How To Answer an Interview Question You Don't Know in 10 Steps

During a job interview, you may encounter questions you don't know how to answer immediately. These questions may extend beyond your knowledge, meaning it may be challenging to provide a comprehensive, accurate answer. Learning about how to answer these questions can help you develop your own effective strategies and increase your chances of receiving a job offer from a hiring manager. In this article, we explain how to answer questions you don't know in 10 steps and include some examples of relevant scenarios to help you prepare an effective response. Related: 21 Tough Open-Ended Questions (And How To Answer Them)

How to answer questions you don't know

Here are some steps and strategies you can use to answer interview questions you don't know with professionalism and confidence:

1. Take your time

When encountering a question you're unsure how to answer, take a few seconds to understand what information the interviewer may want you to provide. Reflect on the question and process the logical steps of your response before speaking aloud. Allowing yourself time to sit with the question and think about your answer may allow you to develop an effective response. It may be helpful to communicate your needs to the interviewer and acknowledge your feelings about the question.

2. Think aloud

Thinking aloud may also help you process challenging questions so you can discover a satisfying answer. This method allows you to demonstrate your thought process to a hiring manager and account for the question's implications. By thinking aloud, you may also identify more relevant points that provide contextual information for your response. For example, if you're in an interview for a writing position and the hiring manager asks about your process for editing your own materials, consider imagining each step and how you might complete it. Be mindful to include clarifying information when necessary. If you don't have a consistent editing process, thinking through the logical steps of the procedure can help you reach an effective answer. Related: How To Respond to Questions Effectively

3. Admit you're unsure

It may be helpful to express uncertainty when you don't know the answer to an unfamiliar question. This may happen if the speaker asks a detailed or complex question that requires more research or a deep level of insight into a specialized subject within your field. Remaining honest about what subjects you understand and addressing this information directly can show integrity, which many employers value in a candidate. It can also help you adjust the discussion to a familiar topic more easily. When using this approach, apologize and briefly explain why you're unsure of how to answer the question. For example, you can state that the question is about a topic you haven't reviewed recently or relates to an unfamiliar specialty in your field. Being polite, exuding confidence and remaining succinct with your answer can help you maintain credibility and move on quickly. You can also show a growth mindset by describing a desire to learn more information about the topic, if applicable.

4. Use flexible thinking

Employers may ask deliberately challenging questions to see if you can problem-solve creatively during unfamiliar workplace situations. In these cases, the interviewer may be more interested in gauging your ability to think through complex topics and develop a well-reasoned conclusion. When responding to a complex question, consider it from multiple perspectives. Think aloud as you process different ways of answering the question, and allow yourself to brainstorm openly on the topic. For example, if you're applying to a nursing position, the interviewer may ask how you would respond to an uncooperative patient. If this situation is unfamiliar, you can imagine how you might react to a patient and respond to their needs using your skills in the field. It may be helpful to share your interpretation of the issue, rather than a singular, correct answer. By voicing this process to a hiring manager, you can demonstrate your intuition and ability to adapt to new conditions. Related: 12 Tough Interview Questions and Answers

5. Repeat the question

Repeating or paraphrasing the interviewer's question can help you gain clarity while providing you some time to think about your answer and plan an effective response. When you summarize a question or voice your interpretation of it, the speaker may offer some additional context, clarify their intention or correct any misunderstandings you have about the prompt. Listening and showing interest in their elaboration can also show your engagement and consideration for what they have to say.

6. Ask follow-up questions

If you're unsure about the context of a question or certain terms an interviewer uses, consider asking for clarification. For example, various companies in the same industry may use different words to describe one concept. Politely asking for clarification or posing follow-up questions may help you get a better understanding of the question and the topic it addresses. To learn more information, you can also ask a hiring manager to describe how a department's team would approach the question before developing your own unique response.

7. Offer to come back to the question later

Depending on the context, it may be appropriate to return to a question later in a conversation. For example, a speaker may ask an interesting or complex question that you want to address, but need more time to answer fully. In this case, consider affirming the quality of the initial question, as this can show a speaker your interest in its topic and engagement in the conversation. Then, explain that you'd like more time to think about the question and request to follow up with a response later.

8. Acknowledge the question's value

Reminding yourself why a question is important may help you stay focused when responding to an unfamiliar question. Depending on a question's context, its topic may be valuable to your overall career growth. For example, you might discover a new industry topic or new perspectives on a familiar concept. Engaging in this process can help you challenge yourself professionally and stay engaged in the conversation, depending on the context of the question. It can also help you stay optimistic when preparing a response, which may help you problem-solve it more effectively.

9. Stay present in the conversation

It's common to feel distracted or unfocused if you're uncertain about how to answer a question. Feeling uncertain may cause you to lose confidence in your response, which may distract you from thinking through solutions. To overcome this challenge, try to remain calm by using stress management skills. For example, you can use deep breathing exercises to help you focus on a response to an interview question. Another option is to focus on the speaker's cues instead of your own thought process, then think aloud a response. Related: What Are Self-Regulations Skills? (And How To Improve Them)

10. Redirect to a relevant and familiar topic

If the speaker asks a question that extends beyond your knowledge of a topic, you can redirect the question to focus on a more familiar aspect. When using this technique, acknowledge that the question addresses an unknown subject area, then offer the information you can provide based on your own knowledge of the topic. This strategy allows you to demonstrate your industry expertise while remaining honest about your limitations. It also gives you an opportunity to showcase your conversational skills, as you can reframe a lack of familiarity in positive terms. For example, if you're interviewing for a marketing position and the interviewer asks you about how you would analyze an unfamiliar product market, you can discuss a related market instead. You might explain how your experience might allow you to understand the question's subject, then describe how you might approach a marketing strategy for this new area. By explaining ways you can apply the knowledge you already have, you can demonstrate analytical and adaptability skills.