In a interview, what should I say if I can’t answer a question?

Hi,
Everytime during interview, I always stutter or talk nonsense every-time a hard question is being ask. So my question is, what can I say if I can’t answer a question during a interview?

Reply 1

1582

Volunteer Team

Do you have examples of questions you have struggled to answer?

Reply 2

StriderHort

Simply not answering is not advisable, it is however appropriate to ask for a moment to consider your response to marshal your thoughts and take some control of the conversation, and i've def met employers whom that considered and confident approach would impress.

Reply 3

devil.

Original post by sinfonietta

Do you have examples of questions you have struggled to answer?

It’s mostly technical questions, like what does this term mean and how would you solve it? Or tell me a time where you overcome a obstacle?

Reply 4

username4986690

Take a breath and think before talking. There is nothing wrong with a considered response.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 5

Mr hardeek

Just say i don't know and leave

Reply 6

devil.

Original post by StriderHort

I’m always showing to the person that is interviewing me that I am confident. However, if hard question is being ask I would always ask for extra time but the extra time is not useful if I don’t know how to respond to the questions

Reply 7

StriderHort

Original post by devil.

Well you still at the end of the day need to answer in some form. If it's a technical term related to the role, well, maybe you should know it? Would researching the company you are interviewing for and their terms and culture in advance have helped with this?

Problem Solving, in it's various guises, is a near certainty in job interviews. IMO you need to cut to the simplest 'right' answer they want. When someone asks you tell a story about a time you overcame an obstacle, righted a wrong etc... everyone in the world has like 1000 examples in mind fighting and it's hard to hash out a narrative on the spot for them... but generally what the interviewer wants to hear is that you understand a concept and/or can repeat it back... be it 'honesty', 'working as a team', 'going the extra mile for a customers experience' 'responding to a 'hostile environment professionally' .. bit of a ramble, but you can often boil these question down to short simple answers.

Reply 8

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by devil.

Hi,
Everytime during interview, I always stutter or talk nonsense every-time a hard question is being ask. So my question is, what can I say if I can’t answer a question during a interview?

What sort of interviews are you doing and what sort of questions can't you answer?

Reply 9

username5737602

https://youtu.be/AdJH1dYI1gE

Reply 10

devil.

Original post by threeportdrift

What sort of interviews are you doing and what sort of questions can't you answer?

Video interview/telephone interview. Questions they asked would more technical questions for example, tell me a time…. , how do you solve this problem or what’s least trend, what does this term mean.

Reply 11

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by devil.

"Tell me a time when ..." is a competency question - they are trying to explore your specific experience. You should be able to detect likely questions from the job description - they will pick a question that explores 3 or 4 of the most important requirements of the role. You can therefore practice answers in advance, using the STAR format. You explain the Situation eg I was working in a team to create X to a very tight deadline. The Task eg I was given specific responsibility for resolving Y problem. Your Actions - I knew this was similar to an issue I'd discussed with a colleague previously, so I went to that project team and discussed it with them and found that they had resolved it using Z. Result eg I was able to adapt their solution to our project and delivered a solution 48 hours earlier than required, giving more tome to run checks on the final product.

Technical questions - again, by reading the job advert and doing some research you ought to be able to have an idea what they are going to ask about eg software systems, coding languages etc. But you do need to be able to demonstrate the necessary level of technical ability. Go through it in clear steps.

Reply 12

Old Skool Freak

Original post by devil.

Hi,
Everytime during interview, I always stutter or talk nonsense every-time a hard question is being ask. So my question is, what can I say if I can’t answer a question during a interview?

In most cases, it's perfectly acceptable to say, "Can I come back to that question a bit later on please?"... Obviously you can't say it to every question, but quite often they won't ask it again (e.g. they get so swamped up in everything else or allocated time runs out). But at the very least, it gives you half a chance to think of something remotely intelligent to say.

However, IMHO, you'll be FAR BETTER OFF if you can anticipate the questions that will come up. If you're in an institution (e.g. school, college, uni etc) then there should be someone in your careers department who can help you with this. Give them your CV and a description of the job you're going for and they can predict the questions (if they're good, they'll be pretty accurate).

EDIT:- I was just about to mention the STAR acronym, but threeportdrift beat me to it, just pipped at the post lol. If you're told you're going to have a Competency Based Interview, that's the best way to answer them. It's a good chance for you to show some s**t hot initiative, so it's worth having a good think about an example.

They'll ask the question in a way like , "Describe a time when you..."

Oh, and unless the result is very positive for you and / or the recipient, you shouldn't be using it.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 13

username5776776

Not giving an answer is not an option. You can, however, carefully think about what you're going to say before you say it. Even if you take 20 seconds to think of what you're saying, that is 100x better than just saying "Sorry, I don't know".

If you really don't know what to say, you need to think of a vague, nonsense answer (basically what politicians do 24/7) and just say something that sounds intelligent. This then gives the interviewer the chance to come back with a follow up question, which you then may have a better chance at answering.

Interviews are a game. You just need to learn how to play the game. Look up all the common interview questions online and just think through some answers.

Good luck, practice makes perfect. :smile:

Reply 14

Rexmigi

If you find yourself unable to answer a question during an interview, it's important to remain calm and composed. Remember, it's okay to not know everything, and interviewers don't expect you to be perfect.

One approach you could use is the STAR method to address the question in a structured and concise way, even if you don't know the exact answer. Here's an example:

Situation: Imagine that you are asked a question during an interview that you don't know how to answer.

Task: Your task is to respond in a professional and thoughtful way, without panicking or becoming flustered.

Action: One possible action you could take is to acknowledge that you don't know the answer, but show your thought process or provide an example from your past experience that is related to the question. For example, you could say,

Reply 15

Rexmigi

Original post by devil.

Hi,
Everytime during interview, I always stutter or talk nonsense every-time a hard question is being ask. So my question is, what can I say if I can’t answer a question during a interview?

If you find yourself unable to answer a question during an interview, it's important to remain calm and composed. Remember, it's okay to not know everything, and interviewers don't expect you to be perfect.

One approach you could use is the [STAR method](https://www.interviewbit.com/star-interview-questions/) to address the question in a structured and concise way, even if you don't know the exact answer. Here's an example:

Situation: Imagine that you are asked a question during an interview that you don't know how to answer.

Task: Your task is to respond in a professional and thoughtful way, without panicking or becoming flustered.

Action: One possible action you could take is to acknowledge that you don't know the answer, but show your thought process or provide an example from your past experience that is related to the question. For example, you could say, "I'm not sure about the answer to that specific question, but in a similar situation at my previous job, I handled it by..." Alternatively, you could ask the interviewer for clarification or additional information to help you better understand the question.

Result: By using the STAR method, you can demonstrate your ability to think critically and communicate effectively, even in challenging situations.

Remember, the key is to remain calm, confident, and professional. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know the answer to a question, and focus on highlighting your strengths and qualifications throughout the interview.