# interview_questions

99% of candidates ask terrible questions.

This will lead to rejections ❌

Steal the only 8 questions you'll ever need to ace your next interview:

100s have used these questions to land jobs at Google and McKinsey...

(and you could too)

---
1. “What are the biggest challenges of the job? How have you approached them?”

2. “What is something you wish you knew before starting the role?”

3. “What does success look like in this role? What traits lead to success?”

4. “Can you walk through a current project and what my role would be?”

5. “What do the growth trajectory and promotion cycle look like?”

6. “Where would my role fit into the team's 6-12 month plan?"

7. “What metrics or goals will my performance be evaluated against?”

8. “What does the retention on your team look like?”

---

⏳ You’ll only have 5-10 minutes to ask questions.

Bottom line:

• Personalize the questions
• Create a prioritized list
• Create conversation
• Ask follow-ups

Bookmark these questions for your next interview.

---

* Why is this position currently open?

This gives you vital info:

→ Is the company growing?
→ Am I replacing someone great?
→ Am I replacing someone disappointing?
→ Does the company know WHY they are hiring for this?

* What type of person becomes a top 1% employee here?

Set yourself up for success.

Know exactly what makes a great employee.

Reverse engineer your steps from there.

* What type of person really struggles at this company?

Hiring managers always know the traits they're looking for.

Asking who *struggles* at the company gets you honest answers.

And it gives you more firepower to reverse engineer success.

* What will make you 100% sure 1 year from now that you made the right hire?

Show hiring managers that you care about results.

They will hand-feed you what they are looking for.

Now you can run in that direction and align with the manager through your interviews.

* What's the biggest win your team has had this year?

Most candidates don't ask about company wins.

You'll stand out.

You'll learn what the hiring manager perceives as a *big win*.

And you can use that info to crush big projects when you're hired.

* What metrics are you on the hook for? And how can I help you reach them?

Place the burden of goals on your shoulders.

Show that you are there to help accomplish big things for the hiring manager.

Make an ally before you even get hired.

* What is the framework your team uses for giving and receiving feedback?

This shows inherently that you *want* feedback.

Hiring managers love that.

This also gives you insight into their management style/fit.

* What percentage of your team members have been promoted here?

See exactly how the company treats their people.

You'll likely get additional insights here around why people get promoted, why they don't, etc.

* What will be different about the company in 1 year versus today?

Hiring managers will ask you what you want to accomplish in 1 year.

Flip the script on them.

You'll learn the biggest hopes and dreams of the manager.

Align accordingly.

* if we could only talk about one of the skills needed for this role, which would it be?

This tells exactly what matters most for the role.

Prioritize showcasing this skill in all your conversations.

This will show attention to detail and you'll align with the manager.

* What is the #1 challenge I will face in this role?

Figure out what you'll have to navigate.

No job is perfect or worry free.

Better to learn this now rather than 10 months in.

* Is there anything that would cause you to be hesitant in hiring me?

Show confidence by asking this outright.

Learn what your perceived weaknesses are.

Combat them politely with results and data.

Don't be defensive, but be helpful in correcting misconceptions.

### ask questions during interview

1/ "Fast Forward One Year, You're Looking Back On This Hire. What Did They Do To Exceed Every Expectation?"

This shows the interviewer that you're results-focused.

You want to know exactly what success looks like so you can create a plan to make it happen.

2/ "What Is The Most Unexpected Thing You've Learned While Working Here?"

Most interviewers aren't prepared for this and it encourages them to share unique experiences they've had.

That combo leads to some really unique stories and insights about the team and the company.

3/ "Why Is This Role Open?"

Is the company expanding to capitalize on a new market?

Did the previous employee quit?

Were they laid off?

It's critical to understand why the company decided to open this role in the first place.

4/ "Who Would Not Be A Good Fit At This Company?"

Many people are focused on finding a good fit.

But flipping the script can give you a lot of insight too.

This question pushes the interviewer to think of traits that wouldn't fit with their culture.

5/ "What Goals Has Your Manager Set For You Over The Next 6 Months? How Can This Hire Help You Achieve Them?"

Everybody wants to look good in front of their manager.

Showing that you understand this and that you'll prioritize it is a great way to make a strong impression.

6/ "How Many People In This Role Have Been Promoted To More Senior Internal Positions?"

Growth trajectory is something that every candidate should factor into their decision.

Do people in this role get promoted internally?

Or do they need to go elsewhere to move up?

7/ "Can You Tell Me About A Time When Someone Was Encouraged To Step Outside The Confines Of Their Job Description?"

This is a 2-for-1 deal.

If the stretch project was to help them grow? Awesome.

If it was forcing them to do extra, unnecessary work? Also great to know.

8/ "Can You Walk Me Through The Roadmap And Projections For The Next 12 Months?"

Before you jump into any job, you should know where they stand and where they're going.

They should be able to provide you with current #s plus projections and a clear vision for the future.

9/ Make A Prioritized List

Most interviews only offer 5-10 minutes for questions.

That gives you time for 2, maybe 3 questions.

Before your next interview, review this list and choose 3 "Must Ask" questions along with 2-3 "On Deck" questions that you can ask if you have time.

