Tell me about yourself.

Overview
A lot of jobs require someone who can think on their feet or present ideas with crispness and
clarity. This question provides employers with an early preview of your core skills, your
personality and your ability to respond to an unstructured question.

This is something you'll be asked a lot at the beginning of an interview. Here are three tips
that'll help you nail the opener.

Be succinct, honest and engaging.

I call this the “SHE” formula. Resist the urge to give a detailed account of the last two
decades of your career. The interviewer is looking for an answer that shows them you're
qualified and can respond to an unstructured question.

Use the job description to prepare.

Reread what they want and highlight the most required skills that you have. Are they looking
for someone who can solve problems or deal with tough customers? Pick a few and
brainstorm how you can describe yourself while showcasing your strengths for what they’re
seeking.

Tie your story to their needs.

People love a good tale, so weave in some personality. For example, maybe you fell in love
with the hospitality industry because your grandparents ran a bed and breakfast. Connect your
story back to the job, keep it short, and be truthful.

Tips
Prepare for this question in advance and have a compelling story about your past experiences.
Pull prominent skills from the job description.
Be “SHE” (succinct, honest and engaging).

1
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
From a very early age I've been a problem solver. I was that kid who would take apart
anything so I could see how it worked—and then try to put it back together.
As you can imagine, it drove my parents nuts. But even though I tortured my family at times,
the tinkering trait has served me well in my career.
After graduating from Purdue, I was recruited into a field technician job and got paid t o take
apart broken packaging equipment. It was like living the dream.
That job also made me realize I'm really good with difficult customers, and that's what helped
me land my current account manager role.
While I love my job and have been successful in it, it has moved me away from the
manufacturing floor. Now, the reason I'm so interested in this position is that it seems to
provide a really great blend of one-on-one work with clients and hands-on problem solving.

Example2: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

In my current role as the marketing analyst responsible for a shampoo product line, my core
responsibility is to assist the marketing manager to prepare the analytics for monthly sales, as
well as a sales prediction model. I also manage the campaign budget, prepare wrap-up
reports, and connect with our marketing agencies. All of this requires analytical thinking,
attention to detail, and clear communication skills.
My current role has provided me solid execution experience in all the marketing aspects,
including campaign planning, campaign management and analysis.
I am looking for a marketing manager role, where I can make a bigger impact as an
individual contributor, as well as delve into strategic planning, and potentially grow into a
people manager in a few years.

2
Example3: (By Product Manager Professional)
I would describe myself as highly curious and focused on learning in all parts of life, personal
and professional.
In my professional life, I look for the hardest problems to solve and where I can learn and
develop the most. I’ve taken on many different types of projects, including ads, virtual
reality, commerce, and messaging. No matter what I’m working on, I’m very invested. I
identify anyone I can learn from, as well as problems that I care about and try to optimize
every step of the process.
In my personal life, I spend a lot of time reading and usually have a focused area of interest
for a longer period of time. For instance, last year, I read and researched public transportation
systems and the future of transportation with emerging companies and autonomous vehicles.
I found it fascinating, and it actually sparked a desire to change industries — which
eventually led me to my last role and even helped prepare me for the switch.
Outside of reading and researching, I also love to travel, cook with friends, and spend a lot of
time running and being physically active outdoors.

Example4: (By Mechanical Engineer Professional)

I’ve been shipping consumer devices for the past two decades. Over the years, I’ve built an
expertise in firmware and bootloader designs.
I’ve been lucky to have a few great mentors over the course of my career, and find a great
deal of personal and professional satisfaction being able to do the same. I currently oversee a
team of engineers and have helped grow several team members into managerial roles as well.
Additionally, I like to stay active within the industry community, and recently spoke at
Developer Week conference.
I’ve been happy at my current role, have managed many successful product launches, and
really enjoy management. I’d like to use my expertise to deliver more impact on a growing
company — to help grow and shape team and culture —and make a significant impact in the
market.

3
What is your greatest strength?

Overview
Employers want to see if you can strike the right balance between confidence and humility.
Hiring managers also want to get a sense for how self-aware and honest you are and align
your strengths to the role at hand.

When responding to this question, you want to sound humble and not like you’re arrogant or
bragging. Here are some tips to help you give them a great answer.

Describe a relevant experience.

If you're applying for a sales job, tell a story about a time where you helped a customer solve
a problem with your solution.

Give specific details.

Tell them about a time you closed a deal that helped you hit a percentage of your annual
number. When you share those facts with them, it helps them visualize how effective you
have been.

Show them you’re a well-rounded person.

For example, share a story of when you used a “soft” skill, like effective communication with
a coworker, and then one about you using a technical skill, which could be anything asked for
in the job description.

Tips
Be authentic - don’t make up strengths that you think the employer wants to hear.
Tell a story about a work experience.
Be sure the strengths you share are aligned to the role you want.

4
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
What I bring to the team is a strong record in relationship building.
I'm happiest when I'm engaging and strategizing about how we can help one another. I find
that in sales, some people can be overly transactional. I think my superpower is in
establishing more meaningful connections.
I've gotten strong feedback in the past. One client said I was the best business development
person he'd ever met.
These types of connections have turned into big sales wins. For example, last year, I doubled
my client base and outperformed my peers by 40%. And it's probably relevant to share that I
started in that role without any contacts in the field.
Today, there isn't a Fortune 100 company that doesn't know about the product I sold last.

Example2: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

My greatest strength is strategic thinking. I am often able to quickly spot patterns and issues
and create alternatives before my teammates even realize there is an issue.
The way this shows up in my work experience is through risk mitigation. As an example, I
was starting a new project with a new team in an industry I had never worked in before. The
team seemed to think that the project was very straight-forward and that they didn’t even
really need a project manager to help them.
We kicked off the project by creating a charter, social contract, and reviewing the risks. We
got halfway through the project and realized the requirements were ambiguous and we
weren’t delivering what the client really wanted. I had picked up on some subtle cues that this
was the case and had already taken the initiative to meet with the client to clarify the
requirements.
I presented my findings to the team and showed three alternatives to our existing plan to
accommodate the updated requirements. From my team’s point of view, I was able to bring
solutions to the problem conversation and we didn’t lose any time with the project timeline. It
was a win win!

5
Example3: (By Business Portfolio Manager Professional)
Over the last several years, I’ve realized my strength as an analytical thinker who is
extremely thorough and organized.
In my current role, I run multiple 360 marketing campaigns and ads across social touchpoints
— all at the same time. So it’s really important to consolidate all the campaign results
together and across different channels to see which platform actually generates the highest
ROI.
I’ve been able to boost the success of past projects by looking at results per week and month
to build cumulative results and identify where incremental results lie. This type of modeling
requires analytical accuity to read the numbers quickly and make strong, informed marketing
investments.
One big project I have been working on for a year is about understanding the marketing
budget efficiency. Running ads simultaneously on social media has made it hard to attribute
the growth to these channels. I work closely with the sales reps from these companies, and
also third-party vendors to understand how these platforms attribute the conversions.
With all the data points consolidated, I was able to calculate the real ROI of these platforms,
and thus saved the company 25% cost in marketing spend.

Example4: (By Data Engineer Analyst Professional)

My greatest strength is that I am equally at ease when talking to executives, business users,
and engineers.
I come from an engineering background, but I have a very strong understanding of the
business. This well-rounded view allows me to connect with colleagues from disparate
departments and points of view quickly and authentically.
I also have the ability to see the big, strategic picture, while not losing sight of the nuts and
bolts. I can create and execute a strategy at a high level while also understanding the
execution difficulties at an engineering level.
Over the course of my career, I have found that many leaders generally do one or the other,
and my ability to do both has proven to be advantageous to my projects and teams.
By understanding the challenges from multiple angles, I’m able to connect dots and create
solutions. This is evidenced by my track record of building and managing high performance
teams.

6
What is your greatest weakness?

Overview
The interviewer is assessing whether your weaknesses will get in the way of doing the job.
Employers are looking for humility and whether you’re committed to learning and growing.
This is a place you can showcase what you’re doing to improve.

This can feel like a tricky question, but it’s a good opportunity to shine. Here are some tips on
how to answer:

Be humble.
You want to communicate an authentic story that shows you're self-aware. It's okay that you
don't come off as perfect, that's authentic, which is important for someone who will have to
trust you in the role that they're hiring for.
Choose a trait that is not too relevant to the job.
For example, if you're applying for a project manager role, choose a weakness that is more
related to creativity, which is something that doesn't disqualify you from the description of
the things that would make someone successful in that role
Show how you manage it.
Have a fix-it strategy. For example, if you struggle with remembering product details so you
track them in their phone or side notebook, that's okay, share that with them. That shows that
you've got commitment to solving that problem and addressing it.

Tips
Employers are looking for self-awareness and personal accountability.
It’s good to be honest about what you’re not great at.
Share what you are doing to actively improve on this weakness.

7
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
I get excited when people on my team brainstorm about big new ideas. I sometimes get so
caught up in the moment that I volunteer to do too much. I know this can be a distraction in
ways that put me at risk of not getting work done properly or missing deadlines.
I've been reflecting on why this happens. As I've become more conscious of this pattern, I'm
working on ways to contain the negative aspects of my eagerness.
One way that I do this is to still go to brainstorming meetings but to be more careful about
offering to do the next steps—or limit it to one project that my boss supports.
Fortunately, though, the job we're discussing seems well-suited for people like me, people
that bring a lot of enthusiasm to the job and are ready to keep getting better and better at the
follow-through.

Example2: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

In my current role as a product manager, I’m responsible for specific feature building. So, I
work with a lot of cross-functional teams like engineers and designers.
I think one thing that I can always improve on is patience, taking time to really see and
understand other people’s perspectives — especially considering we are always rushing to
meet tight deadlines. I always want things to move quickly and precisely, which I’ve realized
can make my partners a bit anxious.
To help with this, I’m working to help build trust. I’ve been scheduling more frequent check-
ins with the teams to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the project timeline. And
I’ve made myself more open so that they can share any missed opportunities that they see as
we go. This gives us a chance to get out ahead of things and make sure we’re all totally
aligned even as we work fast.

8
Example3: (By Mechanical Engineer Professional)
I have a strong desire to succeed, which generally serves me well. But I’ve realized that it can
also be a blind spot if I’m not being honest with myself about what’s possible.
A few years ago, I was working on a remote control, and the schedule was very tight. We
were trying to go from concept to mass production in six months, and there was a high
amount of pressure.
I made the decision to continue with the factory build, even though my team was concerned
that one of the parts we were using would fail. Because we had already spent $200,000 on the
factory process, I pushed ahead. I was afraid to tell the program managers that we wouldn’t
be able to hit our targets. Eventually, I was forced to — but I had already lost the company
money.
What I learned from this is the importance of being honest right up front and being realistic,
even if it’s not the outcome I want. I’ve learned that failures can be turned around more easily
when addressed quickly.
Now I communicate status with program managers on a weekly basis. I always make them
aware of the risks and what the impact might be. In the past four years, we haven't missed a
single delivery.

Example4: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

I have worked on my inclination to hold back on giving tough feedback.
A few roles ago, I’d just been promoted to management and joined a project that my boss was
leading. The work was about 30% baked when I joined, and I knew right away that it wasn’t
strong. I spoke up, but not strongly enough. The agency was pushing their work hard, and I
decided not to rock the boat.
Unfortunately, as the project progressed, I noticed more and more issues. And as I feared, the
campaign bombed.
Even though I hadn’t kicked off the project, I was a part of the team, and I owned a big piece
of the failure for not sticking to my guns. I learned on that day that even if people don’t agree
with you — even if the boss doesn’t agree with you — you owe it to the team and company
to vocalize concerns. I’ve taken that lesson a step further by creating the kind of space on my
teams for people to dissent, to push back, and to disagree. I firmly believe that successful
teams are built on a foundation of respectful, honest communication.

