What do you do if a difficult interview question catches you off guard?
Facing a tough question during an interview can feel like hitting a wall at full speed. You're there, selling your skills and building a rapport, and suddenly, you're asked something that leaves you blinking in surprise. It happens to the best, and it's not the end of the world—or the interview. The key lies in handling the situation with grace and composure, turning a potential stumbling block into an opportunity to showcase your problem-solving abilities and emotional intelligence. In the next sections, you'll find strategies to navigate through those tricky moments without missing a beat.
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Lana Zendehdel-AklHeadhunter @ HR-Headhunting Crew HHC | Executive Search
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John RyanSenior Writer and Narrative Designer for Games | Writing two secret projects | Always looking for the next adventure |…
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Raheel AhmedTalent Acquisition Specialist | Fintech, Gaming, E-commerce, AI/ML | Driving Excellence in Recruitment
When a question throws you off, your first reaction might be panic. However, maintaining your composure is crucial. Take a deep breath and give yourself a moment to collect your thoughts. It's perfectly acceptable to pause before answering; it shows you're thoughtful and not prone to knee-jerk reactions. If you need a bit more time, it's also okay to ask for clarification on the question, which can give you an extra moment to think and ensures you understand what's being asked.
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Lana Zendehdel-Akl
Headhunter @ HR-Headhunting Crew HHC | Executive Search
Take a few moments to understand the question and why you've been asked to answer it, stay calm and be honest. Usually if a question like this is coming up it's to test your abilities to react calmly. Take in the question, analyze it and then answer. It's not an interrogation, it's just an interview.
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John Ryan
Senior Writer and Narrative Designer for Games | Writing two secret projects | Always looking for the next adventure | johnryanwrites.com
Since they might have asked this to throw you, they are trying to see how you handle something unexpected. I try to look happily surprised. "Wow. No one has ever asked me that before." I try to look like I love the question and the challenge of something difficult. I'm really stalling for time as my brain calculates an answer. I breathe first and then begin speaking slowly in order to prevent me from rambling, because that isn't a good look in an interview. Lastly, be honest. Or as honest as you can be. Interviewers can sniff out when someone is being phony. But stay relaxed and project that you loved the hard question.
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Matt Barney
#TheMattBarney | Sr. Recruiter at KRAFTON
Hate when this happens & the way that Recruiter Interviews are being conducted today, it's no longer about doing the job. It's no longer about 'your successes,' it almost feels like they want to know how you're going to CYA when you fail / don't support the needs vs. coming in to succeed. I had a few of these questions recently before I joined my current Studio & it can be frustrating. It made me feel dumb tbh. The key is remaining calm & not doing a word salad. Take that breath, ask a clarification question to buy you an extra beat if needed, but remain calm! If you just start rambling, you're going to sink yourself in the interview fast & then you'll be kicking yourself for a week+ after!
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Simone Sommariva Vieira
Mentora de MKT Pessoal I Job Hunter I Tech Recruiter I Headhunter I Especialista em Currículo e Perfil do LinkedIn I Mentoria de Carreira I RH I Co-Fundadora Decola Juninho
Manter a calma numa entrevista de emprego é muito importante, pois existe a possibilidade de uma pergunta inesperada acontecer. Neste momento devemos nos concentrar na pergunta, caso tenhamos dúvida, solicitar que a pergunta seja feita novamente, ouvir com atenção e analisar o que ela pretende captar de informações a nosso respeito. Organizar os pensamentos, relacionar a pergunta com alguma experiência vivida e responder com muita sinceridade, perguntando no final da resposta se foi claro, se necessita de mais algum esclarecimento. Uma coisa que se espera nesse momento é a capacidade de lidar com o inusitado, com o difícil, mantendo a calma.
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Bruna Yukimy Hada
Financial Area | Financial Planning | Accounts Payable | Accounts Receivable | Exchange | Bank and Accounting Reconciliation | MBA in Finance and Controllership | Advanced Excel | Power BI | Financial Automation
Tem que manter a calma, uma técnica que você pode usar para fazer isso é sempre ter um copo de água com você e caso se encontre nesse tipo de situação, respire, mantenha a calma, tome um gole de água e enquanto isso pense na sua resposta
If after a brief pause you're still not sure how to answer, it's better to be honest rather than fumble through a response. You can acknowledge that it's a great question and you'd like a moment to think about it. This honesty can be refreshing and demonstrates your ability to handle unexpected situations. Use this time to quickly reflect on your experiences and knowledge related to the question, even if it means considering a broader perspective.
