# Interviewing: The QBQ -- Question behind the Question

Is "Tell me about yourself" really about yourself?

Is "Tell me about a time you had a conflict" really about the conflict?

Every interview question:

1. Has a face-value question
2. And a question-behind-the-question \[QBQ\]

I learned about this from one of my mentors, [Ramit Sethi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramitsethi/).

He said, “The toughest interview questions seem like they’re asking one thing while really asking another: the Question Behind the Question,” it blew my mind 🤯

**Here are some examples.**

Q: Why do you want this job?  
QBQ: Do you really care about this job, or you just applied here to get any job?

Q: Tell me about yourself.  
QBQ: How are you different professionally, why are you here now, and why should I care?

Q: Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict with a colleague.  
QBQ: Are you able to navigate difficult conversations? Do you have systems for it?

Q: How do you handle feedback, both positive and constructive?  
QBQ: Are you capable of learning from your experiences and adapting?

Q: Tell me about a time when you were disappointed with yourself.  
QBQ: What were you disappointed about? What changed after that experience?

–

It is vital to understand: Why are they **really** asking this question?

Essentially, the hiring manager is trying to:

- Uncover a red flag not visible on our resume
- Check if we can answer vague questions clearly
- Make sure they will not get burned (like they did in the past)

We must think carefully about what _they_ want to find out.

And answer that question.