Chapter 3 · Practice 4 of 4
Recover calmly and honestly when something goes wrong
Why it matters
Even well-prepared demos hit problems. What examiners judge is how you handle it.
A recovery sequence:
- Pause and name it: "That request failed; let me check the server is running."
- Try one quick fix, such as a refresh, restart or switching to local mode.
- Switch to the backup video if it is not fixed quickly.
- Continue with the rest of the presentation and offer to retry at the end.
Never pretend something worked when it did not, or click past an error hoping nobody noticed. Examiners notice, and honesty about a bug you understand is far more convincing than a cover-up.
Do
- Name the problem, try one fix, then switch to the backup
- Offer to retry at the end
Avoid
- Pretending a failed step worked