Hey, you know what? It’s okay not to know the answer to a question during an interview.

And what is even better than that, is to have responses that are not actually answers. Some response that feels better and sounds better than “no response.”

These will be something that you have thought about in advance and crafted so you are in control of your interview. Nothing feels worse than being caught off guard, than being tongue tied or worse yet, saying something you immediately regret because you hadn’t time to think it through.

Those responses are some that we have taken time to create, that represent how you really feel about not having the answer, that are authentic to you, yet do not turn your interview upside down or take it in a direction you do not want to head.

A response could be for example something as simple as:

“Wow, I haven’t given that any thought, will have to get back to you on that one” (rewritten in your words, not mine).

It’s back to preparation to be in control of your interview.

The interesting thing in life is, it is freeing not to be in control all the time, though in our normal life not everything is being recorded, blasted over the media and lives in the ethos in perpetuity. 

An interview situation is not completely real life — even though one wants to be authentic and themselves, they can’t be just that — they have to be mindful, thoughtful and keep on message (letting your guard down ever so slightly for people to get to know you a bit is a good thing, however we are not OK for them to use a rare glimpse of you going off track against you for the rest of your career).

Preparing to have “no response” is as important as preparing your all–knowing responses.

— Suzanne