Title: Navigating Unexpected Situations During a BigTech Interview
As professional interviews have increasingly moved to digital platforms, they continue to bring forth a variety of unique and sometimes unexpected experiences. Recently, I encountered a few unusual moments during a Technical Program Manager (TPM) interview loop with a leading e-commerce technology giant. I believe sharing these experiences might be helpful for others who are preparing for similar interviews.
In one of the interview sessions, the interviewer casually vaped on an e-cigarette. This was certainly unexpected and somewhat distracting. It raised the question of how to maintain focus when faced with such unusual circumstances during a professional setting.
In another interview round, the interviewer candidly mentioned feeling exhausted from previous interviews and suggested skipping the system design portion of the discussion. This scenario was unexpected, leaving me unsure about how to gauge my performance without covering such a critical component of the evaluation.
These experiences left me pondering how others have handled similar situations during interviews. Have you encountered any surprises in your interview processes? How did you manage to stay composed and ensure a fair assessment of your capabilities? I welcome your insights and experiences in coping with these unconventional interview scenarios.