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Raheel Ahmed
Talent Acquisition Specialist | Fintech, Gaming, E-commerce, AI/ML | Driving Excellence in Recruitment
Instead of immediately launching into a response, take a moment to reflect on the question. This brief pause allows you to mentally process the question and gather your thoughts. Avoid the urge to rush into an answer, as hastily formulated responses may lack coherence or depth.
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Gabriel D.
3D Props n' Texture Artist
Pensar em momentos similares que já aconteceram com você ou próximo a você pode lhe ajudar. Nem sempre as experiências tem que passar diretamente por nós, mas por osmose as vezes aprendemos o mesmo tanto quanto se fosse em "nossa pele". E nesse caso a reflexão tem o mesmo peso, pois talvez pensando na perspectiva alheia, tenhamos mais calma e menos auto julgamento com a situação.
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Sérgio Gomes
Consultor Educacional
Honestidade e transparência faz toda a diferença na vida pessoal e profissional para obter o sucesso desejável em tudo, procure a leveza em suas palavras e garanta as oportunidades surgida em sua vida.
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Jesús Mazo
Global Supply Chain Projects Development at ISDIN | #EMBA #MIBer | Driver of Change | Attitude, Passion, Commitment in all I do.
A veces pasar un mal trago es lo mejor que puede pasarte para venderte mejor En primer lugar, ante cualquier duda y siempre con mucha tranquilidad solicitarle a tu entrevistador que te repita la pregunta. Ganarás algo de tiempo para pensar y tranquilizarte Si sigues sin saber qué contestar tienes varias formas de seguir: 1.- Decirle siempre con mucha tranquilidad y seguridad, que en este momento no estás preparado para contestarle pero que te comprometes a enviarle la información solicitada durante el día, o 2. Responder con otra pregunta. Muchas veces funciona, traspasas la pelota al entrevistador y ganas tiempo para pensar en la respuesta adecuada Lo que nunca debes haces es quedarte cabizbajo, dubitativo y sin reaccionar
Once you've had a moment to think, aim to structure your response in a clear and concise manner. Start with a main point or idea, then provide supporting details or examples. This will help you stay on track and make your answer more coherent. If the question is complex, breaking it down into smaller parts can make it easier to tackle. Remember, interviewers appreciate structured thinking as it often reflects how you'll approach real-world problems.
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Aaron Schmulenson
Marketing Coordinator + Strategist | Supporting High-Growth, Ambitious Teams | Project Management and Marketing Expertise 🎯 | Influencing Performance Acceleration by 30%
Take the opportunity to show the interviewer your thought process. The process measures your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Break the down question into smaller parts if needed. It helps you plan your thoughts. Take a concise approach to communicating your thoughts. Be confident and authentic in your interaction.
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Omar Alfonso Padilla Robles
Commercial Specialist
Una vez que entendiste bien la pregunta y reflexionaste sobre ella, es momento de acomodar las ideas para brindarle estructura a la respuesta, Una habilidad que te ayudará a mejorar este proceso es el uso de un lenguaje adecuado que permita el entendimiento total de tu respuesta.
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Wanessa Soares Oliveira
Supervisora | Recursos Humanos | Especialista RH | Gestão de Pessoas | Administração | Mãe do Lucas
Não adianta sair falando sem. Ao menos saber o que falar. O nervosismo com certeza deixará a situação mais tensa, mas é melhor pensar e acalmar se par ter u a linha de raciocino do que simplesmente sair falando por falar.
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Gabriel D.
3D Props n' Texture Artist
Como um consumidor de entretenimento, tanto em Livros, Jogos ou Filmes, a forma como muitas vezes nos é apresentado alguma situação, seja ela qual for, desde um problema ou alguma solução, tudo é planejado e apresentado em uma ordem. Onde o objetivo é seguir etapas e criar passo a passo para chegar em algum lugar. Assim também pode ser com nossa apresentação, fala ou descrição de algo. Tenha em mente o Objetivo e saiba que para chegar "lá" é preciso respeitar todos os passos.
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Sérgio Gomes
Consultor Educacional
Procure conhecer melhor a instituição e a oportunidade na qual você se candidatou pra ter a firmeza nas suas respostas, o nosso sucesso, só depende de nós mesmo
Demonstrating adaptability is key when faced with a tough question. If you don't know the exact answer, pivot by relating your response to similar experiences or knowledge you do have. This shows that you're resourceful and willing to apply what you know to new situations. It's also an opportunity to highlight how you learn and grow from challenges, which is a valuable trait in any professional setting.
