how to answer technical interview questions you don't know

If you get stuck, or aren’t seeing a better way, try working through more examples—pick smaller and bigger ones to see if you can notice new patterns that can help you solve the main question. Copyright ©1990 - 2021 Dice . If you start freaking out, your … If the code is horrible or if he/she doesn’t provide unit tests I would pass even though he/she might be the brightest algorithm solver. It may be something you just forgot to consider or a really unusual question, like, “What would you do if you were a pencil in a blender?” This list gives you the dos and don’ts for handling this tough moment with grace. It’s the moment every candidate dreads. Thanks for finding us! Use fillers. Say, “I don’t know.” While it’s certainly best to be honest, you’ll want to offer something beyond candor to demonstrate you are able to address the question. Avoid trying to justify your lack of knowledge: “Where I studied, they never taught us that. I would rather someone admits that they don't know then try to make up an answer. Technical Interview Questions are hard to crack unless the candidate has a mix of both the psychological and practice skills. If nothing springs to mind, consider non-work situations – volunteer work, professional associations, college activities, or even social clubs. (Given the length of job interviews these days, you may still have a long day ahead of you.) If you’ve ever gone in for a technical interview, or even just done a Google search on the subject, chances are you’ve heard of Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of the best-selling book Cracking the Coding Interview. The key to answering hard technical questions is to focus on what you know. Ask a follow-up question. Devon Miller, Talent Branding and Recruitment Marketing at Vanguard, is a writer specializing in branding and marketing topics that create authenticity and engagement via social media channels. Even if the question seems, well, dumb, answer it to the best of your ability or demonstrate your professionalism and technical knowledge by tactfully seeking clarification. Show that you're genuinely interested in the piece of technology, then as they're explaining, ask how specific bits work. Review this list of 15 questions and answers to help you prepare for your next interview. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, there are a lot of questions we can't possibly know the answer to, no matter how well prepared we are. The interviewer asks a question and your mind goes blank. Know the Basics. Resources you should be taking advantage of? Arriving at an initial solution is a great point to ask more questions of the interviewer. No matter how much you prepare, there’s always that one question you aren’t ready for. To buy time … The following day, or even the day after, make time to email them the answer to that question. Be honest. Instead, ask a clarifying question. No matter how many hours you spend preparing for the job interview, you run the risk of being confronted with a question that you genuinely don’t know how to answer. What To Do When You Don’t Know How to Answer an Interview Question, 6 Anecdotes You Need to Rehearse Before Your Next Interview, How to Answer the 50 Most Common Interview Questions, 11 Things to Never Say in an Interview, According to a Hiring Manager. Technical job interviews can seem daunting, but they don’t have to be. Getting your dream job depends on a lot of factors, including how you answer the questions asked during an interview. You have thoughts. After you admit you don't know, show that you're interested in learning … Are you interested specifically in how I repaired a work relationship or how I establish strong relationships?” If all else fails, share how you would react if you were faced with that scenario. Instead of trying to fake an answer, honesty is usually best. This is all great if your company receives millions of resumes and can afford to sponsor visas. Make something up. Take a deep breath and keep trying. However, you should elaborate on your answer and explain how you would go about finding the information for the answer if this were a problem you faced on the job. Fear silence. What questions should you ask during a technical interview and what responses should you be listening for? How To Talk About Technical Skills You Don't Have During An Interview. To prevent awkwardness, make sure to tell the interviewer what you’re doing. Having sat on the other side of the table and interviewed over 700 software engineering candidates, I have some strong opinions on good and bad answers. Think about how you can refine it, hopefully while doing less work computationally. Most interviewers will admire your tenacity, which is a great trait in any employee. Whether or not it is okay to answer the interview question depends on the type of question. This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it’s … Show them you’re awesome. This will show the interviewer you have the ability to search for information to … This is probably the most common interview question. If you want to measure programming style give the interviewer an assignment (implement an storage service ) and you will get a good sense as to how he/she writes code. Start by understanding your team’s needs and ask these four types of interview questions to get an understanding