9
Why should we hire you?

Overview
This question tests how persuasive you are. Interviewers want to see if you can make a calm,
confident case for yourself, even if they’re acting skeptical. They’re looking for factual and
compelling answers.

This is a nerve-racking question, so make sure you're set up for success. Here are some tips
that can help you do well in answering it:

Ask yourself why you think you’re qualified.

Prepare for the interview by picking three or four qualifications and experiences that help
them understand why you're a fit for this job.

Tell them how you’d fit in.

Paint a picture of what you’d accomplish that gives you a leg up on the competition. Also,
show them why you are a great match for this company by letting them see that you know
about their mission, their vision, how they operate—and how you would fit into that really
well.

Speak authentically.
How you say something is as important as what you say. So when you're sharing your
successes and you're answering these questions, speak like the best version of yourself and
make sure that you're doing it in a way that allows the interviewers to connect to you.

Tips
Start with the three or four best reasons you’ve got.
Cite results, credentials, and other people’s praise so you don’t seem self-absorbed.
Be concise, and invite follow-up questions at the end.

10
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
I've got both the experience and target audience rapport that you're looking for.
I've built two corporate training programs from scratch and developed the kind of interactive
video programs that you're looking to create.
When employees fill out feedback forms, they speak highly of my professionalism and clarity
that they've encountered.
Here’s a quick example.
A close friend of mine on your marketing team says that this company is a great cultural fit
given my background and values. I have an insatiable level of curiosity and tend to do lots of
research on any topic that I'm less than an expert in. And I know your values include constant
learning. That really resonates with my passion.
I'm just eager to become part of a fast-growing, mission-oriented organization like yours.

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

Having worked in strategy and sales roles across different geographies, I believe I am
uniquely positioned to add a lot of value to this general managerial position.
What separates me from most is my ability to take a holistic view of the business, set the
vision, and translate that into a set of strong strategic solutions. Given my experience across
different functions, I also have the ability to connect and influence cross-functional partners
to drive business results, which I believe will be critical in this position.
My background studying engineering and business taught me to balance the logic and data
with the human side of things, which will be a competitive advantage in this ambiguous and
dynamic industry.
I’m motivated and excited to learn your company’s unique business model, and from my
interactions with the employees here, I can see that we share values like respect, trust, and
excellence.
Overall, I believe I bring the right mix of skills, experiences and attitude for the job and think
that my varied experience can add a lot of value here.

11
Example3: (By Product Marketing Research Professional)
As a data scientist, I’ve demonstrated my ability to answer business questions, as well as
advise strategic marketing decisions by providing in-depth data analysis with various
technical skills, such as SQL and R.
Part of my role has been to evaluate a $30M marketing budget and make recommendations.
A recent marketing strategy that I proposed eventually drove growth of 10% for the business.
I am also proactive in learning new skills. For example, knowing that effective
communication is the key to making findings convincing, I sought out and took training
sessions on both data visualization and presentation. These skill sets have been critical in
successfully pitching and persuading senior leadership on changes to strategy. As a result, I
was quickly promoted to a senior role in just a year.
Given the growth moment that your company is poised to have, I believe that my unique
experience will be an asset to your team. I’m excited to expand my expertise within a new
industry, and recommend key strategies and opportunities that will support and drive
business.

Example4: (By Marketing & Category Insights Professional)

My resume demonstrates that I’ve been successful with the key responsibilities of this role:
managing teams, developing strategic sales plans, and delivering quarterly targets.
I’ve been managing teams for the last 10 years and to this day, many of my former direct
reports still call and ask for career or personal advice.
I’ve also led the development of strategic plans with the customer for years. I first listen and
understand their priorities and objectives, then develop a win-win solution for both parties.
Last year my team received 2 awards. The first was from our internal organization for
collaboration and partnership in developing our 3-year plans. The second was the Vendor of
The Year Award from the customer for putting together plans that exceeded their growth
targets.
I’ve been in sales for the last 15 years and I know how important it is to hit targets — it’s the
lifeblood of what we do. That’s why I work hard to support and guide my team, as well as
work with internal partners to anticipate and remove roadblocks.
I believe I would be a great fit for this role as I already have relevant experience and been
successful in my previous roles.

12
Why do you want to work here?

Overview
Interviewers want to understand what prompted you to apply for this job. They don’t want
candidates who are indifferent to where they work. Instead, they want someone who offers
very specific reasons for why they want this job.

You would be amazed by how few people get this question right. So you've got a big
opportunity to shine.

Make it all about them.

Your best answer will be about what they need. It'll show that you've done your research and
have thought through what you can contribute to that team.

Show them how you can help.

Weave your story into the context of what you can contribute. If you have strong accounting
skills and are interviewing for a finance role at a humane society, you could suggest that this
job would allow you to blend your professional skills with your passion for animals.

Speak from the heart.

Telling a genuine story can make a big difference. For example, I once worked with a client
who was applying for a zoo event manager job and she had grown up next door to that zoo
and had great memories of the peacocks flying over the fence and sitting on her dad's car. So
her answer was that she wanted people to have fun memories of that zoo just like she did. Try
to top that.

Tips
Make it about them first.
Show you’ve done your research.
Use this as a key opportunity to outshine the competition.
Speak from the heart.

13
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
The first thing that prompted me to apply is your commitment to service. I've been a
customer for five years since I first bought a house. We had a big storm that damaged my
roof last year, and I was impressed by how caring and prompt your customer service
representatives were as I worked through it.
I'm also excited about your upcoming merger. I can see how this is going to set you apart in
the insurance industry. I'd love to help you through the process of integrating the two
companies. Having supported a merger three years ago, I know what an intricate and stressful
process that can be. I have a few specific ideas on how I might ease the transition.
Lastly, I applied because I see this as an opportunity for me to broaden my financial services
experience. This seems to be a natural fit based on my understanding of regulated industries.

Example2: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)

I grew up in a household that only used your products. Even when we faced tremendous
financial difficulty, my mother would always buy razors manufactured by your company –
that’s when you realize the role you play in the lives of your consumer is much more than
cleaning. You make life a little bit easier, allowing people the time, space and energy to live
life at its fullest.
When my father immigrated to the U.S from India, I was 6 years old. I don’t remember much
– all I remember is that my dad packed 2 suitcases, a box of his mother’s favorite sweets and
your company’s personal care products. That’s how important the product is to him and it’s
the only razor he has ever used and it’s the only razor I have ever used. I want to work for a
brand like that – and I want to bring my father to this office and see the factory where his
product is made, first-hand.

14
Example3: (By Pricing Strategy Manager Professional)
I have spoken to people who worked here previously and I was always highly impressed on
how highly they spoke about the company and how well they developed themselves.
I admire your mentor program and have always believed that mentorship is key to a
company’s success and an individual’s personal and professional growth. I see this
opportunity as a way to contribute to an exciting fast growth company with such a potential
with my skills well-suited to add value to the company’s growth.
Within the last three years, for example, I set the goal of growing and evolving my team. I
was able to coach and promote three different partnership employees into new roles. I was
also able to optimize pricing and promotions, which saved the company money and resources
and exceeded revenue projections three years in a row.
My track record of outperforming expectations and ability lead will help accelerate the
fascinating growth you are seeing.

Example4: (By Data Engineering Analyst Professional)

I understand that you’re looking for a leader who can implement and scale your data analytics
platform.
Over the course of my career, I have implemented data analytics platforms for 3 companies.
Each had its own unique challenges and required me to learn, grow, and expand my skill set.
I’m energized by new and complex challenges, and have the background, experience, and
successful track record required to implement this system within your organization.
The space in which your company operates is also of personal interest to me and I would love
to contribute to it and help the company grow. When I started at my current company, I had a
team of 4 people which I scaled to 28 people. I led the team in designing and building a big
data platform for this big global company. Ultimately, we expanded the user base from 100 to
1,200.
I’m looking forward to the next chapter and challenge, and believe I can bring real value to
this organization.

15
Tell me about a time you showed leadership.

Overview
Employers want to understand your capacity to step up and handle tough situations that
undoubtedly arise in the workplace. They want to know when you’ve seen an opening to lean
in and lead with good judgment.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Describe a situation where there was a lack of leadership.
Use the word “lead” to help describe the actions you took.
Give credit to your ‘leadership skills’ when explaining the positive results.

16
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
Recently there was a situation where my manager needed to take medical leave and was
unable to come into work for a few weeks. This coincided with a major deadline that he was
leading. I knew that if this project wasn't completed on time, we were at risk of losing a
major client.
I looked to my right and my left, and there wasn't anyone else who could own the project, so I
jumped in with both feet and took the initiative.
I went through the files and developed a schedule detailing what needed to be completed, and
I worked with my coworkers to ensure they were on board too.
In the end, we were able to complete the project by the deadline. The client was pleased and
stayed on as a loyal customer to the company. When my boss came back, he gave me an end -
of-quarter bonus because he was impressed I was able to rally everyone to complete the
project.

Example2: (By Hardware Engineer Professional)

I was working on a high visibility project and during production, two members on my cross-
functional team had different approaches to a problem that we were facing. They both wanted
credit for being right, and we were at a stalemate. To move forward, I needed to help align
the team.
I wasn’t their reporting manager but I was the project lead, so I asked them to explain the
pros and cons of their approach. I encouraged them to fairly assess their solutions and
moderated the discussion so that it stayed productive and respectful.
As they laid out their plans, it became clear that a hybrid approach would be best for the
company. I encouraged them to see this as a team win towards a common goal that would
reflect positively on everyone.
Using the hybrid approach, we not only delivered a superior solution, but completed the
project 2 weeks ahead of schedule because the team was so motivated.

17
Example3: (By Product Marketing Research Professional)
During a recent project, I was responsible for helping to improve the margins of an existing
product line used by multiple customer segments. The product had multiple elements of
design, manufacturing, and software support. Leadership had been eyeing cost-cutting efforts
for some time.
My first step was to clearly understand the situation and how the product had become less
profitable. So, I sat down with the design, sales, marketing, and operations teams to
document all perspectives.
In parallel, I met with the finance team to clearly understand areas of potential savings. In the
end, I identified 3 clear steps: streamline processes around assembly and testing, make small
design tweaks to remove unnecessary features, and simplify the product overall.
Making this proposal required talking to each team individually, armed with financial data
that could convince them that this effort was worthwhile. The data had to make sense and
projections needed to be realistic. I also needed to leverage my technical background to
understand nuances in the design and assembly.
Ultimately, the effort saved the company more than $5M over the next two years, and helped
set the precedent for efficient and lean product development.

Example4: (By Data Engineering Analyst Professional)

A few years ago, I took over the Web Operations team of a major company. This was a new
area for me and when I stepped into the role, I immediately identified a clear need to
completely rebuild 35 worldwide websites across eight different languages.
I created a plan for the rebuild which included hiring additional technical writers, securing
media agencies, acquiring new software, and more.
This plan was meant to be enacted over 18 months but after I presented my plan to executive
management, the CEO requested that we complete the project before the end of the year.
This gave us just 12 months, which meant we had to rethink our project plan. The
readjustment required the addition of even more resources and d istributing the translation
work to different teams — all while managing risk carefully. I am happy to say that after 12
months, the project was completed successfully, and team morale remained high throughout
the process.

18
Tell me about a time you were successful on a team.

Overview
If you can show that you’ve helped a team move through a challenge, you probably have
strong communication and interpersonal skills. These kinds of “soft” skills are in high
demand and make people successful in their jobs.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Describe a problem that arose with a team.
Outline your key actions with the team.
Explain the positive result based on the work you did.
Give credit to your teamwork skills.

