What to Say If You Don't Know the Answer During the Job Interview
Job interviews always require a considerable amount of preparation. Even after the grind, the recruiter asks the question and your mind goes blank. No matter how many hours you spend preparing for your job interview, you may run the risk of facing a question that you really don’t know how to answer.
Here is a scenario: You are in the interview, but you have a hard time remembering the question or have no clue what’s coming out from the recruiter’s mouth. Can you feel the heat? You are internally nervous and expect nothing less than a miracle to help you pop out the answer. Nevertheless, we are here with perfect responses that will help you win the interview process.
- “I’m not very familiar with that concept, but…”
- “That’s an interesting question. So I understand exactly what you’re looking for, do you mind elaborating the question a little more?”
- “I’m so glad you asked about this. I have been wanting to learn more about it and am planning on…”
Let’s figure out when to use these responses correctly.
“I’m not very familiar with that concept, but…”
When you have no clue about the tricky interview question, you have to keep these things in mind.
- Be honest.
- Admit your lack of familiarity.
- Don’t dwell on the question too much.
Instead, you can respond by adding a related topic that you are familiar with. Let us allow the recruiter to think that you possess the required skills and competence to bring something to the table.
“That’s an interesting question. So I understand exactly what you’re looking for, do you mind elaborating the question a little more?”
This response can help you get some time during the interview process. When the recruiter tries to rephrase the question or add a topic that you are aware of. They might end up dropping some hints that are related to the question. This is a great time to be an active listener and showcase your skills. If you still can’t answer the question after the Interviewer rephrases it, follow the next response.
“I’m so glad you asked about this. I have been wanting to learn more about it and am planning on…”
This is a great way to impress the recruiter by using this phrase. This response indicates that you are not afraid of “not knowing”. Instead of shying away from the question that makes you uncomfortable, you can follow these steps to gain brownie points in your interview:
- Start off with strong enthusiasm by saying, “I’m so glad you asked about this!”.
- Follow up by emphasizing how eager you are to learn about the topic.
- Describe the topics or skills related to the interview question asked.
- In the end, you can ask them if they can offer any support to help you understand that new area.
Introducing yourself with no prior experience can be nerve-wracking. Here is a great article to help you gain confidence.
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