Q: Last week, I did a job interview for a technical role. I was asked a technical question that I felt I should have known. I attempted an answer, but, to be honest, I didn’t know what I was trying to say and they caught me out. How should I have handled that question? (HK, Email).

A: Bluffing it is a dangerous game in interview, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers.  You might just get lucky, and get away with it, but once you start bluffing, there is the danger they will probe further, sensing that you might not know all that you proclaim to know.

The ability to say ‘sorry, I just don’t know the answer to that’ is a good one to have. You might still fail to get the job, but they’ll appreciate your honesty. That honesty has some redeeming features in terms of your prospects of getting the job: a caught-out bluff has none. As they say on The Fast Show, “I’ll get my coat.”

So you bluffed, and got caught out. If you get the job, make sure you know the answer before you report for work.

Liam Horan is a Career Coach with Sli Nua Careers in Ballinrobe.

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