19
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
I was asked to work on a high-profile project that included collaborating with a new team and
tons of people across a larger organization.
We were spread out across the globe, which meant time zones were tricky and we could
never meet face-to-face. Communication was starting to get confusing, and people were
losing important details.
It became apparent that this project was going to fail if we didn’t have a new strategy, so I
met with various team members and engaged them in a process where we designed and
implemented a communication system that would work a lot better.
We then did weekly check-ins; designed a protocol to share relevant updates so we’d stay on
track; developed a detailed outline of goals and milestones; and led the meetings.
In the end, the team made massive progress. We completed the project on time, and it was
praised extensively by the client. The team thanked me for helping to course-correct. We also
continue to use these tools, and they are what make our team so much more efficient at what
we do.

Example2: (By Program Manager Professional)

While working for a major airline, I was on a team that was tasked to jointly determine the
growth plans for a joint venture we operated in partnership with two other airlines. Naturally,
the team was made up of individuals based around the world, each with very different views
on the economic and competitive landscape. At first, our plans clashed significantly.
One challenge we were trying to solve in our term sheet was how to adjust our plans during
times of economic uncertainty. Each team had a different idea for what actions to take, and
when. To help reach alignment I proposed that we look at real historic examples of economic
downturns, bankruptcies, volcanic eruptions, and similar events — and use them as case
examples to set a range of appropriate reactions. Then, we’d tie these reactions to indicators,
such as global passenger volume, GDP growth, and stock market indicators — all universally
understood and applicable.
Once we established this framework for using hard data to guide acceptable strategic actions,
the team was able to collaborate with more trust and a common language. Our analysis was
unified and based on the same inputs, and this allowed us to quickly and successfully align on
a term sheet for the joint venture.

20
Example3: (By Product Manager Professional)
I joined a team 6 months after the MVP launch which was moderately successful, but short of
management expectations. Without a real roadmap, the team was just running small
experiments to drive incremental gains.
I quickly realized that we’d need to do more than that to realize the long-term vision of the
product. To gain the trust of my new team, I focused on what could be improved in the
immediate future. I helped rationalize the short-term experiment roadmap, organized
execution, removed roadblocks, and helped ship few of the high potential experiments.
Concurrently, I spent time with the executive team to understand their expectations. After
observing users and analyzing our logs, I partnered with team leads across Engineering,
Design, and Research to develop an updated mission statement and a set of defined success
metrics.
Within 3 months, we were charging full-speed ahead with an updated roadmap, improvement
operational metrics, and significant boost on a platform satisfaction survey. Two years later,
the product had been used by hundreds of millions of people every month — 40 times the
amount we started with.

Example4: (By Enterprise Program Manager Professional)

As part of the developing a product roadmap for a CRM product line, I’m proud to have
uncovered an unmet need during a user empathy session. One of the pain points that kept
coming up was around the end customers spending too much time and effort in creating
nested workflows for their activity-based marketing campaigns.
I Identified a way to do a rapid prototype of a ‘workflow’ module using natural language that
can be invoked based on voice commands and keywords to create complex workflows. I
demonstrated the idea and prototype to leadership to obtain support, then met with one of the
key engineering leads to develop a timetable to develop this concept without risking the other
features on the roadmap.
In 2016, we filed a new patent in natural language processing. This capability can be a ‘plug-
in’ module to several first party and third party software products that are focused on
business process automation and workflows — which has generated a steady stream of
licensing revenue to date.

21
What would your co-workers say about you?

Overview
Interviewers want to know if you’ll fit in with the team. This question can also help you
highlight your strengths without feeling like you’re bragging.

This question gives you an opportunity to share how amazing you are—without feeling like
you're showboating. Here are three quick tips on how to answer it:

Find features that fit.

Re-read the job description and look for answers that go well with it. For example, if they
need a strong problem solver, maybe you can share that your office nickname is “The Fixer”
because you're so good at solving tough challenges.

Share some of your reviews.

Before the interview, go through your LinkedIn recommendations and performance reviews
and see if there are some gold nuggets you might want to show them. And if it's on LinkedIn,
mention it to the interviewers so they can read the whole recommendation if they want more
detail.

Back it up with evidence.

If you think your colleagues would say that you're super creative, resist the urge to say
“People like that I can think outside of the box”. Instead, share a tangible example of your
creativity that ties to the job description

Tips
Share something that relates to the job description and back it with an example.
Look to your recommendations and reviews for ideas.
Be confident and succinct. It’s OK to shine!.

22
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
I think my coworkers would tell you that I'm the one you turn to when it's time to make sure
everyone stays motivated and on track to pull off big, high-profile projects.
In one of my LinkedIn recommendations, my supervisor refers to me as the “Human Glue”,
which is something I'm proud of. She gave me that nickname after we went through a
complex ERP implementation. It was one of those stressful time-critical projects that required
the team to come together and make things happen in a short amount of time.
I kept the crew going, sometimes through long evening and weekend hours, and inspired
them to bring their absolute best to the project everyday.
I think that they also appreciated the pizza and donuts I brought in too.

Example2: (By Marketing & Category Insights Manager Professional)

Years ago, I read a book called Seeing Yourself as Others Do. The book posits that while we
are young in our careers, we can get away with being aggressive in our work style and
stepping on toes to get things done.
However, as we progress, we’re inevitably tasked with more responsibilities than we could
ever handle alone. At this point, it becomes imperative to have the support of those around us
— whether or not they are direct reports.
I have taken this message seriously and built relationships with people all over the
organization. I regularly meet with people from other departments who I don’t normally work
with. Because of this strong foundation, I am comfortable picking up the phone and asking
for help from a large network of colleagues. And it isn’t just one way! I regularly get calls
requesting help and advice on a wide array of projects.
As such, I would expect that my coworkers would say that I’m personable, supportive, hard -
working, and thoughtful. We spend more time with our co-workers than we do our own
families, so it’s important to keep professional relationships strong for team morale and
success.

23
Example3: (By Product Manager Professional)
I would expect that most coworkers would describe me as driven. When I join teams or start
on projects, I spend a lot of time understanding what’s most important about the work, which
is a huge motivating factor for me.
Once I lock in on what matters most, I share it with the team so we’re all invested with a
common purpose. Being driven allows me to share what some have called my “infectious
enthusiasm” with others and rally the team, and also means that I spend a lot of time with my
work to make sure it’s done well. My teams have solid track records of hitting if not
exceeding their goals because of this focus and ability to motivate.
A good example was when I was working with quite a large group, and our project was given
to us top-down. This didn’t feel empowering for the team, but I worked with leadership and
our user research team to help the engineers and designers recognize the value of what we
were working on.
It was slated to be a multiyear project, but because the team was motivated and we focused
on creating specifications for the product, we were able to deliver a prototype in just a few
months.

Example4: (By Hardware Engineer Professional)

My coworkers have told me that I am a technical leader who sets ambitious goals, reliably
delivers work on time, and shows empathy to each team member.
In a recent peer review, I received great feedback for being a team player. One of my
coworkers needed to take some time off to address some pressing personal issues. He wasn’t
comfortable asking, as we were working on a very tight timeline and everyone had limited
bandwidth — especially me. But knowing that he would be stronger in his role and that the
team would be healthier if he was given space to handle outside concerns, I offered to take up
his responsibilities for 3 weeks.
It was a stretch, but I knew it was temporary. I emphasized time management and
prioritization to ensure that no deadlines were missed. When he returned, he was able to
focus and our team was even more productive.

24
Why do you want to leave your current role?

Overview
Employers say they want to hire people who are running “to” a role as opposed to running
“away.” However, they are also interested in your honesty when things haven’t worked out
and will give people second chances when they demonstrate hunger.

Hiring managers will often ask this question, and it's a test. Are you running away from
something, or are you running towards something? The advice when you get this question is
simple:

Stay positive.
Employers want to see that you have a good attitude in general. Resist the temptation to say
bad things about your current job, employer, or boss.

Focus on where you’d like to go.

You should come off as someone who is looking forward, not backward. Portray your
interests more in the light of what you want to get out of your next role.

Bring it back to them.

Show them that you’ve done your homework about their company, and relate what you tell
them back to the specific job you're interviewing for.

Tips
Don’t talk negatively about past roles or former bosses - employers don’t want to work with
people who complain.
Be gracious when things haven’t worked out in the past.
Share some of the ways you’re working on improving.

25
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
I'm eager to find a new opportunity and grow.
As you can see, I've been doing the same kind of work for two and a half years, and I'm
starting to stagnate. My company doesn't have a role open for the next step up, unfortunately.
So, I'm excited about the opportunity of becoming a sales manager at your company.
The new role will let me use the skills I've developed in my current role like making cold
calls; hooking in new clients with pithy-but-inspiring opening lines; following up with
carefully crafted emails; listening to their pain points; and then offering up solutions that can
solve their problems.
I'm eager to make a fresh start, and I want to use my cold calling and listening skills to help
craft an even better solution with the product I'd be working on in this new role.

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

I believe that the key to long-term professional growth is gathering critical, foundational
experiences.
In my case, my aspiration is to lead a large multinational business in a general managerial
capacity. To get there, I have identified a set of enabling experiences, and have been very
intentional in choosing my roles and assignments so far. While I have learned an immense
amount in my current role as a strategic insights marketing manager, I believe that it’s the
right time to expand my learning with a new challenge.
Over the last 4 years, I have worked across a variety of marketing, strategy, and sales
assignments across different global regions. I’ve built a strong understanding of how to
sustainably grow brands & businesses through consumer-centric strategies.
In the next stage of my career, I’d like to lead a mid -sized business team by setting the long-
term vision and translating that into short-term tactics. It’s also important to me to create an
environment where my team can deliver great work while feeling empowered and energized.

26
Example3: (By Marketing & brand Manager Professional)
I’ve enjoyed my time with my current employer, and have grown a lot in my role. In the past
2 years, I’ve successfully shipped several products that turned out to be very successful.
I believe that the next big trend for product development will be centered heavily around
mobile shopping. My current company is looking at a possible move in this direction within a
number of years, rather than months.
I’m interested in joining your team because the products you’re developing are in the exact
area I’d like to explore and grow. This role would give me an opportunity to build a solid
understanding of complex problems and how to navigate through ambiguity, preparing me to
adapt to new challenges quickly.
I would also hone my data analytics skills, as I am already familiar with analyzing trends and
insights in different customer segments and cohorts. And finally, I would strengthen my
communication and leadership skills. As a product leader, it is super important to understand
the resources, challenges, and priorities across the organization, and to drive synergy across
teams.
I love that your team is lean and fast-moving, and I believe that my product management
skills, drive, and enthusiasm would make me a great fit for the organization.

Example4: (By Data Engineering Analyst Professional)

I enjoy my current role and am not actually actively pursuing a change. I am, however, very
open to intellectually stimulating and challenging opportunities that will allow me to provide
value.
I’m interested in a role where I am responsible to deliver and actively contribute towards
company success. I am also seeking continued development and improvement, both
personally and professionally.
Based on the job description and our discussions, this role does seem like a good match. I’ve
long admired this company and am passionate about both the mission and the products. I
believe that my record of success, unique experience, and background would make me an
asset to the team.

27
Describe your most challenging project.

Overview
Employers want to get a sense of what ‘challenging’ means to you. They also want to know
how you handled the situation in a calm way. They’re looking for a storyline to prove that
you can turn a bad story into a good story.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Have a clear story with a specific challenge.
Describe the negative impact if you hadn’t resolved the issue.
Discuss action steps you took and talk about the positive impact.

28
Example1: (By Product Marketing Manager)
In my current role, I was in charge of leading a major marketing campaign for a new product
launching nationwide.
The project was challenging both because of how large it was and because it involved
constant communication with at least seven teams inside my company. Even though I tried to
share the same information with everyone, it was clear that not everyone was on the same
page.
Partway through, I discovered that some of the teams were not on schedule with their
assigned tasks. The implications were significant, and a delay to the campaign would
negatively impact our revenue goals.
I identified the root causes of the delays and set up a plan of action to address them. I planned
in-depth one-on-one meetings with the team leaders to help re-inspire them. We talked about
the goals and set ambitious targets for getting these last items across the finish line. I then
organized and led status-update calls for the larger team and implemented a public dashboard
to keep everyone accountable.
In the end, we did meet the marketing campaign deadlines and the product launch was a hit.
The company hit their revenue goals and everyone on the sales team received a well-deserved
bonus.

