Never, ever, immediately say that you don’t have an answer Keep in mind that these questions, especially behavioral questions - but also situational ones - are designed to have an answer for
If this is a technical question, my advice applies too
Even if the question is something like: what is the command to reroute traffic on a Cisco ASR 1000 router
Maybe you have no idea about this, but, maybe you’ve worked with other routers - for which you have an answer, so at least you show them that you do know what they’re talking about and you could eventually convince them this command is just a Google search away
Remember that often times they ask you questions to see how you’d go about resolving a challenge - to see your approach:
Would you be someone they’d enjoy working with or someone that when they get asked “what’s the most innovative idea you’ve worked on recently” - thinks like “I would never spill the beans on this one, especially with you”
Do you have, or can easily acquire, the expertise to get the job done? As in my example with that router.
Do you have the toughness to get the job done? Or you’re just complacent and says “I have no idea, next question please”
What you can do:
If you’re preparing for a phone interview, prepare cheat sheets
Even for the onsite interviews, in some cases, usually on very short notice, they will allow you with a cheat sheet - just ask them
Show them that you really want the job in the first place
Win time
Repeat question
Can I take a few seconds to think about it
Follow-up questions
Does it have to be a recent one
Can it be from my non-professional life
Develop on a vague situation at first
Explain the STAR method
Think about why they ask you this question
E.g. 75% through the project: you do pivot strategy and do whatever it takes to deliver
E.g. failure: it is only normal to have failures, and these have helped me on several occasions to grow
Do not invent a situation on the spot
Unless you really know what you’re doing
Keep eye contact
Look somewhere else to demo what happens when you don’t
Once you do get an example
Make your answer quantifiable
Usually whey they sound so-so it means they are not concise
Don’t forget the STAR, including the results section
Say it with confidence
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