When it comes to interviews, job seekers often fear off-the-wall questions, awkward interviewers, or accidentally showing up late.

　　每当参加面试的时候，求职者总是很害怕遇到异乎寻常的问题，难搞的面试官，或意外地迟到等尴尬的场面。

　　But there's another stressor that can be just as crippling: You're asked a question, and you know your answer — but you also know it's not the answer the interviewer wants to hear.

　　除此之外，还有另外一样同样蹩脚的压力源：你被提问了，并且你也知道答案是什么——但你还知道这并不是面试官想听到的回答。

　　Here's an example: You show up to the scheduled meeting, and the hiring manager leads you through an open-concept workspace to his office. He turns to you and asks, "So, what do you think of shared office spaces?"

　　这有一个例子：你按照原定的时间到达面试场地，然后面试官把你带到一个开放式的办公室里。然后他询问你：“那么，你对这种开放式的办公室有什么看法呢?”

　　The "right" answer — the one he obviously wants to hear — is, "I think they're great! I love collaborating and interacting with my co-workers all day, every day."

　　“正确”的答案——也是他很想听到的答案，便是，“我觉得这种办公室太棒了!我很喜欢在这种环境下每天与我的同事们合作交流。”

　　But what if the response that actually rings true for you is the very opposite — that you like working independently and you'd prefer to shut yourself in a nice, quiet office and focus on your work without constant distraction?

　　但是要是你自己的真实想法却是相反呢——要是你更乐意独立完成工作，把自己隔绝于外部的干扰，在一个美观，安静的办公室里专注自己的工作呢?

　　You want the job, of course, but you also don't want to flat-out lie and land yourself in a position that isn't a great fit for you. To figure out where to draw the line, keep these four tips in mind.

　　你想要得到这份工作是毋庸置疑的，但是你也不想毫无忌讳地说出自己的想法，然后把自己陷于困境。你得衡量如何划分两者的界限，下面的小提示可以记在心里。

　　1.Realize you don't actually know what the interviewer wants to hear.

　　1. 意识到你并不知道面试官想听到的回答是什么。

　　If candidates always knew what their interviewers wanted to hear, there probably wouldn't be so many people who respond to the infamous "What's your biggest weakness?" with "Perfectionism." Because as many hiring managers will tell you, that's exactly what they don't want to hear.

　　如果每位应聘者都能知道面试官想听到的答案，那就不会有那么多人在回答“你最大的缺点是什么?”这个问题时，把最不受欢迎的答案“追求完美”说出来了。因为很多人事经理会告诉你，这正是他们不想听到的答案。

　　In many cases, interviewers want you to be candid and honest about your shortcomings. Yes, they are looking for particular qualities and experience, but they also want to know that you're a person, not a robot. You may think your answer isn't what the right one — but it may actually be the breath of fresh air that lands you the job.

　　很多情况下，面试官希望你能够坦白直面自己的弱点。对的，他们虽然正在寻找具备特别资格和经验的人才，但是他们也很想了解你的人的特质，而不是一个机器人。你可能会认为自己的答案不是正确答案，但它却是能够在你获得职位时助你一把。

　　2.Rephrase if possible

　　2. 如有可能，修整言辞。

　　In some cases, you may be able to be honest with your response while still putting yourself in a good light.

　　在一些情况下，你可能既坦然面对自己的回答，也能让自己处于有利的状况。

　　For example, maybe your interviewer asks you how you handle stress. The honest answer? It usually sends you into a complete emotional breakdown — you burst into tears or start snapping at everyone who comes within 10 feet of your cubicle.

　　比如说，可能你的面试官询问你如何处理压力。最真诚的回答是?它常常让你感觉到情绪崩溃——泪流满面然后对附近的同事吹毛求疵。

　　But, that's probably not going to inspire much confidence in the hiring manager. So, consider how you can rephrase in an honest but more positive way by focusing on how you are working to improve in that particular area.