Example2: (By Hardware Engineer Professional)

I was brought into a project right before the ramp, when the existing team ran into a blocker
issue. They were severely constrained in both resources and time, and didn’t have the
bandwidth to address it.
Obviously, there was a lot at stake. The expectation was that I would quickly solve the issue,
but I was coming in completely cold and the team was stressed and resistant to stop what they
were doing to bring me up to speed.
Success required two things. First, I needed to clearly explain exactly what I needed from
each team member — and why. Second, I needed to gather this information and context as
quickly and efficiently as possible. Once the team realized that there was a process in place,
they were very responsive.
With all the appropriate inputs, I was able to create a plan to solve the issue within just one
week. The team just needed a point person to align everyone. Once I did that, we were able to
get things back on track and deliver the project on time.

29
Example3: (By Program Manager Professional)
While working for a major airline, I needed to adjust a financial model that shared revenue
between all the airlines in our partnership.
The model used a common industry metric, RASM, to calculate unit revenue — based on the
number of seats in an aircraft. But without a universal standard for airplane design, this
metric favored some partners over others.
To fix this issue, I had to establish a standard without unwanted bias. The new system also
needed to be set by an unbiased party. I reached out to contacts I had at our OEMs asking for
support. Only a few firms build the majority of all aircraft, and each offered to have their
engineering teams create a standard for my purposes.
The challenge came from several obstacles: the incredible depth of detail down to every last
square foot of each aircraft in our fleet, close communication with partners and suppliers,
clear direction for both business leaders and technical engineers, and the need to rally all
partners to a cause that would benefit the collective.
Overall, clear communication and persistent attention to detail powered the successful
completion of this project.

Example4: (By Data Engineering Analyst Professional)

I was tasked with implementing a uniform data platform for a large, multinational company
with tens of thousands of employees. It had to be done in such a way that it could be used by
teams spread out all over the world.
There were several challenges associated with implementing a platform of this size and
importance. We had to make sure the platform would be well-adopted, add value, and be
approved by the executive team.
Besides the technical complexities of building such a platform, this project was also
challenging because we had to influence global teams. To accomplish this, I created a high-
level strategy. Then, I asked Senior VPs to nominate reports to form one global team that
could represent the entire organization.
Ultimately, we succeeded in building a platform that was adopted globally, thanks to a
strategic plan executed by a collaborative task force that incorporated both global needs and
local aspirations.

30
Tell me about something you’ve accomplished that you are proud of.

Overview
This question assesses how you define a professional success. If the story resonates, the
employer will want you to do similar things at his or her company. You should focus on the
impact and outcomes.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.
Describe the situation.
Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Describe the problem that existed before you took action.
Talk about how you took initiative to solve the problem.
Explain why you are proud of the outcome and what would have happened if you hadn’t
stepped in.

31
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
When I first joined the company, I noticed that the existing monthly budgeting process was
quite time-consuming and inefficient because it was highly manual.
There were errors and inaccuracies, and I took the initiative to implement a new budgeting
template to automate the process and make it simpler.
I developed automated calculations using Excel and fill-in-the-blank lines for departments to
submit their numbers. Then I designed and led a training for all relevant staff. The new
system made it easier for the departments to provide their budgets in an error-free way.
Overall, we had 25% fewer errors in the next cycle of budgets and my team became 30%
more efficient. My manager gave me a very strong review for the quarter and noted that she
appreciated my initiative to automate and make the process a lot less cumbersome.

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

In my role on the innovation strategy team, I helped create a long-term innovation pipeline
which led to multiple product launches for a critical business unit. While the company was a
market leader in the space, we had been rapidly losing market share over the last few years.
My first action was to identify the root cause of our declines. Through a detailed analysis, I
identified that our product lineup didn’t fully satisfy evolving consumer needs. I also
examined our past product launches and found that they’d lacked differentiated utility.
I got approval from leadership to take an end-to-end approach using design thinking. We
started with consumer immersions to understand how our products are used and which
barriers we’d need to overcome. From there, we created new product concepts.
We tested the concepts with consumers and created a long-term innovation pipeline. Finally,
we partnered with cross-functional teams to charter and launch 3 products in just 2 years.
This increased market share for the first time in 5 years, and we have seen sustained sales
growth ever since.

32
Example3: (By Product Manager Professional)
Only a few months into my role, I was asked to lead another product area because the team
hadn’t been successful after several attempts.
I realized that the org itself posed a challenge. We were essentially operating as 3 separate
teams on 3 different sites, in 3 different time zones. So, my first step was to visit each site to
build trust and learn more about their priorities, since we would need buy-in from each team.
Next, I collaborated with the horizontal metrics team to determine a metric that would
capture the value of the project, as well as each individual team’s success.
We assembled a team that consisted of engineers from each site and kicked off the project
together. We set up a regular travel schedule to support this new team dynamic. When we hit
technical issues, we were able to iterate quickly.
I’m really proud of the final product for a number of reasons: It was a hot potato that had
failed multiple times. And the result is awesome. Not only by our numbers, but I personally
know tons of people who really love using it. Finally, I was able to build meaningful
relationships with multiple senior stakeholders.

Example4: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

In the last year, I led the launch of an entirely new e-commerce business channel within my
company. Data showed us that users have a tendency to impulse buy on social media — and I
saw an opportunity to embed a shopping feature in our social media app.
With just a lean team of two analysts, I led a 6 month research project in which we
interviewed 100 people on how they use social media, exploring their interest and intent
when they saw a product image.
I also had in-depth conversations with leaders of engineering, user research, and data
scientists to understand what would be required to build this feature. Finally, we developed a
cost analysis that detailed the resources and manpower we’d need to create a new division.
The preparation and research provided a strong enough case to be approved at the highest
levels of leadership. The company implemented this new business channel and revenue
stream, and I’m really proud to have played a key role in a huge growth moment.

33
Can you explain your employment gap?

Overview
This question isn’t designed to rule you out - it’s a good sign if you get the interview.
Interviewers want to get more context about the gap and whether you’re still going to be a
great fit for the role, despite the gap.

Most people are nervous about how a gap will be perceived —even if there's a good
explanation, But if they’ve invited you in for an interview, then the gap hasn’t ruled you out.
Here are some tips on how to discuss it:

Be honest.
The truth will set you free. Try to put the situation into the best light and don't lie; it's bound
to come back and haunt you. So if your job was eliminated through a merger, just say so.

Speak with confidence.

For example, if you had taken some time away from working, avoid acting like you're
embarrassed, apologetic or ashamed. The interviewer is going to pick up on that. Instead,
pause and you see how they respond. The more calm, succinct and confident you are, the
more at ease the interviewer will be with your answer—and with you.

Show the benefits of your time off.

Bring up the good that came out of that time whether you were laid off, stepped away to be
with family, or even got fired. It's a great way to reframe the situation and an opportunity to
showcase some useful skills that you gained during that time.

Tips
Expect that they will ask about the gap - prepare for it.
Answer honestly and strategically.
Be confident and succinct.
Shine a light on the good that came out of that time.

34
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
Yes, so a few years ago I was working in Seattle as a global finance manager. I loved my job
and got to travel all over the world.
My dad, who lives in Michigan, was diagnosed with dementia that same year, and my mom
was having a hard time giving him the level of care he needed. I decided to put my career on
pause and go help them.
I not only got to spend quality time with my parents and sister, but I was able to get their
finances in order so that when it was time for him to enter a care home, they were in a great
spot to afford it.
He's doing really well at the facility, so now I can refocus on my career.

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

Looking at my resume, you’ll notice I have an employment gap of 5 months. I was relocating
internationally and had to go through the administrative process of procuring my travel visa
and work authorization permits. During this time, I couldn’t legally be employed abroad.
The time off was a blessing. It allowed me to recharge my batteries and use the time to stay
current with industry and consumer trends. I took the opportunity to evaluate my career
journey and make sure I was working towards my long-term goal of being a multinational
general manager. Without the day-to-day hustle, I was able to be introspective and distill the
lessons I’d taken away in previous roles, and start planning my intentions for the next.
I also used the time to read up on the latest developments in design thinking and innovation,
and even took a couple online courses in these spaces. What initially seemed like a frustrating
forced break ended up being a very positive period of time for me, and I was able to start my
next chapter feeling inspired and refreshed.

35
Example3: (By Product Manager Professional)
The 2-month gap on my resume was intentional. I wanted to leave space to prepare for a big
international move and take the opportunity to travel. I’d been heads-down for much of my
career, and this seemed like an ideal time to unplug.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, I didn’t end up moving or traveling, and the new job fell
through. I’ve used the time to brush up on my Spanish through online tutoring, practice some
new recipes, and make my way through a reading list that’s relevant for my next role.
I have also spent time thinking deeply about the contributions I’d like to make in the next
chapter of my career and develop some concrete goals. Finally, I’ve been volunteering
remotely with a London-based organization that I’m really excited about.
The unexpected time off has given me a chance to reevaluate some priorities and goals, find
inspiration, and recharge for my next move.

Example4: (By Regional Sales Manager Professional)

After experiencing a layoff, I created a list of things I wanted to accomplish with the time.
I had always wished for more time for creative pursuits like fiction writing, so I spent time
developing a TV pilot and framework for a 10 episode arc. Letting my creative juices flow
was very rewarding. I found the routine to be therapeutic, and the experience of creation to be
invigorating.
I also researched companies I was interested in and kept a running list of job requirements
that mirrored my own qualifications. I created a document that I could forward to a hiring
manager that complimented my resume, highlighting specific skills and real-life experience.
This exercise prompted me to evaluate my goals and skills, and to hone in on my next move.
The time was well spent. I harnessed my creative side, found inspiration, and created a
tailored plan that truly captured my career ambitions.

36
What are your salary expectations?

Overview
If this question arises early, odds are that the interviewer is really asking: “Can we afford
you?” If it arises much later, the interviewer may be hoping that your salary requirements are
aligned to what they have budgeted for this role.

This is a question you'll get all too often, so here are a few tips to help you master the answer:
Give them a salary range.
Let them know there’s room to negotiate (instead of starting with a specific number). Avoid
going too low though, because that's going to work against your interests. And don’t go too
high either, or you may freeze yourself out of the opportunity.

Do some neutral research.

Give them a reasonable place to start from. You can use a resource like the LinkedIn Salary
Tool to find out what other companies are paying people in this role and share with them
what you learned about this salary range. Then they’ll have to base their compensation at
least on those numbers because you've let them know what other similar organizations are
giving to employees who do that job.

Bring up signing bonuses.

Doing this can create a win-win situation for both parties. At the end of a negotiation, asking
for extra money up top is often a way to bridge the gap between what you want and what
you’re being offered.

Tips
Know the industry norms for similar jobs.
Talk about ranges, rather than exact numbers.
Make the case that you offer premium value.

37
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
I've been doing some research on the market for the role of Sales Analyst.
What I found from LinkedIn's salary tool is that here in Chicago, base pay for these jobs
tends to run between $61,000 and $71,000. Half the companies pay bonuses as well.
Given the global impact of your company, and the fact that candidates with Master's degrees,
like me, are being recruited most heavily, I think we should be looking toward the top end of
that range.

Example2: (By Product Marketing Research Professional)

Based on my current compensation and market research from resources like Glassdoor and
[Link], I am seeking a base salary within the range of $[dollar amount] to $[dollar
amount]. I’ve seen similar roles that are offering $[dollar amount].
My specific experience and years in the field are closely aligned with this position, making
me a strong candidate to be able to jump in and quickly add value.
That said, I understand that this base salary range might be on the higher end of the spectrum
for a growing company, and I’m willing to consider a lesser base paired with a signing bonus
or increase in restricted stock units. My intention is to grow with the company and invest
myself in its success.

