what to do when you don't know the answer

[appropriatepeanut]

Hi! I am prepping for interviews for this upcoming cycle and in reading some of the prior interview questions there are definitely some less open-ended questions that I would be stumped on (ex. If Obama called you and asked for three representatives to serve on a stem cell council, who would you suggest? specific Mars medical problems, questions about certain politicians, etc). I know some of the questions are odd ones that probably aren't asked often, but I will obviously try my hardest between now and then to be as prepared for any question thrown at me. That being said, if you don't know the answer to one of these questions on an interview what would the best way to respond be?

Thank you so much for your help!

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[capriccio]

I think the key is quickly figuring out the point of the question—they don't actually want to know who Obama should pick for 3 stem cell council reps, they want to know how you approach and logically break down a tough question or problem. You could talk about the kinds of people you would want and why they would be appropriate—for example, you could say that you want to pick a bioethicist, a stem cell researcher, and a physician to cover the ethics, basic science, and application of stem cell treatments. In this way, this question becomes pretty open-ended because you could definitely substitute any of these positions depending on what you think is an important voice needed in the stem cell council.

This is one of the things where it's really important to know the wording of the question to distinguish whether they really want some specific information or if it's disguised as a specific question but it actually can be answered in more general terms.

 

[Goro]

Hi! I am prepping for interviews for this upcoming cycle and in reading some of the prior interview questions there are definitely some less open-ended questions that I would be stumped on (ex. If Obama called you and asked for three representatives to serve on a stem cell council, who would you suggest? specific Mars medical problems, questions about certain politicians, etc). I know some of the questions are odd ones that probably aren't asked often, but I will obviously try my hardest between now and then to be as prepared for any question thrown at me. That being said, if you don't know the answer to one of these questions on an interview what would the best way to respond be?

Thank you so much for your help!

Just be yourself, answer from the heart, and try to come up with SOMETHING.

I'd rather someone try to BS an answer than sit there like a road sign. We've rejected people for that.

 

[Moko]

Depending on the question, it's also okay to admit that you don't know something, and discuss how you would get the information needed to answer that question.

 

[907914]

That being said, if you don't know the answer to one of these questions on an interview what would the best way to respond be?

Something I learned at my NCO promotion board: If you do not know the answer, say something genuine that sounds like it could be "correct" with as much confidence as you would give in an actual answer.

 

[Skeletorr]

Something I learned at my NCO promotion board: If you do not know the answer, say something genuine that sounds like it could be "correct" with as much confidence as you would give in an actual answer.

My sales experience is gonna come in handy

 

[appropriatepeanut]

I think the key is quickly figuring out the point of the question—they don't actually want to know who Obama should pick for 3 stem cell council reps, they want to know how you approach and logically break down a tough question or problem. You could talk about the kinds of people you would want and why they would be appropriate—for example, you could say that you want to pick a bioethicist, a stem cell researcher, and a physician to cover the ethics, basic science, and application of stem cell treatments. In this way, this question becomes pretty open-ended because you could definitely substitute any of these positions depending on what you think is an important voice needed in the stem cell council.

This is one of the things where it's really important to know the wording of the question to distinguish whether they really want some specific information or if it's disguised as a specific question but it actually can be answered in more general terms.

Thank you!!!

 

[appropriatepeanut]

Just be yourself, answer from the heart, and try to come up with SOMETHING.

I'd rather someone try to BS an answer than sit there like a road sign. We've rejected people for that.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[appropriatepeanut]

Depending on the question, it's also okay to admit that you don't know something, and discuss how you would get the information needed to answer that question.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[appropriatepeanut]

Something I learned at my NCO promotion board: If you do not know the answer, say something genuine that sounds like it could be "correct" with as much confidence as you would give in an actual answer.

Thank you!

 

[Rachapkis]

A few thoughts:

--Breathe and compose yourself before answering a difficult question.
--If you don't know the answer, walk the interviewer--step-by-step--through the logic you would use to develop an answer. Don't be afraid to zoom out if that is necessary for you to develop an answer.
--Don't be afraid to ask questions to better understand the situation. This is often done in MMI interviews.
--Work on maintaining your confidence, even in difficult situations.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

If you were casually out to coffee or drinks and someone asked you that question, how would you react? You're allowed to emote, react and think out loud.

"Wow, that's an interesting question, I can't say I've ever thought about that before." Pause, breath, think. "Well generally speaking, a topic like Stem Cells has been a hot button issue so I think it would be important to have those 3 members represent different aspects of the discussion, including not only those with scientific backgrounds but those with political or cultural backgrounds. blah blah blah"

 

[and 99 others]

If you were casually out to coffee or drinks and someone asked you that question, how would you react? You're allowed to emote, react and think out loud.

This is a technique I think is important. Usually I find that the depth of answer I'm able to give varies a lot based on who I am talking to, and I am usually able to give the most coherent and well-thoughtout answers when I am just having a normal, stress-free dialogue with a peer, someone I'm comfortable with. Some of this confidence goes out the window when I'm talking to a boss or someone I know to be more knowledgable about a subject and that makes me cautious about every word I say so as to not sound uneducated. In reality, that apprehension is what's doing the most harm.

I think if you are able to teach yourself to put yourself in that same headspace as though you were talking to someone in a more casual context, you could read between the lines of what they're REALLY asking without being flustered and give a solid response. Of course this isn't to say that you lose your sense of professionalism at the same time.