5 Tips for What to Do When You Don't Know How to Answer an Interview Question (2024)

There may come a time when you don’t know how to answer an interview question, and we’re here to provide some tips for when that happens. When you are asking a question you don’t know the answer to, you should take a deep breath, don’t panic, and take your time coming up with an answer while thinking out loud.

In this article, we will go over the five tips for what to say when you don’t know the answer in an interview as well as things to avoid doing when answering.

Key Takeaways:

• Try redirecting the conversation to a topic you are confident with if you are asked something you are unsure of.

• Be honest if you don’t know an answer in an interview instead of trying to make up an answer.

• Asking the interviewer to repeat the question in a different way or ask for clarification can help you answer it.

5 Tips for what to do when you don’t know how to answer an interview question

When you don’t know how to answer an interview question, you should first take a deep breath, don’t panic, and take your time coming up with an answer. Below is a more detailed list of how to respond in an interview when you don’t know the answer.

1. Take a Deep Breath and Don’t Panic

   Tough questions are asked to see how you react under pressure. How you respond to an interview question that completely stumps you is much more important than being able to answer, so you’re going to want to avoid freaking out at all costs.

   When you’re faced with a question that you just don’t know how to answer, try to maintain a calm posture and take a deep breath. Staying confident will show interviewers that you can compose yourself, while completely falling apart, and getting worked up will make them lose faith in you.

   For example, try saying something along the lines of:

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   • “That’s an interesting question, could I take some time to think it over and get back to you?”

   • “That’s a great question, I could give you a partial answer, but I would like to consider it further and get back to you with a full answer.”

2. Take Your Time Coming Up With an Answer

   When you’re asked a tough interview question that you can’t answer right away, don’t just try to come up with an answer all willy-nilly. That’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, acknowledge the question and that you’re thinking about it.

   For example:

   • “Hm, that’s a good question. Let me think about it,”

   • “I’d love to form a thoughtful answer, would you mind if we returned to this at the end of the interview?”

   You can also give yourself some more time to answer by rephrasing the question or asking for some clarification. Plus, by the time the interviewer responds to you, you have already come up with an answer!

   For example:

   • “Would you like for me to give you an example of how I completed a difficult project on a very tight deadline?”

   • “Are you asking me for an example of a time when I successfully managed a difficult team member?”

   These approaches will buy you enough time to work through your thoughts and come up with a solid answer, instead of just spurting out whatever comes to your head first. It’s better to give a thoughtful answer than to say something that will show the interviewer that you’re stumped.

3. Think Out Loud

   Sometimes interviewers ask tough questions to get an idea of how you work through problems. After you’ve taken some time to think through the question, explain your thought process to the interviewer and go from there.

   Thinking out loud about a tough interview question is a great way to keep the conversation going and to avoid any awkward silences, plus it serves as a means to show interviewers how you think and work through unexpected obstacles without losing your cool.

   For example, if you’re asked about any processes you have to complete projects, but you don’t have an actual process, think through how you would approach the project and the steps that you would take to complete it.

4. Redirect the Conversation to a Topic You’re Confident With

   If you’re asked a tough question that you just don’t have the answer to, you can always just own up to your lack of expertise and redirect the conversation to a skill or topic that you feel more comfortable talking about. Even if you can’t answer a specific question, it doesn’t hurt to change the topic to something relevant that you have more experience with.

   If you’re asked about your experience with a specific skill that you don’t have yet, you could try instead to redirect the question to another relevant skill that you do have experience with.

   For example:

   “While I don’t yet have much experience with social media marketing, I do have a lot of experience with copywriting, and I am up to date on current SEO practices.”

   You can also use this as an opportunity to show your excitement for the opportunity to learn a new skill in the position:

   For example:

   “One of the things that caught my eye about this position was the opportunity to learn about social media marketing and build my skill set in that area. Because of my affinity with writing and SEO practices, I think that I’m well equipped to take marketing head-on and grow with your company.”

5. Answer the Question When You Follow Up With the Interviewer

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   When you’re faced with a technical question that you just can’t seem to come up with an answer for, there’s no harm in offering to answer that question later on when you reach out to the interviewer with your follow-up email.

   “That’s a great question, and I’m not sure I have the answer to that right now, but it’s something I’m interested in learning more about. Would it be alright if I looked up the answer and sent it to you after the meeting?”

   Interviewers don’t expect you to have all of the answers to every single tough question, but showing them that you’re persistent and resourceful will stand out and impress them more than your being able to answer a difficult interview question on the spot.

