Sisters! With interview season here, are you feeling a bit anxious? Especially that feeling when you’ve prepared for so long, but the interviewer throws out a concept you’ve never heard of, and your brain just goes completely blank! It’s so suffocating! ๐ญ
Don’t worry! I recently went through a “knowledge blind spot adventure” myself and almost crashed. But luckily, I thought on my feet and used the following tips to successfully hold the line and even got the offer in the end! Today, I’m sharing my exclusive secrets so you can easily handle those “blank spots” in your interviews!
I. Take a Deep Breath and Stay Calm!
First and foremost, the most important thing! When you encounter a question you don’t know, don’t panic! Panic will make your brain go blank, and you won’t even remember the knowledge you do have. Take a deep breath and tell yourself, “This is normal! Everyone encounters something they don’t know!” Staying calm is the key to figuring out a solution.
II. Be Honest and Show Your Attitude!
It’s not scary to say “I don’t know.” What’s scary is stammering and trying to bluff your way through. Honestly tell the interviewer, “I haven’t encountered this question before, and my understanding isn’t deep enough.” But be sure to add, “But I’m very interested in this area and will definitely strengthen my learning in the future!” Show your positive attitude towards learning and leave a good impression on the interviewer.
III. Use a Circumvention Tactic!
If you really don’t know, try a circumvention tactic. For example, you can first talk about some related knowledge you do understand and then cleverly transition to the interviewer’s question. Even if you can’t fully answer it, you can still demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge and your ability to think about problems.
For example:
Interviewer asks: “Are you familiar with Service Mesh?”
My inner voice: “Service Mesh? What is that? Never heard of it!”
But I didn’t say I didn’t know directly. Instead, I answered like this: “I’m quite familiar with microservice architecture and have learned about some microservice governance solutions. Service Mesh seems to be a technology for solving communication and service governance between microservices, but I haven’t actually used it before. Please correct me if my understanding is wrong.”
This answer acknowledges that you don’t know, but it also shows your understanding of related fields and guides the interviewer to know that you already have a certain foundation.
IV. Counterattack with Questions and Take the Initiative!
If the interviewer asks a question you have no concept of, try asking the interviewer back to understand what the question specifically refers to or what problem this technology is used to solve. By asking questions, you can buy yourself some time to think and better understand the interviewer’s intentions.
For example, you can ask: “Could you briefly introduce the scenario of this question in practical applications? Or what pain points does this technology mainly solve?”
V. Show Your Learning Ability and Emphasize Your Potential!
Finally, be sure to emphasize your learning ability and potential! Tell the interviewer that although you don’t understand the question now, you have a strong learning ability and can quickly master new knowledge and skills in a short period of time.
You can say: “Although my understanding of this question is not deep enough, I believe that through learning and practice, I can quickly master this technology and apply it to practical work.”
My Experience Summary:
- Before the Interview:ย Learn as much as possible about the latest technologies and trends in the industry to expand your knowledge.
- During the Interview:ย When you encounter a question you don’t know, don’t panic, stay calm, be honest, think positively, and show your learning ability.
- After the Interview:ย Summarize your experiences, identify gaps in your knowledge, and continuously improve your knowledge level.
Remember, the interview is not just about testing your knowledge, but more importantly, it’s about testing your learning ability, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. Even if you encounter a question you don’t know, don’t give up easily, actively respond, and show your best self!
I hope my experience can help you! I wish you all get your dream offers! ๐ช