38
Example3: (By Business Portfolio Manager)
After researching market ranges from multiple sources online and taking into account my
education, experience, and location, I’m targeting roles with base salaries in the range of
[dollar amount].
Of course, I’m also taking into account opportunities for long-term growth with an emphasis
on purpose-driven work as I evaluate and weigh options — and my values are closely aligned
with your organization’s mission.
For this reason, I would be willing to negotiate base salary in exchange for a generous time-
off policy. I intend to be a high performing asset to your company, and value time to recharge
when appropriate.

Example4: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

It’s important to me any new role is positive from a work standpoint. I want the work that I’d
be doing to be impactful, and I want to know that I can contribute meaningfully to the
organization. That’s why I’m most interested in this role: My personal values and ambitions
are aligned with the company’s mission.
As far as annual compensation, I’m open to how it is paid out, whether through base salary or
a bonus structure. For a move to make sense to me, I would need the total compensation to be
between [desired salary range].
Additionally, in future conversations, I’d also like to discuss how we might leverage the
signing bonus to compensate for some of the long term Incentives like stock options that I’d
be walking away from in my current role.

39
What do you like to do outside of work?

Overview
Interviewers want to know you’re going to be enjoyable to have around and not just that you
have the hard skills for the job. Use this question to set yourself up as interesting, fun,
curious, or a go-getter.

With this question, employers are looking to get a feel for your likability and cultural fit. So
what should you say—and not say? Here are a few tips.

Pick one of your favorites.

Go ahead and share something about your hobbies, volunteer work, or the places you enjoy
traveling to. Maybe you're taking classes to help you accelerate your skills. In general, you
just want to tell them something that's true and will paint you as an interesting, healthy, or
good human being.

Keep it short.
For example, if you're a bird watcher in your free time, skip the 22-minute account of every
species you've ever documented. Share enthusiastically so your passion shines through, but
don't ramble on endlessly. Doing so might give the people to whom you're trying to make a
good impression the feeling that you're nervous or that brevity just isn't your strong suit.

Stick to appropriate topics.

Avoid anything that might be pulverizing or offends somebody who's not a part of a
particular group like politics or religion. Choose something uncontroversial or beneficial, and
take advantage of the opportunity to show them that you're the complete package.

Tips
Share something that paints a favorable picture.
Keep it short and sweet.
Don’t bore them with long stories.
Steer clear of the inappropriate zone.

40
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
A lot of my spare time lately has been dedicated to teaching myself how to shoot and edit
instructional videos.
I've been a garage-sale shopper for several years, and I sell my finds on eBay to pay down my
student loan debt. So far I've raised $11,000. People who find out that I do this often have a
lot of questions about how to get started, how to find the best stuff, and how to market items
on eBay.
So I've decided to put a few tutorials up on YouTube. That way people can learn through the
videos—and I gain a new creative skill.

Example2: (By Product Manager Professional)

I really love backpacking in different countries, especially with different cultures than the one
I grew up in. I find that it allows me to disconnect and recharge from everyday life, while
growing and learning something new. To date, I’ve backpacked either alone or with friends in
over 20 countries, across Asia, South and Central America.
For our honeymoon, my wife and I travelled northern India for 6 weeks. It’s a very diverse
region, home to Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists, and we really enjoyed spending time in a
few different states.
We did a diverse set of activities like hiking the Himalayas and Ladakh, finding cool hot
springs, and Vipassana meditation. Vipassan is a 10 days of silence meditation. I’ve really
connected with the technique and have found it to be a powerful way to focus my attention
and reset myself.

41
Example3: (By Procurement Manager Professional)
Outside of work, I enjoy fitness training, perfecting my golf swing, writing and recording
music, and taking care of my dogs.
This year I will be releasing my 4th album, which is all-instrumental, featuring classical
guitar. I play every instrument and record tracks at my home office. Currently, two are
streaming on iTunes and Amazon Music. I’m working towards a completion goal of late July.
I find that music is a wonderful creative outlet and stress-reliever, as well as a perfect balance
for my demanding career. It allows me to set personal goals and achieve them, which is also
true of physical fitness. I’ve found that keeping my mind and body sharp improve every
single facet of my life.

Example4: (By Marketing & Category Insights Manager Professional)

My wife and 5 children are my top priority. As a family, we stay very active and enjoy
outdoor activities like camping and waterskiing.
I played collegiate soccer and when 3 of my children joined teams, I took up coaching. I
became so involved that the city requested my help in building out their recreational soccer
training program.
I also volunteer with a youth group through our church. I act as a mentor, helping young men
set and achieve their own goals. For example, if they want to learn how to do an oil change, I
empower them to learn. I’ll help them track down a car, guide them in the research, then
oversee the process.
As a father and community member, these activities have been enormously rewarding. It’s
nice to feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives.

42
Tell me about a time you had to manage conflicting priorities.

Overview
Employers want to see how you handle competing priorities, understand the implications of
missing deadlines, and can stay cool under pressure.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.
Describe the situation.
Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Talk about the most important priority and then share additional priorities and how they
conflicted.
Describe the steps you took to get the top priority done.
Discuss the impact this had on the company or team.

43
Example1: (By Program Manager Professional)
I was asked at the last minute to help with a major project. The deadline was just a few days
away and the project had gotten derailed.
As I was working on this first urgent project, I was approached by two different clients with
pressing requests as well. These conflicting priorities overwhelmed me at first.
Then I came up with a plan to prioritize the tasks I was given based on their level of
importance. I determined which clients were the most critical to our business and who needed
deliverables with the quickest turnaround.
I ranked the assignments and figured out how long it would take me to finish them. Then I
checked in with my coworkers, clients, and manager to see if the timeline made sense to
them. We added an additional team member, stayed in the office late for a few nights, and
aligned with the clients on the new timeline.
In the end, I was able to complete everything on time. Each client, manager and co-worker
was satisfied with my work and were happy that I communicated my revised timeline so
there weren’t any surprises at the end of the project.

Example2: (By Business Development Manager Professional)

As part of my role in Business Development, I managed multiple programs. Due to changes
in business needs, I had to update the training for the sales team for one program, while
working on launching a new capability within the other. Both were high priority and time
sensitive, and required major time and effort on my end.
To ensure that deadlines were met, I met with the respective internal and external partners to
set expectations and key milestones. I also identified which teams would be responsible for
the various aspects of each deliverable.
Once we established parameters, I stayed in regular communication with all stakeholders.
Every time we hit or missed a milestone, we went back to the plan to adjust and realign. The
constant open communication kept us all on the same page and working towards the
collective goal.
We were able to successfully deploy the new capability for one of the programs, which was a
big success. Due to factors beyond our control, we missed the deadline for the other program
— but our transparent and communicative working model eased conversations with partners
and leadership, and allowed us to pivot quickly.

44
Example3: (By Procurement Manager Professional)
During my role as Manager of Transportation Procurement, I was tasked with creating reports
for procurement and presenting them to our Business Intelligence department. I was selected
for the project because of my engineering experience.
After creating the reports, the BI team told me that they were backlogged for at least 6
months — which was an unacceptable timeline for my manager. I was hesitant to break
protocol, but explained that I could actually design and implement the entire project myself
within 6 weeks.
To get it done, I logged extra hours each day of the week. I created a power template with all
the SQL connection, necessary queries and joins, as well as all the DAX calculations needed.
I replicated the template for each report needed and built a dashboard as a web interface for
users to access the reports.
When I shared this with my boss, I was asked to present it in an upcoming meeting. To my
surprise, both the President and VP of the division attended. My hard work was very well
received. The next week, I was given a promotion and assigned full responsibility for
Business Intelligence.

Example4: (By Regional Sales Manager Professional)

When I worked for a technology company in the 3D printing space, their org had me
reporting directly to a VP of North American Sales, as well the global VP of Sales based in
Tel Aviv. This dotted line structure led to inherent priority conflict, as I was taking direction
from 2 different department heads with very different expectations.
I was not able to perform my role effectively with multiple managers, and it caused much
undue stress. I approached my direct manager of our North American operation and asked
that he contact the VP of our corporate location in Israel to request a change in reporting
structure. Fortunately, I had already established myself as a valuable, contributing team
member. This allowed me to approach this escalation with confidence, as my manager knew I
was committed to excellence in my role.
It turned out that this was a much larger, company-wide issue, and by bringing my situation
to the attention of leadership, a larger conversation about reporting structure began.
Ultimately, the company made the decision to phase out the dotted line reporting matrix
globally.

45
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Overview
Employers want to determine how serious you are about your career and whether your goals
match the goals for this job. Employers don’t expect you to offer up a specific title you want.
Instead, they want to know what you hope to accomplish.

The key to answering this question is to focus on what you can give to the employers or the
role. Here are three tips:

Break the time into chunks.

Let them know what you might do in each two-to-three year period. This helps the
interviewer to visualize and see what you're describing. Take them through what you plan to
do in the first few years and how you plan to take it up a notch in the years after that.

Talk about how your goals will help them.

Paint a vivid picture about the value that you plan to deliver within each of those two-to-three
year chunks that you described.

Avoid talking about job titles.

Resist the urge to tell them about what you want your position to be in two, three, or five
years because that can come off as overly presumptuous.

Tips
Break the answer down in two to three year chunks.
Focus on what you can give, rather than what you can get.
Don’t bring up a specific job title that you want to move into one day.
Make it specific to this particular company and position.

46
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
In the first two or three years, I plan to immerse myself in the position by leveraging my
strong Excel knowledge to develop automated reports and processes. The goal would be to
improve efficiencies and reduce time spent on manual tasks.
Within two to three years after that I see myself using that experience to help other
departments develop similar efficiencies.

Example2: (By Business Development Manager Professional)

My professional experience has provided a strong foundation and invaluable insight into my
strengths, interests, and areas of opportunity. In the next 5 years, my aim is to continue to
build strong relationships and trust by establishing myself as an expert in my field. This will
require dedicated investment both in and outside of my role, gathering new perspectives from
partners, colleagues, and mentors.
I plan to spend the next 2-3 years honing my leadership skills. I’m a fast learner and
enthusiastic student of the industry. In each role, I have sought mentorship, and would like to
provide this kind of support to others in the future. I have enjoyed owning projects and
leading collaborators, and believe that management is the next right path for me.
That’s just one reason why I’m drawn to your company. I’ve heard incredible things about
your management training programs, and I am looking for an organization I can grow with. I
believe that I have both the drive and the soft skills to be a real asset to your team for years to
come.

47
Example3: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)
In 5 years time, I see myself advancing to an executive level role leading the broader
marketing function or leading the company’s effort to be a digital-first brand.
That being said, I’ve always seen myself as a business-leader first, marketer second. In order
to be a well rounded business leader, and given the global nature of the company, I would
like to do an international assignment within the next 2-3 years, ideally in Asia. My
experience and expertise to date has been North America-centric and I would like to garner
the experience of working in a different culture with different consumers and unique business
challenges.
China and India have different go-to market business models, higher price sensitivity, smaller
pack sizes, all of which requires a different approach and I would like to learn, grow and add
value to this important region. This will give me invaluable experience on the different facets
of the business and make me a better marketing leader for the company.

Example4: (By Regional Sales Manager Professional)

I really enjoy my current position and have been happy to contribute to the success of the
company. Within the next 5 years, I see myself taking on greater responsibility through a
senior leadership role. I feel that my experience, communication skills, and creative strengths
would well position me to lead a nationwide or global sales team.
At this point in my career, I have already broadened my role by transitioning from a field rep
to a regional manager. Under my guidance, the team has grown the regional revenue by 32%
in just 15 months. We have also established a continued growth trajectory that projects 15%
more growth within the next two quarters.
My professional accomplishments are a testament to my ability to perform at the highest
level, and I look forward to the challenge of guiding a team to use a proven sales process to
maximize revenue and margins.

