What to Do When Interviewer Asks Wrong Question?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the appropriate response when an interviewer poses a technically incorrect question during a job interview. Participants explore potential actions to take in light of the interviewer's misunderstanding of a theorem and its application.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes an experience where an interviewer suggested a theorem that was misapplied, leading to an undefined result.
  • Another participant suggests privately contacting the interviewer for clarification, emphasizing the importance of a non-antagonistic approach.
  • A different viewpoint expresses skepticism about the value of addressing the issue, suggesting that it may not be worth pursuing unless there is a chance of re-interviewing.
  • One participant conveys a sense of resignation, feeling that the impression made during the interview is what matters, and notes a lack of contact information for the interviewer.
  • Another participant expresses a dismissive attitude towards the company, questioning the desire to work for an organization that makes such errors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether to address the interviewer's mistake or to move on. Multiple competing views are presented regarding the value and appropriateness of pursuing the issue.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of concern about the implications of the interviewer's error and the potential for future communication, indicating a lack of clarity on how to navigate the situation.

joberr
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I was wondering if anyone knew if there was anything I should do.
I recently had an interview where I was being asked technical questions and one particular question came up which actually has a solution which I semi outlined but my interviewer suggested that I should know some theorem which I should look up.
I then came home and looked up the theorem and noticed that it was being applied wrong by the interviewer because if it was applied as suggested one gets an undefined answer (1/0) division by zero. Was there anything I could of done if my interviewer was fishing for an answer which turns out to be wrong.
 
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It's tough to say based on your limited information. You may want to try privately contacting the interviewer and continuing the discussion- you must be careful not to come across as antagonistic, tho.

One approach is to simply ask for some clarificiation, for example "Dear so-and-so, I thought about your question some more, and I'm not sure I understood what you were asking, because in this application, the result of the theorem gives an undefined result, and here's why. Do you instead mean [...], or [...]?"
 
whats the point? You get the job back? Simply let things go by, & prepare for your next assignment, whatever it is...

It makes a point only if there is a chance of interview again.
 
I figured there was nothing I could do, the impression based on an error was the only thing that bothered me . I only have contact for HR not interviewer. Oh well.
 
who wanted to work for a bunch of idiots anyways? :)
 

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