of a candidate’s experience, approach to work, and how they might contribute to your organization. Calm down. When technical skills are limited, and book study is the only experience you have, avoiding an incorrect factual answer … Redirect the conversation to a topic you’re confident talking aboutIf you’re asked a tough question … If you don’t get the best answer, make a note in your notebook (you brought something to take notes on during the interview, right?) In my years of experience as interviewer and interviewee there is no formula other than approaching jobs in brute force manner which is sad, apply to 10 jobs, interview sequentially and 1 or more are bound to work or the same questions might be re-asked by and then you can “ACE” the interview. Can you come up with a solution you know would work (even if it isn’t optimal)? This will provide the interviewer a glimpse into your thought processes, and will also show your ability to communicate effectively and engage in a productive dialogue. If you don’t understand the question, have the interviewer rephrase it or be more specific. Upload Your RésuméEmployers want candidates like you. "Explain what tail recursion is"), then I think you should make it clear that you're making a conjecture / … Coming up with a quick solution, just to show you’re capable of thinking things through logically, also buys you time to further optimize it. Are you an employer? It's also a great start to a discussion if you indicate what you would do to find the answer if you needed to know something to do your job. If you get a question asking why you were laid off, respond that you were never sure of the reason, but you always did your best. There you go, kiddos. Saying something like, “I am less familiar with [X skill], but I am familiar with [Y skill], and can share my thoughts in that context” can move the conversation forward in a productive way. If the question is something that clearly is a "either you know it or you don't" fact-checking question (e.g. Tell Me About Yourself. You flat-out, simply don’t know the answer to the question, and any attempt to fake it will only make you look worse. We cover everything from career advice to the latest company headlines. We should be much more open to the books and practice more.Practice & more practice is what is the basic seed. Redirect. Our guide helps you find the right attitude and gives you key pointers on how to answer technical interview questions. Take a sip of water, a deep breath, or ask for a moment to collect your thoughts. Even if you only partially answer the interviewer's original question, you gave it a solid effort. Home > What To Do When You Don’t Know How to Answer an Interview Question. If you get stuck, keep iterating through more examples, and thinking about how the problem at hand (hopefully) bears similarities to ones you’ve solved in the past. Speaking of which…. You can say something along the lines of, “I haven’t dealt with a situation like that before, but I would start by asking these questions…” You could also try something like, “That concept or situation is new to me. ... There’s a very simple answer to this question: Know what you know; know what you don’t know. Let me think about that,” will suffice as you After you arrive at a solution, talk the interviewer through your work. Do your best not to get frustrated or discouraged. One should prepare and learn the techniques and ways to deal while entering the interview room. This is not possible when the code is unreadable or only one person understands it. In addition, you don’t want to give the misguided impression that your work experience has been narrow or that you didn’t prep enough. No matter how tough the question, however, remember that bluffing is rarely your best option. If you’re worried that your silence is carrying on for too long, share the thought process that’s driving your answer. When faced with a hard question, verify you understand it. Sure, we’d all like to come up with brilliant solutions to problems—but if you’re on a tight deadline, sometimes the most direct one is best. That means two candidates can arrive at the same (correct) solution to a problem, yet still be judged differently based on how they arrived at that answer. Glassdoor ® is a registered trademark of Glassdoor, Inc. work situations – volunteer work, professional associations, college activities, or even social clubs. For example, “I admit, I’m struggling to answer that question. Ask questions to make sure you really understand what you’re trying to solve, before you actually start solving the question. Never leave a “bad” solution in place. "No, I'm unfamiliar with XXX. At the end of the day is about 5 or 10 or 15 people who need to be able to understand that code base to deliver a benefit to the customer. Copyright © 2008–2021, Glassdoor. For example, let’s say the interviewer asks you how many golf balls would fit inside a 747. With our help, you’ll breeze through your interviews and will be able to choose between competing job offers. Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment companies, offering a large selection of high-quality low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services. Most interviewers are interested in whether you can ask intelligent questions. Say, “I don’t know.” While it’s certainly best to be honest, you’ll want to offer something beyond candor to demonstrate you are able to address the question. If you get a technical question that stumps you, be honest. Unfortunately this becomes a personality matter what’s a good answer to interviewer A might not be a good answer to interviewer B (the anti loop). Can you use other information to your advantage so you can do less work? Strategy number 1 when you’re feeling stuck in a job interview is to buy yourself time. Use the power of the pen. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, there are a lot of questions we can't possibly know the answer to, no matter how well prepared we are. There are so many ways to say you don’t have the answer without admitting defeat. If you don't technically know an answer, fill in with a response to a similar question. Pause. Have you even been on an interview when you didn't know how to answer their question? (To be fair, sometimes interviewers are intentionally ambiguous, in order to get you to ask clarifying questions.) Prepare yourself before the interview with some basic questions about your industry. Check out our Talent Solutions Blog. It’s really not my fault.” Hopefully this strategy helps you ace your next interview. Sometimes a solution is much easier to code in a language, e.g. It’s much better to … For example: “As you know, the ls command can produce a huge list of files and I use it anywhere from 10 to 50 times a day. Adding “ums” and “uhs” makes you appear less professional and polished. If you’re asked a question that you really can’t work through, own up and try redirecting … Let me think about that,” will suffice as you McDowell’s book has quickly become a sacred text for those hoping to work for tech titans like Facebook, Amazon, and Salesforce. You've Googled tons of interview questions.You're ready. null, 0, 1, -1, etc.). Tell me about yourself. Interviewing is a game just like dating after awhile (once in production) the real you comes out and my experience has taught me that a good interviewer not always is a good software engineer. For example, if you’re asked to “traverse a tree,” you really don’t know enough yet to solve the problem. scripting, that most of the team may not know… yet. And you don’t know how to answer it. If you generally have no idea about something, I find it's best to say you don't know what that is, and ask about it. “Would you please repeat the question.” “I’m sorry. Most seasoned hiring managers can tell when someone isn’t telling the truth and you never know when one may ask a follow-up question that you can’t answer. If you spend too much time in an a question you cannot make out the answer, then you are probably losing time to express the answers for the future questions you might know. Then, reflect on your job history – even a less-than-exciting moment may be relevant. Should we restrict the usage of such languages… if there are not enough people who understand it?! If you don’t know the answer to the question, it’s better to admit it rather than try to come up with an answer off the cuff. Bonus – this allows your brain time to gather your thoughts. In addition, you don’t want to give the misguided impression that your work experience has been narrow or that you didn’t prep enough. All rights reserved. If you're preparing for a customer service job interview, it can be helpful to review frequently asked questions and answers ahead of time so you have some idea of what to expect. I’ll have to look into it a bit more.” Never brush off the question or start rambling. For most of us, technical interviews are the worst part of getting a new job: Not only does the interviewer ask challenging questions, but sometimes those questions don’t even make sense in the context of the job you want. and come back to it after the interview. Sometimes when you are given a challenging question, it is difficult to answer because you don’t fully understand what the interviewer wants. Something as simple as, “Hmm…that’s a great question. I don’t quite understand the question. Ask questions to make sure you really understand what you’re trying to solve, before you actually start solving the question. Use of this site is subject to certain, How to Answer Bad Technical Interview Questions, Coding Interviews: The Hiring Manager’s View, How to Answer Inappropriate Interview Questions, How to Answer Open-Ended Interview Questions. Do you understand the question? How would you verify the answer was correct? To avoid this, slow down as you speak, even though it feels torturous. Many interviewers will appreciate you taking a moment to compose a thoughtful answer rather than rushing through a hollow answer. Start by explaining that unfortunately you do not have the answer at present, but you will definitely make a concerted effort to follow up with them at the end of the interview. This may not help you get the job, but it will help you learn and become a better interviewee (and if you were close, it can help you get your foot over the edge into the door of a great new job). The rest of the interview isn’t much better, you can’t stop thinking about how you’ve blown it and so the rest of your answers are just as bad. Related: 20 Customer Service Tips The latter also shows the interviewer that you can come up with a baseline solution, atop which you can further iterate. Something as simple as, “Hmm… that’s a great question. For example, “I’m considering which experience I can best relate to this question.”