### interview questions

• Honesty
• Passion
• Chemistry
• Preparation
• The right attitude
• Asking questions
• Proven track record
• Communication skills
• They are not "yes men"
• Don't talk s**t about their previous job

### year-end review questions

5 questions to ask to review your career in the end of 2022:

1. Are you spending time on what's important?
80% of your success will come from 20% of your work.
to get promoted: identify the most critical tasks; plan & spend 80% of your effort there; smart work > Hard work
2. Are you keeping track of your wins?
create 3 columns on excel (task, outcome, impact)
update the sheet every two weeks.
Benefits: leverage the impact you made to negotiate your salary; use as example for CV writing and interview prep
People will remember your mistakes-it's your job to remind them of your wins
3. what worked & where did you miss?
Note your top 5 wins and 5 big misses
For wins, ask: what motivated you to take action? what skills/expertise did you enjoy using?
For mistakes, ask: what did you learn from it? who in your network can help you?
4. do you have the right people in your network?
you need 5 types of people:
- Truth-teller: to get constructive advice
- connector: to make a warm intro
- cheerleaders: to hype you up
- change agent: to help you make positive change
- Guardian angel: your best buddy
You will become the average of the five people you spend the most time with
5. what does success look like for you in 2023?
do not make the outcome your target.
Example: do not say: get a job in my dream company
instead break down your plan:
- learn to write a stellar CV
- network with 10 people in your dream company
- practice interview skills for 15 mins every week

### manage up

❌ Excuse: I shouldn't have to suck up to my manager.

✅ Reality: But you do have to report up. If they need to ask you about your business, you lose.

❌ Excuse: My achievements should be recognized on merit alone.
✅ Reality: They cannot be everywhere. So how exactly will they notice unless you tell them?

❌ Excuse: They don't help when I bring them my problems.

✅ Reality: They don't pay you to bring problems. They pay you to solve them.

❌ Excuse: They're never available.

✅ Reality: There is always time for people who are doing vital work excellently. Is that you?

❌ Excuse: It's a waste of time. They're not as technical as I am.

✅ Reality: But they have different perspectives and connections in the org. Leverage them.

High-performers know that managing up well matters to their career.

Keep it simple. Once a week:
- Reaffirm your goals
- Share the progress metrics
- Highlight problems & your solution
- Solicit specific feedback from them

The key: Answer the questions they didn't ask.

### sponsor

* How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work https://www.ted.com/talks/carla_harris_how_to_find_the_person_who_can_help_you_get_ahead_at_work
Ted talk on finding the sponsors.

### goal setting

set goals for the following category:

1. Physical, mental, and emotional health
2. Happiness
3. Family relationships
4. Professional career
5. Financial wellbeing
6. Personal interests (books to read and hobbies)
7. Enhance the environment for your hybrid work and life
8. Help your community

### questions to ask someone ahead of you

7 questions to ask people ahead of you (if you want to accelerate your career)

1. What is something most people think is important that I can skip entirely?

As a beginner, everything looks important.

But as you progress, you realize most things aren't.

So instead of wasting your effort in dozens of directions, ask this to figure out what to avoid.

2. What's something important to your daily routine you wish you started sooner?

The people ahead of you got to where they are with simple daily actions compounded over time.

So figure out what those actions are & build them into your days.

Then, stick to them for years.

3. What channels led to the building of your highest-quality relationships?

It's cliché, but you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with.

But finding the right people isn't easy—unless you know where to look.

So use this question to get some directions.

4. What is something you did differently than your peers 5 years ago that led to pushback, but served you in the long run?

If you do what everyone else does, you can expect to achieve what everyone else achieves (mediocrity).

Use this question to identify behaviors to shed.

5. What can I expect to struggle with along the way?

Growth is having problems today you would have begged to have had years ago.

So if you know which struggles are coming, you can:

• Prepare for them
• Conquer them
• Continue to grow

Which means unlocking new problems.

6. What is something you believed 5 years ago you had to "unlearn" to take the next step?

Progress comes from the constant cycle of:

• Identifying a bottleneck
• Removing that bottleneck

And most of the time, that bottleneck is a behavior or belief you have to "unlearn."

7. What's something you didn't pay enough attention to early on, then had to learn the hard way?

Early on, you're flying blind.

You don't even know what you don't know.

So the faster you can uncover these blind spots, the faster you can improve.

### communication

How to communicate with leaders and CEOs: Framework by Twitch CEO Emmett Shear.
1. I'm doing this, FYI
2. I'm doing this, I need your approval.
3. I'm trying to decide A,B,and C, can you help me thinking through it.
4. you remember the thing we talked about? here is what happened. status update.

### useful AI tools

* talk to books https://books.google.com/talktobooks/
* Save hundreds of hours reading and writing with the world's best AI. https://bearly.ai/
* Generate high-quality essays with the help of an AI assistant. https://lex.page/
* AI-powered Summary https://glasp.co/ai-summary
* Short answers to any question, with citations included for further research. AI-powered search. https://www.perplexity.ai/
* Improve your resume and LinkedIn profile https://resumeworded.com/

### useful websites

* Show me a 10ft paywall, I’ll show you a 12ft ladder https://12ft.io/