Interview uh oh…did the question stump you?
It’s happening! You’ve landed an interview for a position that you are really excited about. Your resume and cover letter got you in the door, and now it’s time to dazzle their hiring team in the interview. It’s going well. Your experience and skills are shining through as you respond to their inquires and you are confident that you are on track to nail the interview and secure the job offer. But then all of a sudden, they ask a question and you are stumped. What do you do?
First of all, don’t panic! It’s a stressful situation, but maintaining your poise and professionalism are part of how you will successfully respond to the question. Focus on what you can do to reply in a productive way, rather than how you may potentially fall short. This situation happens to most people at some point in their professional lives. There’s no way you can anticipate every single question that will come your way and sometimes you will stumble a little. Take a breath and process the question as best as you can. You can also seek to clarify what they are asking. Don’t lie, ramble on about something unrelated, or make something up on the spot just to fill the silence. That can confuse everyone (including you) and will potentially lead to trouble where your integrity will be in jeopardy.
If the question relates to a topic you have some experience with, try to connect your relevant skills and qualifications. You can state that you don’t have specific experience with A, but you have worked with B, and here is how they are connected. Then you can finish your response with how your skills and experience allowed you to be successful in the situation, which indicates you can be similarly successful in the future.
If the question relates to something you don’t have any experience with, acknowledge that but be proactive in how you would approach the situation. You can talk about what resources you would consult to learn more about it in order to complete the task or activity. Enthusiasm to learn will go a long way in this situation. Employers don’t expect every single candidate to be an expert in all topics, but they do expect to hire engaging and motivated people that are willing to learn new things. Regardless of your career field, it’s important to show how you want to learn and grow as a professional.
Be authentic, truthful, and professional. Perfection isn’t possible, so don’t put that expectation on yourself. Transparency is important and responding in a way that showcases your character and willingness to learn will allow you to turn that perceived deficiency into a strength.