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Alice Meyer
Bookkeeper/Finance
Always adapt and say that no 2 companies or jobs are the same although the job descriptions are. The inside of each company has their different ways of working
If you truly don't know the answer or have no relevant experience to draw from, honesty is the best policy. It's better to admit your lack of knowledge than to fabricate an answer. You can express your eagerness to learn or how you would go about finding the answer. This candor can build trust and shows that you value integrity over pretending to know everything.
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Wanessa Soares Oliveira
Supervisora | Recursos Humanos | Especialista RH | Gestão de Pessoas | Administração | Mãe do Lucas
Não minta, como diria um velho ditado popular: mentira tem perna curta. Seja honesto e criei confiança em sua entrevista. Demonstre ao recrutador que você tem as habilidades sem precisar inventar ou aumentar suas habilidade. A honestidade é muito valorizada.
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Omar Alfonso Padilla Robles
Commercial Specialist
La ética es algo muy importante, ser honesto y enfatizar tus valores ayudará a empalmar tus valores con los de la organización, el hecho de que seas una persona con ética, empática, solidaria, denotará liderazgo aplicado, por lo que serás una mejor opción ante otros candidatos.
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Heather Parkhouse
Director at Barker Munro Recruitment Ltd Recruiting Insurance Professionals
Honesty is always the best policy! You cannot make up that you have had experience in a specific area if you haven't! Instead, express how interested you would be to learn about that topic and hope that you will be able to pick up the relevant skills quickly.
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Alice Meyer
Bookkeeper/Finance
Always say that you are open to learning more because knowledge is power. Knowledge skills experience and expertise nobody can take away from you but you can show other employees easier methods to do the work faster
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Gabriel D.
3D Props n' Texture Artist
Honestidade não tem haver a ser grosseiro, direto ou agir com escassez. Pelo contrário, é um momento em que temos que ser mais "limpos" o possível para demonstrar o quanto nos preocupa a falta de conhecimento, e o quanto estamos dispostos a correr atrás disso para melhorar e atender as expectativas que nos são pedidas. Haja com Empatia e assim demostrará o quanto o outro pode também ser empático com você.
Regardless of how well you handle a difficult question, use it as a learning experience. Reflect on why the question was challenging and how you might prepare for similar questions in the future. Then, move on and focus on the rest of the interview. Dwelling on one tough question can throw off your performance, so it's important to keep your momentum going and continue to build the relationship with your interviewer.
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Raheel Ahmed
Talent Acquisition Specialist | Fintech, Gaming, E-commerce, AI/ML | Driving Excellence in Recruitment
Interviewing is not an interrogation; it's a two-way communication process. Interviewers want to understand your capabilities and determine if you're a good fit for the role, but they also want to know what you're looking for in a job and company culture. Approach the interview as a conversation, where you can also learn about the company and role to ensure it aligns with your goals and values. While learning and working are valuable experiences that can enhance your interview performance, it's still beneficial to prepare for interviews. Reviewing common interview questions, researching the company and role, and practicing your responses can help you feel more confident and articulate during the interview process.
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Gabriel D.
3D Props n' Texture Artist
Tenha o bom senso de que ninguém é perfeito e que perante a qualquer novidade estamos sujeitos a errar. O que não é aceito é continuar errando a ponto de não aprendermos com aquilo que nos é apresentado. Como já dizia Bruce Lee, "Seja água". Já em minha interpretação: As vezes mais quente para fazer um café e lhe dar energia, as vezes mais fria para refrescar o calor. As vezes em forma de nuvens para gerar sombras, as vezes em forma de chuva para lavar onde tocar. As vezes calma como uma represa e as vezes mais agitada como corredeiras. Mas sempre se movendo e se adaptando.
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Aaron Schmulenson
Marketing Coordinator + Strategist | Supporting High-Growth, Ambitious Teams | Project Management and Marketing Expertise 🎯 | Influencing Performance Acceleration by 30%
My best advice is not to let one question get you down. It is easy to dwell on the past. Move forward and take the initiative to learn from your mistakes. Maintaining composure in your interview helps communicate what you bring to the table. You want to build a great relationship with the interviewer. Be confident and authentic. You want to leave a positive impression on the interviewer. Each experience teaches you how to grow and prepare for a future situation.
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Bhasi Bahuleyan
LinkedIn Top Voice in Time⌛Management. Retired 💯 Range Forest Officer 🌿 of Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department. 🌏 A dedicated Government Servant in India for 24 years. Former General Administrator at a Resort.
You may know that generally the interviewer is far more experienced in the topic. The interviewer will definitely read your mind when you panic. Surrender to such questions are also advisable. It is a fact that you don't know everything even when that contributes to the knowledge.
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