Saturday, November 16, 2019
How do I give the best answer to an interview question I dont know
How do I give the best answer to an interview question I don't know How do I give the best answer to an interview question I don't know Be honest and tell them how you would find out the answer.So an interviewer asks you a question and you have no idea what the answer is, but theyâre asking you for a reason so you should talk with them to figure out what the reason is.So you should do a few things1) Clarify that you understand what theyâre asking2) Talk through your options and3) Give a potential solution and4) Bring the conversation back to your strengths.So it might look like this:Interviewer: âHow do you tie up a cat with string?âYou: [in your mind] âI have no idea!?You: [Clarifying] âIâm not sure because Iâve never had to do that in my last job, I assume that the need to tie up a cat with string comes up often at your organization?âInterviewer: âNot every day, but on a weekly basis-one of the programmers cats impregnated one of the engineersâ cats. And we canât just no longer allow people to bring their cats to work!You: [Chuckling along with them to show that you understand their prob lem, even if you donât.]Interviewer: âBut there are a lot of kittens around and they have ruined a lot of our prototypes by chewing on them. I guess thatâs what we get for trying to make a cell phone powered by catnipâ¦âYou: [Clarifying] So let me understand, you have a problem-which doesnât occur on a daily basis that involves a lot of cats-some of which are still quite young kittens?Interviewer: âNo, theyâve aged, so theyâre all adults-and theyâve all been fixed after Janice from accounting got involved.âYou: [Clarifying] Why do they need to be tied in string? Have you tried other methods of keeping them away from the prototypes? What other information can you tell me about this problem?Interviewer: âString seems like the best solution to us. We tried putting them all in a closet, and they ate through our CTOâs messenger bag, so thatâs out. Plus it took too long to get them all into one room.âYou: [Talking Through Options] âI think I have enough info rmation about the problem, but Iâm afraid that because Iâve never attempted to tie up any animal, let alone a cat, I am unable to give you the answer you need.What I would do if I were faced with this at your organization is to first, do some research-maybe call a veterinarian or someone who works at animal rescue for their expertise. Then I would use whatever strategy they feel is best. Have you done a web search for this problem?âInterviewer: âOh yeah, weâve got a Pinterest board full of pictures of cats with string, but they all seem stylized, like theyâre just adorable pictures? It hasnât led to any solution.âYou: [Bringing it Back to Yourself] âI do have a PhD in CS, have manged my own Mime rental business and I have over 10 years of experience in Email Marketing. But I havenât faced this exact problem. From what weâve spoken about do you think that if I were given time and followed the steps I outlined, I would be able to solve this problem? I really am i nterested in this job and I donât want this one omission to be held against me. I would love to do some research and email you after this interview because I really am interested in this problem.âObviously this example is fictional, but it gives you an idea of how to make sure that youâre showing that youâre invested and that you would work forward on a problem. Some interviewers like to ask questions to put people on the spot-how you react can make all of the difference.This column first appeared at Quora.
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