48
Describe your leadership style.

Overview
Good leaders can explain their values and priorities in a few words. This is a test to see if you
can explain yourself. It also helps to determine whether your approach meshes with the
company’s own culture.

This is a question you’ll hear a lot and answering with authenticity is key. Here are three tips
I have to help you get started:

Be clear about your leadership style.

Don’t be vague or ambivalent. If you're a team builder, say so. If you're tough, but fair, own
it. Be very concise and clear on how you define your leadership so that they know very well
what you're all about.

Give a detailed example that highlights it.

Talk about a situation, a problem or an obstacle, and then walk through what did you do and
what was the result. What did it mean to your organization, company, and the customer? And
be sure to include how you brought your team along, because this isn't all about you.

Show situations where you've adapted.

Life's not going to be simple. People want to see how you've grown and changed given the
situation. Just like you look for that in the people you're going to hire, the same thing with the
hiring manager who's looking to hire you.

Tips
Start by framing your basic style in a few words.
Give an example of your leadership style in action.
Show that you can adapt well to unexpected situations.

49
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
For me, good leadership is about finding the best analytical approach while still caring about
the people on the team.
Last year, I took charge of a digital marketing campaign that wasn't getting any traction. I
realized our team members didn't know what was expected.
We worked together to build new metrics. I gave more responsibilities to our most engaged
team member and helped another one find a different job where he could be more effective.
Within three months, we were hitting our numbers and morale was vastly better. When we
were ready to expand, five internal candidates asked if they could join our team.
I love building productive, successful teams, and it sounds as if there would be great
opportunities to do that in the job we're talking about.

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

I subscribe to McGregor’s Theory Y of management, which emphasizes the importance of
"participation." This theory suggests that people take pride in their work and act responsibly
for the most part. I firmly believe that everyone wants to do their level best, and will do so
when they have a clear vision, the right tools, and a sense of ownership.
This informs the way I lead and inspires my goal of creating a positive, inclusive, and
enabling work environment for everyone involved. In my experience, this approach has kept
collaborators highly motivated and delivering work in a way that is sustainable for everyone
involved.
While working on a small sales team, my focus was to set clear and collective targets to
ensure ownership, and offer regular training sessions on selling process and technology use.
This was more efficient than having a weekly check-in and feedback cadence. It was a
refreshing change for the team who appreciated the autonomy.
This approach was successful, as our team consistently delivered above plan revenue while
achieving savings on trade allowances. I also received the CEO award for sales excellence
and received the highest performance grading.

50
Example3: (By Business Development Manager Professional)
In a word, supportive. I think it is important to understand the unique strengths and blind
spots of my team members and direct reports. Knowing how to work with a range of
experience, skills, and working styles plays a big role in the success of a team.
We recently hired a new analyst who had limited experience in the industry and required
hand-holding up front, but who we believed would learn fast. To effectively lead, I had to
know when to step in and course correct, and when to let them make their own mistakes and
learn by experience for maximum growth.
Conversely, a contractor I managed in a prior role had significantly more subject matter
expertise than I did. I recognized this and positioned myself as a support structure — I helped
clear the path for her to achieve her goals.
I believe that good leaders pay attention, listen actively, and play to the strengths of each
partner and colleague.

Example4: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)

There are many aspects to my leadership philosophy, but the foundation is psychological
safety. Right or wrong, I want to give the people around me, reporting to me, and partnering
with me the ability to truly and honestly express their opinions without fearing any retribution
or impact.
That includes people overtly disagreeing with me, pushing back, or expressing an emotion. I
may not always agree with them, but they will always be heard. I have found that this builds a
powerful trust on teams because it’s a natural way to engage. When people feel locked in by
dogma, they don’t raise their voice, and valuable insights may be lost. By giving everyone I
work with psychological safety, they feel respected, understood, and free to contribute
authentically.
I also believe in decisiveness — in streamlined decision-making that empowers forward
movement. We get the data we need, the input required, we have the safe and healthy
debates, and make the call. This helps to minimize exhaustion across the board, and let team
members put their stamp on real progress.

51
Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake.

Overview
Being able to admit to a mistake shows maturity and personal accountability. Employers want
to know you’re self-aware and that you learn from past experiences. Errors are inevitable in
any job - it’s how you handle them that matters.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Use an honest example that’s believable.
Explain why it was a mistake.
Talk about what you’ve learned and any steps you’ve taken to show that you’re “working on
it”.

52
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
In my first job, my manager asked me to develop several forms of tracking projects. I said
“yes” because I wanted to do everything my manager asked me to do.
But as I started working on the project, I realized I didn't understand the overall goal. And the
project ended up creating templates that didn't meet my manager's expectations.
My manager was disappointed in me. She told me that if I had asked some clarifying
questions, I would've gotten to a better work product. I admitted to my manager that I had
made a mistake and learned that it doesn't make you look stupid if you ask clarifying
questions.
I learned that it's better to speak up quickly. That's how I've handled those situations ever
since.

Example2: (By Program Manager Professional)

During my first few months in network planning, I worked to launch a new international
route for a major airline. Months of work and detailed analysis goes into every new route as
many candidates are narrowed down to a few worthy of a multi-million dollar investment.
Regardless, this work needs to be done at a rapid pace and with a high level of
confidentiality.
My team moved quickly, and my work was shared with only a few key decision makers in
the company to gain approval. Unfortunately, throughout the rapid pace of work, a few key
stakeholders were left out of communications and felt unprepared. They were later left to
scramble and quickly adapt when they heard about my project in the media.
Learning from my mistake, I developed a robust checklist of each communication that would
be required prior to all subsequent launches. I also adapted it for other teams to help my peers
avoid a similar oversight.

53
Example3: (By Regional Sales Manager Professional)
While working in channel sales for a technology company that sold storage area network
solutions, I made the mistake of announcing a new break/fix service that was not approved or
rolled out internally yet.
I had jumped the gun in assuming it was ready to go. As a result, over 50 global channel
partners received the new program and some of them had already initiated quotes for end
users.
Once I realized my mistake, I sent out communication to the channel partners and owned up
to it fully. Many reached out to me directly and were understandably confused and frustrated,
but appreciated the transparency.
I offered to speak to their customers and help with any quotes that may have been stuck.
Ultimately, we were able to roll out the product fairly shortly thereafter, and there were no
serious consequences. But I had learned my lesson.
Since then, I’ve made more regular and effective communication a top priority. I make
myself available and accessible to internal and external partners to keep a steady stream of
information and updates flowing to avoid preventable errors.

Example4: (By Digital Analytics Manager Professional)

As a second year digital executive at a leading snacks brand, I had an opportunity to either
renew past sponsorships or seek new opportunities to associate our brand with top sports and
entertainment properties.
When I extended our contracts in fantasy football, I had my doubts of the effectiveness of the
partnership and the overall lack of novelty after so many years.
Compared to the actual NFL, fantasy football has a limited number of extremely dedicated
fans and users. We had a true tradeoff of reach versus frequency. I worked with our agency
partners to slash costs and develop numerous versions of compelling sweepstakes.
We refreshed the creative constantly and monitored performance aggressively to avoid a
negative ROI.
But, despite all efforts, we struggled to get fans to engage. I wish I had trusted the numbers
and my own intuition to consider other programs that would have been a much bigger
success.
It’s not easy to quickly acclimate at a top CPG company, but that experience taught me to bet
on myself, seek mentors who can help guide me in a new culture, and never forget the
importance of thanking teammates and partners for their hard work.

54
Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult person.

Overview
Employers know that difficult people are everywhere and situations come up frequently.
Explaining how you’ve been able to handle a challenging person in a mature way
demonstrates your ability to manage difficult moments successfully.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Describe how the person was ‘difficult’.
Explain the negative potential impact this could have caused.
Talk about how you approached the situation.
Be sure to highlight the positive result your efforts created.

55
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
My boss assigned me to a big project that entailed working across multiple teams. I had to
collect and analyze data that would help her make an informed decision about a new service
we were introducing to our customers.
One of these individuals I needed to collect data from had a bit of a difficult personality. He
was late to provide the data, and when he did provide it, it was incomplete or inaccurate.
Without getting the right information from him I knew I wouldn't be able to complete my
assignment. After I asked a few times, he agreed to have coffee with me so we could talk
about the situation and I could get a better sense of what his challenges were.
I asked what I could do to help make the request easier for him. He shared that he was
overwhelmed, as he had multiple competing deadlines, and that there were errors and delays
with all the data.
We brainstormed ways that I could break down my request into more bite-size chunks so he
could squeeze in the request in between bigger projects.
I then customized each of my requests in a way that would work with his schedule. He
appreciated how much I was able to tailor my request to meet his needs. And ultimately, he
helped me complete my assignments on time.

Example2: (By Product Manager Professional)

My company had kicked off a highly controversial cross-functional initiative. I was the
project lead with a team of three Product Managers, though I was not their direct manager.
One of the Product Managers was many years my senior and a level above me in the
organization. Throughout the process, I found that he was working around me, looping me
out, and stalling the process by surfacing problems without recommending solutions.
I set aside time for us to chat directly. I shared some of the challenges and pressure I was
facing, making myself vulnerable to create space for him to be receptive. I explained the
tension I was feeling with regards to our working relationship and asked what I could do to
help improve the situation.
This allowed us to clear the air, identify issues, brainstorm solutions, and commit to a
healthier form of partnership moving forward.
It was a powerful reminder of the value of communication and the importance of
transparency and honesty on teams. Seeing one another in a humanizing light allowed us to
build a stronger team.

56
Example3: (By Business Portfolio Manager Professional)
As a Business Analyst, my job was to create requirements documents or pitches for new
projects to present to a board of directors for approval. One of the board members was
notorious for poking holes and asked us to gather more information, causing significant
delays. This made stakeholders very unhappy.
I reached out to this board member to better understand his concerns and identify ways to
streamline the process.
I looked back at the proposals and identified three themes of concern that kept coming up.
We ran proposed changes by the board, and then modified the template accordingly. We also
implemented a new practice to share the proposals with the board before meetings to stay
ahead of questions.
Our approval rates tripled! In the end, uncovering the root of a difficult relationship was
beneficial to our process and all parties involved.

Example4: (By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional)

I don’t really believe that there are inherently difficult people. In my experience, different
backgrounds and levels of information can make it difficult to understand another’s point of
view.
As a product manager, I really wanted to push for a shopping feature within our app. I saw a
great opportunity to open a new potential revenue stream, but one of our key stakeholders —
an engineering team lead — was concerned that we’d need to staff up in a significant way,
and that the investment wouldn’t pay off.
I did a little digging and spoke to his team members to understand his concerns better. I
realized that I would need a quantitative analysis, rather than just a business plan. So I
mapped out potential revenue to prove that this endeavor would not only be profitable in the
short term, but over the next 5 years.
He was impressed that I had run the same analytics as his engineering team would, which
helped him move from a blocker to a strong advocate of the project.

57
Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone.

Overview
This question is all about sizing up your emotional intelligence. Interviewers are looking for
problem solvers, not shouters. Strong answers showcase your listening skills and your ability
to guide people to better choices.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Pick an issue where your agenda is in the broader interest.
Show how your careful listening helped you reframe the controversy.
Explain how the other person’s change of heart led to a better outcome for all.

58
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
The day before a major management review, I was told we only had ten minutes to present
our project. We had originally been promised fifteen.
Most of our team members agreed to shorten their remarks. One person refused to make
changes. I suggested that we sit down over coffee and talk about it. I started by listening,
letting him explain how hard he'd worked.
I realized the issue wasn't about the length of his speech but more about him being
recognized for doing a thorough job and getting his presentation together. He was proud of
his work.
So, we talked about another way of recognizing his efforts by acknowledging him in our team
newsletter. When we wrapped up that part of the conversation, he volunteered to shorten his
part of his speech.
By treating his contributions with respect, I guided him to a better outcome.

