What to say when you don’t understand the question

You’re in a job interview. The interviewer asks you a question… and you don’t understand it.

First: don’t panic. You do not need to pretend you understood.

The best thing you can do is ask for help clearly.

Try:

Could you repeat the question, please?
When you didn’t hear it well.

Could you say that again, please?
Simple and useful.

Could you explain what you mean by…?
When there is one word or expression you don’t understand.

Do you mean…?
Then say what you think the interviewer means.

For example:

Interviewer: How do you handle conflicting priorities?

You: Sorry, could you explain what you mean by conflicting priorities?

This is much better than giving an answer to a question you didn’t understand.

Remember: asking for clarification does not make you look weak. Pretending to understand and giving the wrong answer can be much more difficult to recover from.

The interviewer is not expecting you to understand every single word perfectly. They are also evaluating how you communicate.

                    How to buy yourself a few seconds to think

Sometimes, you understand the question perfectly.

The problem is that you have no idea what to say.

And those three seconds of silence can feel very long.

So, instead of rushing into an answer, use a thinking phrase.

Try:

That’s a good question.
Let me think for a moment.
I’d say…
I think there are two things to consider.
Well, from my experience…
That’s interesting because…

For example:

Interviewer: What would you say is your biggest weakness?

You: That’s a good question. I think one of my weaknesses is that sometimes I focus too much on the details.

These phrases are useful because they give you a few extra seconds to organise your answer.

But be careful: don’t learn one sentence and use it before every answer.

And remember: silence is not always a problem. You are allowed to pause, think and answer.

A job interview is not a speed test.