preface

Today, I will tell you about the longest dilemma encountered in the interview process, which is also the most reflects the ability of a candidate on the spot. That is, when we can not answer the question in the interview process, what to do.

myth

Before WE get started, let’s correct the myth that an interview is not all about whether you answer all the questions. There is no direct correlation between admission and answering all the questions. In other words, THERE are too many cases in which I have failed to pass questions, whether in interviews or in interviews with others.

So when it comes to answering questions in an interview, you can be a little more relaxed and not too question-oriented. Chances are, the interviewer will take more points off your answer if you recite it.

Okay, now I’m going to talk about how to do that from an operational point of view. Okay

Stay calm and gather information

This is the first and most important rule.

You’re nervous during a job interview, and you’re even more nervous if your interviewer doesn’t have a clue what to ask. So the most important thing is to stay calm and not get carried away.

Of course, being calm is not enough. Once you’ve calmed down, one thing you should definitely do is re-analyze the interviewer’s questions. Are there any misinterpretations or missing information

In addition to confirming the meaning of the question, we can actually collect some information by asking questions. If it’s algorithmic, try asking about the scope of the data and the time limit. With the data range and time limit, you can basically determine the complexity of the algorithm, and the complexity determines the scope of the algorithm that can be greatly reduced, making it much easier to solve the problem.

Two. Put an end to silence, appropriate expression

This is also very important. Many people will not stop until they have figured out the question completely or come up with an optimal solution. I used to do this myself. Sometimes I could think of a solution, but I felt it was not the best one. I would keep thinking about it until I came up with it.

Later, when I became an interviewer myself, I found this very undesirable.

Because you’re not talking, the interviewer doesn’t know what you’re doing. He doesn’t know if you’re not thinking at all, if you’re already thinking, or if you’ve already had an approximate solution. Without feedback, he can’t assess your abilities and value, so waiting until the last minute is not a good idea.

Treat the interview as a discussion, even if you don’t have all the answers at the moment. Discuss your immature ideas, ideas, and confusion. A lot of times the interviewer’s questions are just to get a sense of something specific about you, and as long as you answer them, it doesn’t matter if the questions aren’t completely unraveling. Sometimes, your ideas may not be expected by the interviewer, who will discuss them with you. In the process, they can also demonstrate your value.

So don’t hesitate to share your ideas, even if they’re half-baked and you have a vague idea of how to do it.

Three. Dodge the question and show yourself

What if the interviewer isn’t asking you a question or an algorithm, but a specific question that you just don’t know?

It’s a tricky situation because you don’t know the answer, and there’s no way to talk about ideas or beat around the bush. At this point, it’s up to you to dodge the question with a little finesse.

First of all, you need to say what you know, and preferably not what you don’t know or are vague about. Because there are many concepts in the technical field, many names are similar, but they are different, so it is likely to be wrong to force an answer, which is a big no-no in the interview. Say as much as you know, but what if you really don’t know or can’t remember?

Can’t remember, just can’t remember, don’t lie. But not lying doesn’t mean there’s no wiggle room. You can say, this technology is usually used not much, our so-and-so field, I am familiar with XX technology, or I will tell you about it.

Don’t underestimate this short paragraph, let’s analyze it carefully, this sentence contains a lot of content. First of all, you’re being honest with the interviewer, which may not answer the question. Then you tell the interviewer that you don’t know the answer, but you know the technology or the direction of the question. Finally, you gave me A solution. Although I don’t know A, I know that B, which is similar to A, can also play A similar effect.

As long as the A here is not too different from the B you provided, generally there is no problem. If you don’t have an approximate answer, you can only force some directions that you are good at.

For example, if you are asked about databases and you really don’t use them, it is ok to say that you are familiar with the JVM. At least it’s better than I don’t know.

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