　　但是，这并没有给面试官留下什么好的印象。所以，你该思考如何重新修改自己的措辞，以一种更积极的方式，把焦点放在你改善这种特殊情况的方法上。

　　"When I face a stressful situation, there are times when I let the pressure get to me. However, I've realized that what really helps is breaking down tasks into more manageable pieces and focusing on just one portion at a time. I've found that when I approach a stressful situation that way, I'm able to complete the task more efficiently and with a level head."

　　“当我受到了压力，我会让自己好好感受这些压力。但我也意识到，实际上真正有效的方法，是把任务分解成各个小的任务，然后一次处理一部分。我发现当我以这种方式处理压力的时候，我能用冷静的头脑更有效率地完成整个任务。

　　3.Ask more questions

　　3. 多提问题。

　　When you assume you know exactly what the interviewer is looking for, you can box yourself in to the thinking that right answer is a black or white issue. However, by asking a few clarifying questions, you can speak honestly while still positioning yourself in a good light.

　　当你可以肯定自己知道面试官想得到的答案是什么，你就掌握有利的线索帮助自己回答任何问题。不过，提出一些更明确的问题，你就能够坦诚自己的想法，同时也让自己处于有利的环境。

　　Consider the example of the open-concept workspace. Assuming you don't want to work alone all the time, you could answer the question with, "I enjoy collaborating with my co-workers, but when I really need to focus, I prefer to work independently, in a quiet area. I see you have a pretty open office here — are there any quiet spaces employees can go to get away from distractions?"

　　想一想回答关于开放式办公的问题。假设你不想常常独立完成任务，你就可以这么回答：“我喜欢与我的同事们合作交流，但当我确实需要专注的时候，我更喜欢在一个安静的环境独立完成任务。我留意到了这里的办公环境是开放式的，不知道这里是否有一些安静的空间让员工在里面免受干扰地工作?”

　　You're being completely honest, while showing your flexibility — and most importantly, you're digging in to figure out if the role is truly right for you. Because just as the company is evaluating you, you're also evaluating the business and the open position. For your future career satisfaction, it's important to avoid just aiming to please, but to dig in to figure out of the role is actually a good fit for you. Which brings me to:

　　这样的话，你既表现自己的坦诚，也能显示自己的灵活——并且最重要的是，你融入了这个问题，然后估计这个职位是否合适自己。因为当公司在给你作出评估时，你也在评估着这家公司和应聘的职位。对于你的未来职业满意度，你还需要避免只专注于满意度，还需要融入公司去了解这个职位是否真的合适自己。这样，让我想到了下面的这点。

　　4.Know your deal breakers

　　4. 了解自己的最低要求

　　In the end, you have to know what's truly a deal breaker for you and let that be your guide, rather than focusing on how to answer the question in a way that appeals to the interviewer.

　　到了面试的最后阶段，你需要了解自己的要求底线是什么并以此为引导，而不是只专注在回答问题来取悦面试官。

　　For instance, if you want a role that requires absolutely no contact with customers, then an interviewer asking, "How do you handle angry customer calls?" is likely a sign that you won't be a good fit for the position.

　　举个例子，如果你想获得一个完全不需要与客户打交道的职位，然后面试官问：“你如何处理那些生气客户的来电?”这很可能就意味着你不合适这份工作。

　　On the other hand, maybe you don't handle stress well — but it's something you're working on, and you know that most challenging, career-advancing positions are going to encompass some level of stress. In that situation, it may not be a complete deal breaker, and would be worth it to formulate an answer that is both honest and appealing to your interviewer.

　　另外，你可能无法恰当地处理压力——但这是你正在努力处理的，你也知道最具挑战性、最有助事业发展的岗位需要处理不同程度的压力。在那种情况下，这也许不是最后的底线，而是很值得组织一个既坦诚又具吸引力的答案。

　　Of course you want your interview answers to be music to the hiring manager's ears. But you also don't want that to get in the way of landing a job you love. Strike the right balance — while still being honest — and you'll be on track for a career that's a perfect fit for you.

　　没错，你希望自己的回答能够取悦面试官，但你也不希望那个回答对你求职造成什么阻碍。找到两者之间的平衡吧——但也得保持真诚度，那么你就能找到适合自己的工作了。

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（编辑：何莹莹）