The Job Interview Question That Taught Me a Life Lesson

 

During a job interview last spring, one of the panelists leaned forward and asked, “If someone was born in 1925, how old are they now?”

I didn’t even pause to think. “One hundred,” I replied confidently, almost proud of how quickly I’d calculated it.

The interviewer smiled kindly and said, “That’s not necessarily correct.”

I blinked, confused. “Isn’t it 2025?” I asked.

She nodded. “It is. But you made an assumption—that they’re still alive.” Her tone wasn’t harsh, just thoughtful. “The real question is: how would you find the right answer if they were?”

It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant. She wasn’t testing my math at all. She was testing my mindset.

She went on: “We don’t just want people who can calculate quickly. We want people who can think—who can pause, question, and verify. Someone who doesn’t assume, but investigates.”

In that moment, something shifted in me. I realized how often I equated speed with intelligence. How often I’d tried to impress with confidence rather than curiosity.

I had jumped to what looked like the right answer—without considering what might be missing.

The interviewer continued, “In our work, assumptions can cost time, money, and even trust. Curiosity is how we prevent mistakes. It’s not enough to be quick—you have to be thoughtful.”

After the interview, I walked out into the cool afternoon air feeling strangely grateful. I hadn’t given the perfect answer, but I’d been given something better: perspective.

That simple question—about a birth year—had cracked open a much larger truth.

Being “right” isn’t just about reaching an answer first. It’s about how you get there. It’s about slowing down long enough to notice what others overlook.

A week later, my phone rang. It was the hiring manager.

“We’d like to offer you the position,” she said. “You didn’t get the question right, but you listened, reflected, and adjusted. That’s what we value most.”

I hung up smiling.

That day, I learned that being teachable is far more powerful than being perfect. Because the smartest people aren’t the ones who always know the answer—they’re the ones humble enough to keep asking better questions.

---