What not to do when you don’t know how to answer an interview question

Don’t lie to your interviewer and try to make up an answer. You should also avoid looking visibly uncomfortable when you don’t know how to answer an interview question. Below are more things to avoid doing when you don’t know how to answer an interview question.

• Don’t lie. You might be tempted to just wing an answer and hope for the best. As the saying goes: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

  If you’re making stuff up about technical skills or qualifications, you’ll probably reveal your weaknesses by giving an incomplete or incorrect answer. If you’re lying about your experience with certain processes, you’ll be caught pretty quickly if you’re lucky enough to get hired.

• Don’t be afraid of a little silence. Interviews are nerve-wracking, and a moment of radio silence can feel like the most awkward thing in your life. But it’s not — taking time to consider your answer shows that you’re thoughtful and deliberate with how you work through a problem, and those are not bad traits.

• Don’t be visibly uncomfortable. Fidgeting, breaking eye contact, or just inserting a lot of “ums” or “likes” into your answer will not present well. At worst the hiring manager may doubt your ability to handle any level of stress, and at best you’ll appear less professional than you’d like.

• Don’t flat out admit ignorance. Honesty is great and all, but you should temper that with a bit of tact and common sense. Simply saying “I don’t know” is never a good look in an interview, so try the strategies we discussed above instead.

• Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. Sometimes you may not know how to answer an interview question because you aren’t quite sure what the interviewer is asking.

  In this case, ask for clarification either by repeating the question back to them in your own words or by saying something like, “That’s a great question. To help me better understand what you’re looking for, do you mind unpacking that a little more?”

Answering interview question you don’t know FAQs

1. How do you respond when you don’t know the answer to an interview question?

   You respond by asking for clarification or explaining how you’d find out the answer when you don’t know the answer to an interview question. Asking for clarification on the question buys you time to think about it and helps you ensure you’re understanding the question correctly.

   There are other ways to give yourself time to think as well, including saying something like, “That’s a great question, I’m going to need just a second to think about that,” or simply repeating the question back to the interviewer.

   If you just don’t know the answer to the question, you can say that, but then follow up by explaining how you’d approach the problem or how you’d find out the information if you were in that situation.

   You can also explain that you would love to learn more about that topic and then redirect the conversation back to something you are confident in.

2. Is it okay to say I don’t know in an interview?

   Yes, it is okay to say I don’t know in an interview. However, you shouldn’t leave it at that. Explain how you’d go about approaching the problem or finding the answer, or offer to find the answer and send it to them after the interview.

   This shows the interviewer that you are a problem-solver and are interested in growing as a professional. If you just say, “I don’t know,” they will get the impression that you not only aren’t fully qualified for the job but that you won’t work to learn and solve problems on your own either.

3. How do you say I don’t know professionally?

   You can say I don’t know professionally by saying, “That’s a great question, but I don’t know that I have the answer to that right now. Can I look it up and let you know the answer after we finish here?”

   You can also say something like, “I don’t have much experience in that area, but I am interested in learning about it and have already signed up for some online courses.” Being honest about what you do and don’t know is important, but always pair it with an explanation of what you’re going to do or are doing to find out the answer.

   This shows that you will take the initiative to learn new skills and find the answers to things you don’t already know, which is a valuable trait to have in an employee.

4. What are the different ways to say “I don’t know?”

   Instead of saying “I don’t know” in an interview, try saying “Would you mind repeating the question?” This allows you to have them repeat the question while you think about your answer. Some other phrases to say include:

   • “Can I have a few more minutes to think about it?”

   • “Can you say the question in a different way?”

   • “Based on my understanding…”

5. What should I say if I don’t know the answer in interview?

   If you don’t know the answer in an interview you should try to think out loud to come up with an answer or be honest about not knowing. Thinking out loud can help you come up with an answer and help show the interviewer your thought process which is a great way to keep the conversation going and to avoid any awkward silences.

   Being honest about knowing the answer can also help you avoid being caught in a lie. Avoid simply saying “I don’t know” and try to use the thinking-out-loud method to help you work out your answer.

Final thoughts

Even though it may seem like a total nightmare, not being able to come up with an answer on the spot for a tough interview question isn’t a death sentence for your job prospects.

Make sure to study up on the most common interview questions and prepare your answers beforehand. If you still run into a question that you just don’t know how to answer, stay calm, take your time answering, and if you have to, just give your answer later on in your follow-up email.

Interviewers are more interested to see how you handle challenges and work through tough problems than knowing that you have all of the right answers. So just stay confident, don’t panic, and all the right answers will come.

References

1. ICMA – 25 Tricky Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

2. We Are Teachers – 8 Phrases to Teach Students Instead of ‘I Don’t Know”