date_rangeMay 01, 2020
Job interviews can be challenging. Preparation is important. Candidates have to come with answers that set them apart from the competition.
In other words, you have to know the obvious as well as have the skill to navigate through some of the difficult questions that are asked with the intent to confuse you.
But what do you do when you’re asked a question that you don’t have an answer for.
That’s a situation that Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai, had to face when he appeared for an interview at Google in April 2004.
In April 2004, the IIT Kharagpur alumni were called in for an interview, and Google had launched its email service – Gmail – on that very day.
When Sundar Pichai was asked about his thoughts about Gmail, his response was simple:
He didn’t know about it because he hasn’t used it.
He honestly added that he thought that Gmail was a joke because it was April 1 – April Fool’s Day.
Next, the interviewer asked him if he had seen Gmail.
Sundar Pichai replied in the negative.
The interview did not sideline Sundar Pichai and instead proceeded to tell him about the Gmail product, and showed it to him.
Sundar Pichai used that opportunity to understand the product, and used that exposure to his advantage in the following interview rounds.
Of course, Sundar Pichai was hired at the end of the 5th interview round. It happened because he applied himself and his common sense to get out of a tricky situation.
It’s a wonderful story for all who are going to start preparing for their job interviews.
Google's iconic co-founders Larry Page & Sergey Brin stepped out of their roles within Google, appointing Sundar Pichai CEO of Google's parent company, Alphabet.
He thanked both of them for their confidence in his abilities with a tweet.
As a candidate, you don't need to have the answer to every question asked during the interview.
So long as you know the basics, and are qualified, you will navigate through the interview questions.
Moreover, it is important to remember that when a learning opportunity comes by during the interview, don’t take it lightly.
Engage yourself completely, and use the new knowledge to improve your positioning and competency in the subsequent interview rounds.
Maybe you are doing engineering or you have completed it. The next move, look for a job that lets you put your skills out there.
While the excitement of doing a job is palpable.
It is also common to feel a sense of nervousness and anxiety about your success rate when it comes to clearing the interview rounds and getting to the ceremonious “you’re hired” stage.
That’s a win every candidate wants to experience.
So question is, how do you prepare for an interview?
Well, there is no fixed answer to that. If you’re wondering where to go and how to prepare for job interviews we have an answer.
Check out our Interview preparation course.
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