The interviewer cannot guess what's in your brain. Part of being a good communicator is being able to actually spell out your thoughts when necessary.
Besides, if you had said "then I search the number online" then it's plausible the interviewer would ask what would you do if you didn't find anything relevant right away. For instance, if you search for my cell phone number, you get 0 results connected with me.
> The interviewer cannot guess what's in your brain. Part of being a good communicator is being able to actually spell out your thoughts when necessary
The flip side is when the interviewer doesn't communicate well. Or asks a specific question, but means something slightly different.
I've dealt with that before. Assumed they meant what they said, when the reality was, they were being more precise than intended. My fault for assuming I guess. I now try to clarify the intent, and make clear the precision.
Besides, if you had said "then I search the number online" then it's plausible the interviewer would ask what would you do if you didn't find anything relevant right away. For instance, if you search for my cell phone number, you get 0 results connected with me.