Example2: (By Product Manager Professional)

At a key moment in my previous role, my team was trying to balance the growth of our user
base and safety of users. We were exploring many solutions for this problem, and my role
was to align the team.
Our engineering manager had a strong perspective on a solution that was technically
straightforward, but did not fully address both needs. Our designer wanted to implement a
more complicated, but comprehensive solution. I believed that the latter seemed like the
appropriate course of action, but it needed an additional layer of depth to fully address
concerns from all parties.
First, I partnered with the designer to outline the solution and create a framework that
detailed key benefits and potential downsides. Next, I brought in an engineering counterpart
to break down the costs and timing implications of building a comprehensive solution.
These inputs enabled a strong case for the more complicated, but ultimately more meaningful
solution. Enthusiastic team alignment made timely leadership buy-in possible.
While I had to invest more detail work upfront, we were able to shave off a few weeks by
broadening our technical brainstorms throughout the early stages — which allowed us to
complete the project ahead of schedule

59
Example3: (By Business Portfolio Manager Professional)
I had just started leading special projects for the CEO of our wholesale division. He was very
particular about data models and gave line-item feedback, which caused extra work for the
team.
I felt strongly that there was a better way to complete the work. My boss and I pitched a new
model, but it was shot down. I realized that he needed to see it in action.
During the next review, I showed the old model and the CEO listed his changes. I then pulled
out my new model and showed him all of the options he was able to clarify. He was surprised
that I could modify variables so quickly to give him immediate feedback.
He wasn’t an unreasonable person, he just had a system that worked for him. We made a
successful, time-saving update because I took the time to understand his motivations, learn
how to speak his language, and find a solution to his pain points.

Example4: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)

As a software engineer, I had to persuade my marketing and sales teams that deploying a new
version of the software was the right thing for our consumers and clients because the existing
version was vulnerable to cyber attacks.
The teams were against a new version because they believed it would cause client
dissatisfaction. Additionally, these security enhancements came with a 23% cost increase.
To reframe the value equation, I took three steps. First, I enrolled leading cyber attack experts
to educate everyone on the impending risks from foreign entities. This reinforced the urgent
business imperative of investing in secured systems.
Next, I partnered with my finance team and determined that the cost of “fixing” systems after
an attack amounted to a 77% increase in spend — to say nothing of intangibles like
reputational damage.
Finally, I hired a market research group to bring a group of "non-techy" folks to conduct a
live, in-person demo of our new interface. The group demonstrated the new software with
ease.
Marketing and sales were so convinced that they asked me to join them in key client meetings
to lead the sales pitch myself. Clients not only loved the new system, but revenues increased
by 32% with the development of a premium version.

60
Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone.

Overview
Occasional conflicts are a fact of life. Interviewers want to see if you can work through those
tensions in a respectful way. If you helped steer things toward a good compromise, that’s a
big plus. Signs of anger or bitterness will count against you.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Pick an example involving business practices - avoid personal quarrels.
Calmly explain both sides’ point of view.
Show how a compromise or a fuller understanding led to a good outcome.

61
Example1: (By Career Strategist)
My team was given a new goal: to sell our product to a new customer segment that we hadn’t
served in the past.
The group had strong opinions about the approach we should take. In spite of their voices, I
had concerns about their strategy; I thought it may fail as it d idn't align with the client’s core
needs. But I was in the minority and when I spoke up I wasn't heard. I needed to find another
way to make the case to my teammates.
I set up a focus group with a potential client so my team could understand the challenges and
priorities of the people we aimed to serve. The great news was they saw that our planned
product wouldn't meet these needs, but if we made some slight adjustments to the service, we
could deliver something of real value. The team rallied behind this and got on board.
We were ultimately successful in bringing this client onboard —and ten more!

Example2: (By Marketing Insights Manager Professional)

During my time on the growth strategy team, I partnered with various brand and finance
teams to create a promotion and events calendar to maximize portfolio performance. This was
especially challenging because each brand team was only responsible for their brand’s
performance, while my job was to help ensure that the entire portfolio succeeds. This created
an inherent discord in the exercise.
In the past, teams would look back at the previous year’s events with the goal of essentially
replicating them. It occurred to me that this may not be the most efficient way to plan the
calendar, since the process didn’t involve any real evaluation of success.
My partners were reluctant to let go of the existing process. To get buy-in, I prepared two
scenarios. One used the old approach. The other used my new suggested approach with event
evaluation criteria — showing both the monthly and total year sales estimate for each brand,
as well as the entire portfolio. To make sure my case was airtight, I’d pre-worked with other
cross-functional teams to ensure that the new projections were compatible with monthly
product supply numbers and trade allowances.
I was able to get buy-in and implement the new process, which has allowed us to factor in
accurate estimates, measure success, and increase the efficiency of event planning.

62
Example3: (By Procurement Manager Professional)
A few years ago, I was asked to give a presentation on best practices in procuring
transportation. One of my suggestions was to change the lane hierarchy for which we procure
rates as well as changing the hierarchy we used to build routing guides in our transportation
management system. The Director of Transportation did not agree, which created some
tension.
I explained to the leadership team how the change would allow us to capture all the
operational requirements and help carriers to know exactly where they are sending trucks. I
quickly realized that the director was concerned that the change would require more
personnel and thus more budget. So, I created a presentation to detail how the new plan could
save up to 5%, which would help cover more than 2 additional temporary employees. That
convinced the team.
Ultimately, my plan did even better than expected, with a savings of 7% — approximately 34
million dollars. As a result, I was given more latitude on future procurement-related
decisions, in which I employed target pricing and multi-year deals that saved the company
even more.

Example4: (By Marketing & Category Insights Manager Professional)

My organization had prioritized the growth of a certain part of the business, and we were all
in a room discussing the best way to drive it. The cross-functional group had starkly different
opinions. One senior level team member suggested that we “force” the customers to make
necessary changes by threatening to pull funding.
This set off warning sirens in my mind because my team would be responsible for carrying
this out. I responded by acknowledging his idea as a novel approach. Then I mentioned that
in the past I’d found it effective to offer incentives — rather than threats — to solve a
problem or close a gap. I suggested that we offer the customer promotions in Q4 if they were
able to execute our new strategy by Q3. I wanted to shift the conversation in a more positive
direction and discuss ideas that would be mutually beneficial.
It worked, and the group began to brainstorm which customer pain points we could help
solve, and how we could inspire their cooperation.
We ended up giving them additional incremental promotions, as well as participating in one
of their corporate events. Not only did we solve their Q4 gap, but we grew our business by
2.3% that year.

63
Tell me about a time you created a goal and achieved it.

Overview
Strong answers reassure interviewers about your ambition and your determination to press
ahead. Pick a trivial goal, and you’re at risk of being tagged as a slacker.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Pick an ambitious goal that’s part of a bigger life journey.
Highlight obstacles and show how you overcame them.
Finish with an insight about the way your accomplishment has paid off.

64
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
In my line of work, most top performers have MBAs.
I couldn't afford to step out of the workforce for two years to earn one. But I promised myself
to do everything possible to earn an MBA within three years while working full-time.
I found a top-rated online program and started setting my alarm clock for 5:30 a.m. I set goals
of two hours of study time in the morning and evening, and made detailed to-do lists to
manage both my study schedule and my other work responsibilities. It was incredibly hard,
but I persisted and managed every minute of my day—and achieved my goal.

Example2: (By Business Portfolio Manager Professional)

I was two weeks into my first role with a new company when the leader of our business unit
requested to showcase all the technology my team was working on, plus two brand new
demos in the grand opening of our New York City office — in just six weeks.
My manager tagged me to lead the charge. Most of our projects weren’t client-ready, which
would mean lots of coding and testing to do in a short period of time. I don’t think anyone
thought we’d have it 100% ready in time.
I gathered the team and explained to them that we had a really cool opportunity, and asked
for their ideas. I didn’t sugarcoat how hard it would be, but promised to do everything I could
to clear the path.
In the next few weeks, I quickly re-prioritized our Jira backlog to put other non-critical
projects on pause and communicated to those stakeholders. I then implemented weekly
sprints and daily standups to reduce meeting overhead and increase the time available for
them to code and test in pairs.
And to keep up morale, I requested funds from leadership to sponsor dinners for the team
when they worked late, and even secured travel funds so that our developers could attend the
opening.
Through careful re-prioritization, open communication and keeping the morale high, we were
able to successfully deliver the demo as the result.

65
Example3: (By Digital Analytics Manager Professional)
While working as a digital analyst for a top snack brand, sales growth had been slowing for
our company. After discovering that our key customers - people between 16-24 year-olds -
were heavily over-indexing on mobile, I persuaded the team to execute a massive pivot:
shifting 25% of our digital spending towards top mobile channels.
We began to liaise with leading sports platforms and leveraged their flagship app.
Envisioning true integrations, not just tiny banners that go unnoticed, we began to gain
stakeholder buy-in through casual pop-ins with senior leadership — so that by the time we
had a solid plan, approval was already implied.
We inked multi-year deals as their top sponsor to block out competitors in this emerging
space. We received so many mobile impressions that I personally rolled up my sleeves and
flew to Kansas City to meet with our digital creative agency to brainstorm a content roadmap
tailored to top markets, levering our existing sports relationships and assets in each
geography.
This program was a strong performer, delivering tons of value, reaching a coveted audience,
and gaining industry awards that boosted the profiles of marketing leadership. It also helped
me reinforce that new channels can be great opportunities if you just remember the basics:
It’s all about reaching the right customer at the right time.

Example4: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)

As a marketing executive in the beer industry, we faced a tough challenge when data showed
that our top male consumer group started drinking less beer and more spirits.
Historically, the beer industry has never catered to women, which created a market share gap
of over 30 points between male and female drinkers. I set a goal to reduce this gap by at least
10 points and create a $2 million opportunity for the business.
This required an all new marketing approach. First, I made the case to senior management by
highlighting the existential threat facing the company.
Second, I chartered a small, multi-functional team of marketing, sales, finance, and supply
chain to develop a holistic plan across packaging, design, and in-store merchandising.
Third, I hired a female-led ad agency to create a campaign that would inspire women without
alienating men. Authenticity was key, and our existing agency was not the right partner for
this work.
Lots of these actions were controversial at the time, but timely engagement, continuous
learning, iterations, and a high degree of accountability won out. The results were huge: A 15
point reduction in market share gap which exceeded our goal, an innovative platform that lets
us target other user groups, and 5 Cannes Lions awards.

66
Tell me about a time you surpassed people’s expectations.

Overview
Employers want to know they are hiring high quality people. If you have a story about
surpassing an expectation, you’ve probably gone above and beyond the call of duty and that’s
a great thing!

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Describe a situation where you thought you weren’t going to be successful.
Talk about what you did to compensate for a bad situation.
Talk about the outcomes of your successful efforts.

67
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
As a young professional, I was given a small event to manage for my company's senior
executives.
We originally expected about 50 attendees, but then the CEO decided to participate too.
Suddenly, the event became much bigger with 400 people attending. We had to organize
buses, food, scripted content, speeches and the program itself.
I stepped up and designed carefully crafted messaging documents for each stakeholder; had
weekly check-ins with each group; and ran volunteer training sessions to be sure that all the
logistics ran smoothly.
I learned the importance of careful planning and constant practice; two habits that paid off on
many projects since then. The event is now considered the most successful of our division.
My boss praised my work for going far beyond what she expected when the project was first
assigned.

