position of (And then you put the job title). I promised to come back to you with the answer to the interview question (“INSERT INTERVIEW QUESTION HERE”). I have conducted some research and my answer is as follows.

(You would then insert your answer here”).

You then finish off and say; Once again, thank you for your time and I genuinely hope I get the opportunity to show you how I can add value to your organization in this role.

Yours faithfully,

[Put Your Names Here].

So that serves two purposes. You are following up and doing what you said you were going to do, which is give the answer. But you are also reminding them about you and you are being very polite and showing there that you are looking forward to hearing from them.

Tip 4: The most likely interview question you will struggle to answer is commonly called a behavioral interview question.

Behavioral interview questions are something like these:

  • “Tell me a time when you worked as part of a team to complete a task?”
  • “Describe a time when you worked under pressure to complete a difficult task”
  • “Describe a situation when you had to overcome a difficult challenge”
  • “Explain a situation when you had conflict with a co-worker”

What to Do or Say if you can’t answer a Behavioral Interview Question

Here’s what to say if you’ve never been in this type of behavioral situation before.

Question: Explain a situation when you had conflict with a co-worker.

Example Answer:

“I have never been in this type of situation before. However, I am somebody who is always looking to learn, and I can remember two people in a previous situation getting into conflict with each other and it was over a disagreement on how to carry out a task.

One of them took a mature approach to the situation and she asked the other person what she could do to try and resolve things. I thought her approach to the conflict was mature because she was clearly putting the needs of the team above her own.

I learned a lot from that situation and if I ever were to be in conflict, I would be the better person and resolve it through effective communication, being flexible and above all, considering the team goals and objectives above everything else.”

From the answer above, you are giving a situation where somebody else was in that particular scenario and you are showing you have strong observation skills and you are learning how to do things.

If they ever say to you, give me an example of when you provided excellent customer service, but you’ve never done that before, give them a situation where somebody gave you excellent service and what you learn from the situation.

Thank you for reading this article and I wish you all the best for passing your job interview.

by Scholars Hub

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