I have had several employment interviews recently. I am usually able to produce clear and concise responses to most questions. Sometimes I will get stumped on a question. In these cases I will give a politician answer which will work around the question asked and form the best positive response I can think of which adds confusion yet sounds good.. Is this a bad thing to do or should I say I don't know to those questions I don't have an answer for at the time?
2006-09-27 05:08:44 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
There are lots of questions especially open ended question that stump the candidates. They are not intended to get specific answers. Some are there to see how you respond to pressure. Others will try to trick you into spilling the beans and discover a hidden career negative.
This is what you may want to try in your next interview. Always find out why the question is asked before you answer. You can easily do that by using a "u-turn" by saying "Well that is an interesting question, why is that important to you"? Be sure at this point to be quiet. Silence is golden and maintain eye contact.
This is to help you understand what is the motives behind those questions and you want to take a peek into the mind set of the interviewer. At the same time, make sure you have all your career strengths in 30 to 60 second summaries and use the appropriate one to satisfy the the question. You don't want to bark up the wrong tree and you would look stumped and stuttering. Making a u-turn with a question is an important interview tool.
A word on questions concerning career negatives...it is like an iceberg. The tip never sinks the ship. So never let them chip at the base. Acknowledge it, overcome it by saying how you learn from it and move on.
2006-09-27 06:35:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless you're going for a used car saleman job, don't just yammer for the sake of making noise. If you don't know the answer just say" I'm not realy sure but I can find out" That gives you an open to contact that person after the interview to follow up and reiterate your interest for the job.
2006-09-27 12:24:48 · answer #2 · answered by Bobi Ann D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interviewers can tell when a person is not sure how to answer a question.
Saying I don't know is okay, but for high tech jobs, they are not so much interested in the answer, but your problem resolution skills. So in that case you would say I don't know, but this is what I would do to find the answer.
2006-09-27 12:22:57 · answer #3 · answered by Kainoa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talking in circles like that (a "politician" answer) makes you seem either stupid or lying-- or being a smart a$$. Why not say "That's a good quesiton. One I need to research in order to answer" or something. You can also say you don't understand the question and perhaps if it is asked again, you'll have a chance to come up with an answer.
2006-09-27 12:18:01 · answer #4 · answered by Violet Pearl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Honesty is the best policy. After all, when I worked in Human Resources, I often interviewed potential candidates. It's really obvious when a person is fudging their way through an interview. The only person in most situation, being fooled is yourself. Be careful, because one day it could backfire on you.
2006-09-27 12:14:53 · answer #5 · answered by Swordfish 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Employers sometimes hire based on past experiences:
How did you handle a bad situation in your present or prior employment. (have a story prepared)
What did you do to change the status quo ?
Prepared stories are absolutely necessary.
2006-09-27 12:20:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just went through the same thing. Be honest. If you don't know the answer say I don't know. Or I have not considered that.
2006-09-27 12:16:26 · answer #7 · answered by ToServe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