Example2: (By Business Development Manager Professional)

In my role as Business Analyst, I was responsible for analyzing and implementing strategies
for key products. Due to a combination of an organizational restructuring and employee
attrition, my team of four shrunk down to a team of two: my new leader and me.
At this stage, I combined some key skill sets. I used my technical expertise to create and
automate new models that would capture potential opportunities, and my ability to
communicate complicated results in simple language to support our sales team’s efforts.
The automation led to greater efficiency, and my communication and relationship-building
skills helped the sales team create client-specific onboarding strategies. This enabled us to
continue to keep the business going with minimal impact.
I was recognized by senior leadership for being able to pivot quickly in unpredictable circ

68
Example3: (By Digital Analytics Manager Professional)
I had only been in my new role at a leading professional services firm for a few months when
I got the call: “Can you make it to Atlanta tomorrow morning for a pitch meeting with a
leading telecom company? We need all hands on deck!”
It turned out that the senior management closest to this client couldn’t make the meeting, so I
led an 8-figure pitch. I leaned on my public speaking and presentation skills to carry the
meeting and make a strong impression. I painted a picture of how we were uniquely qualified
as the best partner for this piece of business, and peppered in some humility to make the firm
look more “human.”
On our way back to the airport, a senior leader from our firm who had come along for optics
told me that people at my level were not nearly this polished, and that he would welcome me
to future pitches to all of his clients. It felt great to have exceeded the expectations of this
very senior leader and this incident set me on a path to success at the firm.

Example4: (By Marketing & Category Insights Manager Professional)

I had been in my new role within the organization for just one week. My predecessor had left
the relationship with our customer in a questionable place and as a result, they informed us
that they’d be working with our top competitor instead. We’d found the work to be very
impactful and needed a plan to win the customer back.
I worked with my team to identify the customer’s pain points, then we began re-engagement
efforts. At the beginning, the engagements were only by email, but soon I began getting
phone calls from senior leaders asking if we could help them to solve these problems.
After 7 months, the customer asked if we still had the headcount to support them. We came to
discover that many of the presentations we’d shared had circulated through other parts of
their organization.
A few months later, the customer’s senior leadership asked me to expand my team so that we
could increase our scope and do more of this work in other categories where we sold
products. We did, and our sales have continued to grow in double digits for the last 2 years.
Needless to say, the relationship with the customer is stronger than ever.

69
Tell me about a time you had to handle pressure.

Overview
Some jobs are high-stress and interviewers will test you to see if you can handle the heat.
You’ll get partial credit for talking about your heroic efforts to get everything done, but
you’ll get more points if you’ve enlisted allies.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Be clear about the project goal.
Establish that you’re a strong person who doesn’t get flustered easily.
Show your ingenious side, too, especially if your path to success involved redefining the task
or enlisting colleagues.

70
Example1: (By Hiring Manager)
I was working on my company's big quarterly project update when two team members left
unexpectedly and we were short-handed with three weeks to go.
I convened an urgent strategy session where we identified all the projects they were involved
in and mapped out our action plan. We shared the most important tasks within the team and
got them all done in time.
We canceled two optional features that could wait a quarter, and we reached out to a former
intern who was able to deliver 15 hours of remote work in the last weekend sprint before the
deadline.
We were able to complete the project without a delay and delivered on all the essential
deliverables by being creative, strategic, and very focused.

Example2: (By Program Manager Professional)

During my time as an analyst for a major airline, I was pulled into a special project where we
were asked to look at a potential merger scenario with another carrier. Due to the
confidentiality of the project, I was unable to work with peers or use my normal channels for
support, and was required to meet a demanding work schedule in order to complete our
evaluation in the allotted time.
While this project leveraged some of my existing skills, there was still a lot I needed to learn
about our acquisition target to complete the work. I made my family aware that I’d need to
temporarily shift my evening hours to work. This proactive communication prevented me
from facing compounding pressure.
I also made sure to communicate daily with my VP. He knew the unique challenge I was
facing and could provide guidance, but only if he knew where to help. So I set up daily
check-ins with him to show him my progress and receive feedback in a 1:1 setting outside of
our normal working group. This added communication helped me avoid any surprises, eased
stress, and allowed me to successfully manage and complete an unfamiliar project.

71
Example3: (By Procurement Manager Professional)
When I was working as a Systems Integration Manager, I was responsible for onboarding a
client to our TMS (transportation management solution) on a tight timeline. This was
challenging because the client managed their own transportation independently. None of their
data or invoicing for freight was centralized, and I was missing a lot of information.
We needed to hit our target go-live date because my company had already hired employees
for the account and needed the revenue. I knew that I needed to get the info by the end of the
week to ensure that I could validate assumptions used for RFP, margin, resource leveling, and
so on.
I set up a call with the client and they explained that they were short on manpower and would
need more time. I offered to visit the sites, conduct the interviews, complete the site and
freight profiles, and take all necessary photos. Once I gathered the information, my team
keyed in the data and we hit our go-live date without a moment to spare.
The project was a success. We hit our revenue numbers as planned, no money was lost, and
all parties were very pleased. Thanks to the extra effort, our relationship with that client is
stronger than ever.

Example4: (By Enterprise Program Manager Professional)

I led a rapid, three month-long company-wide initiative to help customers reduce their carbon
footprint.
To accomplish this goal within an aggressive timeline, I led a team of five subject matter
experts to design a new service offering targeting the manufacturing, mining, chemical, and
electronics industries. We assessed their current carbon and environmental waste output, and
identified areas and opportunities for reduction in a phased approach.
We conducted interviews and focus groups with customers, academics, and government
officials who had vested interest in sustainability. We then synthesized the findings from the
interviews by identifying user profiles and personas across each customer segment, as well as
any gaps in key segment profiles and service offering competencies.
Finally, we kicked off work around third-party partnerships to assess skills and competencies
that complement each other, taking cultural alignment and vision into account.
Once the service offering was designed, we conducted a pilot program and defined the SKUs,
pricing structure, and legal contracts in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
It was a high pressure project, due to the scale of the effort and aggressiveness of the
timeline, but results were impressive — generating $10M in attach run rate annually.

72
Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly.

Overview
Interviewers want more than a one-time success; they’re looking for signs of a well-tested
strategy that helps you gather information and put it to use. They also want to know if you
feel comfortable with rapid learning.

Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the "SAR" framework:
situation, action, and results.

Describe the situation.

Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were
experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have--or not have? This
is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.

Get into the action.

Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the
situation around. Don't go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three
sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.

Show the results.

Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may
have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or
improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.

Tips
Pick a vivid example and show why it was challenging.
Break down your learning and mastery into three or four distinct steps(“First, I . . . .).
Share a tangible result and speak about it with pride.

73
Example1: (By Program Manager Professional)
When I started in my role, I thought I was quite good at Excel. I had told my employer that I
knew how to calculate complex formulas, but I quickly discovered that my experience was
well behind that of my peers.
I didn’t want my boss to know that I was trailing in my capabilities just as I stepped into the
new role, so I came up with a plan to teach myself everything I was missing.
Every day after work, I watched at least an hour of Khan Academy videos. I also found
practice worksheets online that allowed me to test myself and be sure I was mastering the
content.
Within three weeks, I was nearly as fast and fluent as my colleagues at work, and my boss
never knew I had come in behind.

Example2: (By Business Development Manager Professional)

In my role as a new manager, I was given a new tele-acquisition channel to manage with little
guidance. The channel was brand new to me and my team leader, so we had to get up to
speed quickly. I had to learn the channel’s end-to-end process, how it functions, and its
various nuances to prevent any negative impact to the business during the ramp up process.
I set up time with our internal and external partners to get an understanding of their scope and
expectations, and started to build relationships. I took the time to review previous years’
results and understand team pain points.
Then, I coalesced all this information and created a process map to clearly lay out our goals
and action steps required to smoothly transition — as well as establish myself as the point of
contact and project owner for accountability purposes.
Due to these efforts, we were able to not only maintain the high standards the channel was
running at before we took over, but we also made key process improvements resulting in
higher client satisfaction.

74
Example3: (By Brand Marketing Manager Professional)
As a supply chain executive, I’ve always wanted to do an assignment abroad, especially in
Mexico where the manufacturing scene is exploding with the creation of new factories driven
by government tax credits. My current company has a policy that basic fluency in Spanish is
required to be eligible for those roles, so I needed to learn enough to conduct foundational
communication with vendor partners.
Since my busy schedule didn’t allow for formal language lessons from a private tutor, I
enrolled in an online course. I committed to a daily routine at 4:30am while my wife and
child were still sleeping so my goal didn’t cut into family time. I also downloaded Duolingo
so I could use my commute to practice. Finally, I asked my Spanish-speaking friends to
communicate with me only in spanish to help refine my conversational skills.
Within 4 months, I was fluent enough to land my dream job as a factory leader in Mexico
City on an 18 month expat assignment.

Example4: (By Enterprise Program Manager Professional)

Due to change in senior leadership, we had to aggressively rethink our approach on the next
evolution of cloud technology. I led a company-wide effort to define and execute a strategy to
move towards a subscription-based cloud solution.
First, I worked with my team to define our areas of focus, starting from understanding how
our products should work in the future based on the needs, behaviors, desires, and emotions
of the customers.
We then examined our capabilities as well as current gaps within supply chain, engineering,
design, marketing, and sales. We looked at how customers interact with our products. We
also obtained third party market research to identify opportunities.
From there, I developed a strategy map to lay out ways in which the organization needed to
evolve to succeed, and built both business and product roadmaps based on this strategy.
Within 8 months, we were able to get full alignment within the team and executed the
strategy. We were able to migrate the original solutions to on-prem, hybrid, and private
clouds and rolled out offerings to over 100 countries.

75
Do you have any question for me?

Overview
This question isn’t just designed to make sure you leave with all of your questions answered;
it’s intended to see if you’re prepared and to assess how curious and thoughtful you are.

The way you respond to this question shows employers if you're engaged, intelligent and
interested. Here are some tips on how to answer:

Show them you’re paying attention.

It’s important to let them know you’ve been listening. You may want to take notes as the
interview unfolds and then loop back to something you'd like to delve further into like an
aspect of the job, the team, or the challenges that lie ahead.

Let them know you’re excited.

While being qualified for the job is essential, showing passion for their products, brand or
industry takes it to the next level. So maybe you can ask a question about one of your favorite
products they make or see how they're responding to an industry trend.

Get them talking about their careers.

People love talking about themselves and appreciate when you notice the interesting things
they're doing. For example, you can ask them how they got from Job X to Job Y, or how their
work as a musician helped them in their current career. People hire people that they like and
who seem genuinely interested in the role.

Tips
Come prepared with 3-5 thoughtful questions.
Ask questions that show you’re engaged, intelligent and interested.
Avoid no-brainer questions or ones related to salary / benefits.

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Example1: (By Career Strategist)
I do have a few questions. Thanks for asking.
We talked a bit about your plans to invest in training opportunities for your current
employees, especially those who will be managing the company's transition to a centralized
billing system.
I think that this is a great plan, and I'd love to support the curriculum development.
Now, will most of the training modules be designed by this team? And will they be delivered
in person, via webinar, or a video format? Or will you be using a hybrid approach?

Example2: (By Product Manager Professional)

Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned that there were some tensions between these two
teams. Can you share more about where that comes from, and how you think this will impact
me in my role?
I’m very excited to hear that you’re also passionate about making sure that gig economy
workers are paid a fair living wage. What are some of the biggest challenges in preventing
our team from delivering on this promise?
Recently, I saw that the company had to deal with a sensitive subject on the news. How was
this perceived and discussed internally?

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Example3: (By Digital Analytics Manager Professional)
How do you think I should approach the first 30 days in the role to best position myself for
success in a new culture?
I know that your company has won numerous awards for workplace and community culture,
and I have always prided myself in helping colleagues get active in the community. What do
opportunities look like within your organization to get involved?

Example4: (By Regional Sales Manager Professional)

What do you see as the most critical component of your business today that will contribute to
your long-term success?
What challenges does your organization face today that you are working to overcome?
Regarding my role, what would you consider to be the most important factor to ensuring
success?

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