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Job interviews can already make you nervous when you’re dealing with standard questions from the hiring manager. However, it can be all too easy to falter and lose your confidence if you are asked particularly difficult or otherwise unexpected questions without having a strategy in place. Check out these ways that you can answer tough questions effectively and leave a positive impression during your next job interview:

 

Plan to Be Adaptable

You may not be able to prepare responses in the manner you would for the more commonly asked interview questions, but you can plan to be adaptable. Practice your overall framework for handling challenging or odd questions with hypothetical scenarios. Regardless of the content of your response, it’s crucial to be in control of yourself as you answer, such as by pausing, taking a deep breath, and keeping your composure, and having a go-to opener like “That’s a really interesting question, let me think…”

 

Keep the Content Positive

Often, the toughest interview questions are ones that ask about a negative aspect of your work history, such as a time you failed or experienced a conflict with a boss, but it’s still essential to keep the content positive as you answer. Always be thinking of a constructive spin to these types of questions and reflect on what you learned or how it otherwise contributed to your professional trajectory.

 

Request Clarification

If you are thrown off by a difficult or confusing question, don’t be afraid to request clarification on what they mean or their purpose for asking and what insight they are looking to gain from you. This not only buys you some time to gather your thoughts, but it also demonstrates that you are actively listening and engaged in the conversation. 

 

Prioritize Being Truthful

There may be instances where you truly do not know how to answer an interview question, but it is critical that you prioritize being truthful above all else. It reflects better on you as a potential employee if you are honest and admit you don’t know something than if you try to slyly talk around it. This shows that you are self-aware and have integrity, which are much more desirable traits to a hiring manager than someone who can effectively skirt around the truth. 

 

Explore New Opportunities in Akron, OH

Are you ready to get started with your job search? Find opportunities that are right for you by working with an experienced staffing agency like PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiters can match you with the jobs that are the best fit with employers across industries. Search our database of currently available jobs to get started.

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