Q: If an interviewer asks a technical question we don't know, how should we respond? Should we talk through some related information or guess?

Don't guess, and don't try to answer a related question. You probably won't get away with it. Doing so entails a significant risk; you show bad judgment and an inability to follow directions. These are both bad character traits.

Generally, these questions are not asked to find out what you know. Instead, they show your interviewer how you approach problem solving, and whether you can piece together the relevant information and come up with the right answer.

If you don't know and come clean, you run the risk of getting a "She should have know that" outcome, but this is far better than showing poor character.

It is important not to panic. Your interviewer will usually give you a hint or two to help you figure it out, and most of these questions can be answered without understanding the specifics of the question.

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