Would you be okay working on a technology you did not choose, like a legacy system or testing?
Say yes and mean it. Explain that every technology teaches fundamentals, give an example of learning something you did not pick, and add that you will keep improving your other skills in your own time.
Explain it simply
Freshers often dream of AI or React projects and end up on COBOL mainframes, SAP support, manual testing or a 15-year-old Java application. Those projects pay salaries and serve real banks and airlines, and they need people.
Show that you see the value: legacy systems teach how large, stable software works, and testing teaches how things break. Mention that you will learn it properly and keep your other interests alive alongside.
Example
Situation: Harshit loves Python but is asked if he would work on a mainframe project for a bank.
Task: Show genuine flexibility.
Action: He says: "Yes. In my second year our lab used Pascal, which I had never wanted to learn, but it taught me strict typing that helped later in Java. A bank's mainframe system handles millions of transactions, and learning how that is kept reliable is valuable. I'll learn it well and continue practising Python on weekends."
Result: The interviewer sees a fresher who will not complain or leave over project allocation.
What to say in the interview
"Yes. Every system teaches fundamentals, and legacy systems run things that matter. I'd learn it properly and keep building other skills in my own time."
Common mistakes
- Saying yes while your tone says no.
- Saying you will only work on new technologies.
- Calling legacy or testing work boring.