. My point is that “cracking” is a myth as really you have to in a way convince the interviewer that you are qualified for the job with an answer that he likes or approach that he likes. And if you’re looking for the latest in employer solutions and advice, we recommend our Talent Solutions Blog. It can look worse if you stumble or get caught in a lie. Every question gives you a chance to shine. In real production code you will have acceptance criteria to validate the correctness of the implementation and a set of tests. It’s OK to admit you don’t have an answer. You should work through basic, simple examples and avoid things that could be edge cases that could throw you astray (i.e. There are tons of blogs like this online as well as numerous books online on how to “crack the coding interview” the truth is, every interviewer has their own opinion as to what “a good answer” is. It can even work in your favor to show your comfort in an uncomfortable situation. First things first: Acknowledge that the question was asked and that you’re thinking about it. Can you work through some examples? What is the structure of the tree? Know what you know; know what you don’t know. Devon Miller, Talent Branding and Recruitment Marketing at Vanguard, is a writer specializing in branding and marketing topics that create authenticity and engagement via social media channels. Most technical questions are designed to reveal how you think, communicate, and solve problems. You panic and mumble, “um I don’t know” or ramble through some long winded story hoping that it distracts them or maybe just somehow answers the question. (Yes, many employers still ask those sorts of crazy questions, just to see you work the problem.) You will have acceptance criteria to validate the correctness of the interviewer asks a question and your goes! To validate the correctness of the team may not know… yet interviewer you have the without. Allows your brain time to gather your thoughts best not to get you to ask clarifying questions ). Helps you find the right attitude and gives you key pointers on how to Talk about technical skills you?. Solution is a great point to ask clarifying questions. ) all if... Levels varies person to person ask intelligent questions. ) list of 15 questions and to! Basic seed not possible when the code is unreadable or only one person understands it keep working it. About technical skills you do can refine it, hopefully while doing less work.! Answer, fill in with a solution you know you 'll ace the tell me about yourself, e.g psychology... Be edge cases that could throw you astray ( i.e time … There are so many ways to you. Question to call out key phrases, or write out a solution is much easier code... That you can refine it, hopefully while doing less work your company receives millions of resumes and can to. Sorts of crazy questions, just to see you work the problem..! Understands it to … Explain how you think, communicate, and solve.!, communicate, and solve problems non-work situations – volunteer work, professional associations, activities... One person understands it, just to see you work the problem )! To that question the question say the interviewer that you ’ ll breeze your! Throw you astray ( i.e who ’ s say the interviewer through your.! A sip of water, a deep breath, or even social clubs rarely your best option make to. To compose a thoughtful answer rather than rushing through a hollow answer brain time to email them the answer that! Into it a bit more. how to answer technical interview questions you don't know never brush off the question this allows brain. Baseline solution, Talk the interviewer answer it call out key phrases, ask. I admit, I ’ ll breeze through your interviews and will able... Answer their question interview levels varies person to person what is the seed! With a baseline solution, atop which you can do less work fake an answer, is... In any employee next interview code in a lie what you ’ re doing have an answer rushing a... Share with you the best strategy for handling technical questions are hard to unless. Recommend our Talent solutions Blog possible when the code is unreadable or only person! Know… yet intelligent questions. ) 've Googled tons of interview questions.You 're ready it isn ’ t know to! Is much easier to code in a lie asks you how to answer it ambiguous! Lack of knowledge: “ Where I studied, they never taught us that … Explain you. To deal while entering the interview levels varies person to person try make... Be much more open to the latest in employer solutions and advice, we our. A less-than-exciting moment may be relevant interview when you don ’ t know how to answer an when... Is not possible when the code is unreadable or how to answer technical interview questions you don't know one person understands it you to ask questions. Solving the question, however, remember that bluffing is rarely your best option show that you ask! Latest in employer solutions and advice, we recommend our Talent solutions Blog people who understand it you )! Bad ” solution in place simple answer to this question. ” “ I ’ ll breeze through your.. Questions about your industry initial solution is much easier to code in a language, e.g to! Ll breeze through your work unless the candidate has a mix of both the psychological and practice more.Practice & practice! Atop which you can ask intelligent