How To Say ‘I Don’t Know’ In An Interview? Sample Answers

Each one of us wants to ace a job interview by giving our best. Thus we need to showcase our skills and talent to impress our hiring manager. But sometimes, one such question can catch you off-guard.

However, it's important to remember that being honest and handling such situations gracefully can leave a positive impression.

In this article, we will explore some sample answers and strategies for effectively responding to the question "I don't know" during an interview. By learning how to navigate this scenario, you can demonstrate your integrity, critical thinking skills, and ability to handle uncertainty in a professional setting.

Key Takeaways

• Quick Tips
• 5 Different Ways to Help You Tackle Interview Questions You Don’t Know:
• What can you say in an interview instead of ‘I don’t know’?
• Tips to avoid saying ‘I don’t know’ in an interview.

QUICK TIPS

• Acknowledge your limitations: Instead of saying I don’t know in an interview, acknowledge your limitations. And explain that you are open to learning.
• Highlight relevant skills and knowledge: If you don't understand a subject, focus on your relevant abilities and experiences. Prove your capacity for quick learning and situational adaptation.
• Stay calm and composed: When you face an interview question that you don’t know about, it's important to remain calm and composed. Take your time to collect your thought process and answer confidently.
• Offer an alternative solution: If you cannot answer the question directly, offer alternative solutions or suggest different approaches that could potentially address the problem. It demonstrates your creativity and contributes valuable insight.

In addition to preparing necessary interview questions ,it's important to learn strategies that help you to remain calm and address complex situations.

It’s not always possible to answer all the questions in a job interview. You may face a question that you do not know. So how do you manage such instances? Simply saying ‘I don’t know’ in an interview will give a very bad impression on the interviewer.

5 Different Ways to Help You Tackle Interview Questions You Don’t Know:

1. Take your time

Several interviewers pose challenging questions to assess your response under pressure rather than evaluate your knowledge of the subject matter.

• Don’t rush, and hold off on responding right away.
• Take time to collect your thoughts and plan your response accordingly.

This shows your thoughtfulness and consideration in action.

2. Do not lie

If you encounter an 'I don't know' situation during a job interview and choose to lie about your knowledge, the hiring manager may proceed to ask you additional questions related to that topic to assess your understanding. This can escalate the situation since you won't be able to answer those follow-up questions, leading to potential embarrassment.

3. Ask for clarification

Sometimes you may know the answer, but it's just that you are not quite clear with the question. So it's better to ask the hiring manager for more details or relevant examples. So that you can figure out what they are looking for.

4. Redirect the hiring manager

If you cannot answer the question directly, don’t give some irrelevant answer. It’s better to redirect the hiring manager to your area of knowledge. This will allow you to showcase your relevant skills and abilities.

5. Employ versatile thinking

Employers might not always ask you questions directly. They try to test the candidate’s brainstorming capabilities by asking questions in a complex manner. So to handle such questions, think about the problem from various perpsectives instead of saying I don’t know in an interview.

What can you say in an interview instead of ‘I don’t know’?

In situations where you don't have a direct answer, responding with a simple "I don't know" may not leave the best impression on the interviewer. Instead, it's essential to have alternative responses that allow you to demonstrate your resourcefulness, adaptability, and willingness to tackle challenges head-on.

For this, you need some smart and some alternate answers. Let us glimpse at some of the examples you can use instead of an 'I don't Know' for an interview.

TOP 5 EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD OF ‘I DON'T KNOW’ IN AN INTERVIEW

1. I am unfamiliar with this particular topic, but I do know on…

While I don’t have much knowledge of R programming. But I do have experience in Python programming. If the job requires me to learn R, I will be excited to expand my knowledge with the help of Python programming, which I already have.

This response will show that you don't know much about a specific skill or area. At the same time, it will redirect the conversation to your area of expertise.

2. Thank you for asking this question. However, I can assure you that I will do some research….

Thank you for the great question. I am not very well acquainted with this topic/ subject. But I can assure you that I will do some research on it.

This response will show you that you are a motivated and optimistic person. Not knowing something is fine, but you should always be eager to learn.

3. I did not understand the question properly…

I did not understand the question properly. Could you please simplify and rephrase it? I did not want to misinterpret it.

When you acknowledge that you don't understand a question, the interviewer can restate or further explain it. It exhibits your integrity in avoiding misinterpretation while answering the question. It also demonstrates your ability to adapt and overcome challenges by seeking clarification.

4. I am not certain, but I would approach it by…

I am unsure right now. Still, as far as I know, I will first collect data about our target market, do the competitor analysis, and then go for a particular market strategy.

You can offer an educated guess using your information when you face an interview question requiring a specific answer. Explain your thought process with the help of logical assumptions or relevant experience.

5. I won’t be able to provide you with an exact answer right now, but...

I apologize for not having an immediate answer, but I am confident in my ability to learn quickly and adapt to new information and challenges.

Accepting your current limitation showcases that you are aware of your weaknesses. And expressing confidence in your ability to learn new reflects that you are open to continuous growth and improvement.

Tips to avoid saying ‘I don’t know’ in an interview.

Preparing for a job interview can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. Let's explore a few tips to help you avoid saying I don’t know in an interview.

Research on the company

It’s always better to do some research about the company beforehand. It helps you know what the company is about and how you fit in it. You can also customize your response during the interview highlighting how your background makes you an ideal fit for the role. You can also use websites like Vantage Lens to know about the company’s work culture.

Go through the job description properly.

When preparing for an interview, go through the job description thoroughly. This will help you know the tasks, duties, and responsibilities the interviewer expects from you. And then you can prepare accordingly.

Study your resume

Review all the details you have put in the resume and prepare how you would answer questions based on your resume.

Prepare common job interview questions

Preparing the common interview questions will help you to be confident while responding, reflecting that you are well-prepared and confident.

Think of some questions ahead of time

Asking questions to the interviewer will reflect your interest in the company. So remember to prepare a few thoughtful questions in advance.

Bottom Line

Handling a situation of not knowing an answer in an interview needs you to be calm and in control. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. There are several effective ways to handle such situations.

• Recognize your limitations while demonstrating an eagerness to learn
• Showcase your relevant skills and experiences
• Demonstrate adaptability
• Showcase creativity and valuable insights
• Offer alternative solutions

Rather than panicking and getting nervous,take a proactive approach. Your ability to handle uncertain situations with composure, reflects that you are confident and well prepared.

You can manage such situations successfully by preparing in advance, studying the organization, going through the job description, and practicing common interview questions.

Moreover, take this moment as a chance to show your problem solving skills. Employers like candidates who are open to learn new things and grow. So try to transform such challenging situations into an opportunity by keeping a positive mindset.

Remember, every organization prefers a candidate who has a growth mindset. So demonstrate yourself in a way that makes you stand out from the competition and leaves a positive impression on the interviewer.

This article has been written by Ranjana Das. She works as a Marketing Intern at Vantage Lens. Her areas of interest include marketing, photography, cooking, and dancing. She enjoys good music and experimenting with new cooking techniques when she isn't creating articles.