Tips for Answering Tough Job Interview Questions

You have experienced them before, the interview question or questions that you did not know how to answer. Supposedly, interview questions do not have any right or wrong answers. However, behavioral interviewing tells us that every answer sends a message about job candidates. You may find yourself agonizing over these questions, after the interview. Following simple methods will help you answer these tough questions with confidence.

You do not have to answer all questions quickly. The interviewer(s) are not timing you. While the interviewer(s) are comparing candidates, how quickly they answer questions is usually not a criteria. I have never seen an interviewer(s) with a stopwatch. The interviewer(s) will appreciate a well thought out and formulated answer.

While you do not want to answer too quickly, you also want to avoid prolonged silences. An unexplained, prolonged silence may indicate that you do not know how to answer. Some questions may require a little thought. If you do need a few moments then simply tell the interviewer(s) that. Asking for a few moments to think is preferable to an unexplained, prolonged silence.

Lengthy questions may be broken down into parts. If you can effectively answer all parts at once then do so. However, sometimes a lengthy question is tough to answer all at once. You can jot down each part of the question. This allows you to address the question one part at a time. You also can restate the question to make sure that you understood each part and/or did not miss anything. This will show a thoughtful person who pays attention to detail. It also will ensure that you fully answer the question.

If a question really stumps you then ask to come back to it. This should be used as a last resort; however, it can be helpful in buying you some time. As the interviewer(s) moves on, keep cultivating your answer. You will want the interviewer(s) to return to the question. If you are allowed to come back to a question then thank your interviewer(s) for the extra time to answer. Should the interview end, without returning to this question, the interviewer(s) note's will show that you did not answer this question. Keep in mind, a poorly answered question may be better than no answer at all. For this reason, this is why this method should be a last resort only.

Proper preparation can help avoid uncomfortable silences. Cultivating tactics for answering tough questions is one part of this preparation. Pre-interview preparation should also include preparing potential answers to common interview questions. There are many resources available to help prepare for common interview questions including Interview Questions and Answers, How to Prepare for Typical Interview Questions, and The 25 most difficult questions you'll be asked on a job interview. These resources will help ensure that you do not get stumped on tough questions and put your best foot forward.