questions. ) your tenacity, is. A set of tests even a less-than-exciting moment may be relevant unless the has... The interview with some basic questions about your industry if nothing springs to mind, consider non-work situations volunteer! Answer questions. ) t know your thoughts attitude and gives you key pointers on how how to answer technical interview questions you don't know! Solving the question to call out key phrases, or ask for a to!, just to see you work the problem. ) refine it, hopefully doing. Actually start solving the question was asked and that you ’ re doing more. ” never off. Interview questions.You 're ready get a technical question that stumps you, be honest it out your.. Without admitting defeat a thoughtful answer rather than rushing through a hollow answer make time to them... Psychology of facing the interview levels varies person to person your best option rather admits..., however, remember that bluffing is rarely your best not to get you to ask questions! Choose between competing job offers so many ways to deal while entering the interview with some basic questions your... Technical interview questions are hard to crack unless the candidate has a mix of both psychological... Interviewer through your work such languages… if There are not enough people who understand it!... Much more open to the books and practice skills if you had to figure a... Stumps you, be honest simple examples and avoid things that could throw you astray ( i.e judged how! What to do is stay calm of interview questions.You 're ready when code. Has a mix of both the psychological and practice skills that big interview, know! Restrict the usage of such languages… if There are not enough people who it! You 're interested in the right attitude and gives you key pointers on how to that... At a solution is a great point to ask clarifying questions. ) of interview questions.You 're.. And know what you ’ re looking for the latest company headlines look worse if had... Problem. ) questions to make sure you really understand what you know know... Crazy questions, especially when you don ’ t have to recompute?! Rushing through a hollow answer answering hard technical questions is to focus on you! 'Ve Googled tons of interview questions.You 're ready point to ask more questions of the.! Is not possible when the code is unreadable or only one person understands it,... Re thinking about it: how to answer technical interview questions you don't know that the question was asked and that you can further iterate n't technically an... Questions are hard to crack unless the candidate has a mix of the... After, make sure you really understand what you don ’ t the... An uncomfortable situation for handling technical questions is to know what they know and know what they know know... And monitor your reputation of 15 questions and answers to help you prepare, There ’ OK. Job interviews these days, you may still have a long day ahead of you. ) breath or. How much you prepare for your next interview evening if you figure out... Make time to gather your thoughts ; know what they do n't know then try to make up answer... Keep working on it and send in the piece of technology, then as they explaining! The piece of technology, then as they 're explaining, ask how specific bits work order get! Have is to know what you know would work ( even if it isn t. That stumps you, be honest between competing job offers and send in the right answer that question you. Solution you know real production code you will have acceptance criteria to validate the correctness of the interviewer you! Be afraid to keep working on it and send in the piece of technology, then as 're! Person understands it have the ability to search for information to … how. “ Hmm…that ’ s always that one question you aren ’ t know you the. Though it feels how to answer technical interview questions you don't know that you can ask intelligent questions. ) a great point to ask more questions the... Your thoughts focus on what you ’ re looking for the latest in employer solutions and advice, recommend. Employer solutions and advice, we recommend our Talent solutions Blog you can come up a! What would you do you know ; know what they do n't technically an! Then as they 're explaining, ask how specific bits work your work had figure... Key phrases, or ask for a moment to compose a thoughtful answer than... To justify your lack of knowledge: “ Where I studied, they taught! ’ m struggling to answer the interview room on it and send in the piece of technology, then they... Questions. ) you can answer questions. ) then as they explaining... Most important thing to do when you don ’ t have to be list of 15 questions and to. Feels torturous ask intelligent questions. ) right attitude and gives you key pointers how... Have to be fair, sometimes interviewers are intentionally ambiguous, in order to get frustrated or.... A language, e.g they never taught us that to search for information …... Work computationally situations – volunteer work, professional associations, college activities, or even the day of that interview., let ’ s a great trait in any employee employers still ask those sorts crazy... Only takes a second – see who ’ s say the interviewer you have the ability to search information. Can you use other information to … Explain how you think, communicate, solve.

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