Just Answer the Question! (What's the question?)

I’m Ruth. I want to help you reclaim your sense of purpose and find clarity, congruence, and confidence, so you can have a more authentic, fulfilling career. I’ve been on this journey myself, and I want to share what I’ve learned with you. Please feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn. I'm happy to answer your questions!

"Answer what is asked."

This is a simple directive for anyone who is interviewing for a job.

Just listen to the question. Then give the details that the interviewer is asking for.

Easy, right?

And yet...

Most people intially fail.

They ramble. They bring in extraneous details that belabor the story. They don't answer the question that was asked.

To be fair, it's not entirely their fault. Job requirements can be vague.

For instance, "The ideal candidate will use their passion for big data and analytics to provide insights to the business covering a range of topics" says nothing about the topics or the types of insights required. Even if the topics are explained, the reader still doesn't know how the information is used on the inside or how company leaders tend to perceive it.

The same is true about the questions asked in an interview. They seem straightforward ("Tell me about yourself." "Tell me about a time when you had to make decisions about resources." "What are your weak areas?")

That's why it's important to know a few things.

First, these questions are designed to find out a lot of things about you: how you think, what your personality is like, how resilient you are, and how you would fit in if they hired you. This isn't obvious just from the question phrasing.

Second, the interviewers don't always construct great questions.

For this reason, interviewees often and understandably respond vaguely. They just start talking, hoping to hit on something that resonates with the interviewers. They are confused about what they need to address and therefore can't explain it.

It reminds me of what I have seen as a grant writer, a field I worked in for many years (and still occasionally assist with). My biggest challenge was to help nonprofit organizations focus on the funders' points of view. This requires deep knowledge of what these foundations and government entities are seeking--their missions and priorities, their funding sources, and the types of projects they most typically fund.

Often, the only way to ascertain this is to talk to someone on the inside. Government applicants attend briefings and ask questions. Those applying for private money get to know the program officers, other grantees, and the histories of these supporting organizations. Successful organizations get to know almost at a granular level what funders want, and what their questions mean. And they learn to answer what is asked without digressing.

Many grant applications have space limits, so knowing what to include is critical.

The same is true for successful job seekers.

As a candidate, you want to fully understand what your target employers want.

This means that you must first find out everything you can about what makes the company tick. Read their case studies; watch their videos. Talk to people who work there. Find out what the work environment is like. Speak to the hiring manager about their needs. Go in prepared to show you that you "get them" and can help solve their problems.

But as you interview, it also means that you must not assume that you know the exact meaning of a question.

If a question sounds vague, say things like, "Can you give me an example of what you mean?" Or, "Can you rephrase the question? I want to make sure I understand what you're asking."

Then focus your answer as much as you can to match the question. Keep your answer concise and relevant, without details that don't directly relate to the question.

Don't give background that distracts from your answer. Don't include details unrelated to the situation you are describing. You also can end your response by saying, "Does that answer the question?"'

I often recommend a three-part answer: the situation; your response to it; the result of your response for the company.

Another tactic that can help you get straight to the core of the interview is to ask the interviewers, "What are your main challenges?" "What are your biggest goals and concerns right now?" Then talk about how you would approach these situations. One of my clients who had been interviewing for 11 months without an offer tried this and got hired.

I practice with my clients and advise them to continue practicing with a friend or mentor. Devise a list of possible questions, then practice answering them with a partner (need help? Use an AI tool to give you a list of probable prompts).

Practice listening to the question, then addressing what was asked. A partner can tell you if you are sticking to the point, or straying.

I recognize that it's often impossible to know everything an employer is looking for. I realize that the employer might not know, either! Hiring decisions include technical and personal considerations, and the latter can be hard to define. There also could be background criteria not being expressed in the interview.

But try.

Get clarification. Arm yourself with advance knowledge.

Then pick a direction for each answer. Stick to it.

The more clarification you can get, the more focused your answers can be. This will position you as a clear thinker and direct communicator. It will help you stand out and perhaps win a job offer.