Ask HN: Going for my first eng manager interview – advice/expectations?

5 pointskngspook6y ago3 comments

Hi,

So I've been an eng manager before, but I got given the responsibilities over time. For the first time, I'm about to be interviewed as an engineering manager at a medium-size public Silicon Valley tech company.

Having rarely interviewed and never hired an eng manager, I'm not 100% sure how to prepare or exactly what qualities will be being searched for (I know what I would value in an eng manager, and I think that's a decent guideline, but it's only one data point).

Can anyone share their experiences, either of hiring eng managers or being the hired eng manager? I'm looking for both strategic advice (big picture what should I try to emphasize and convey) and tactical advice (what are your go-to questions to ask prospective eng managers, what does the interview slate usually look like, etc.).

Thanks!

3 comments

softwareman6y ago

Focus the conversations around your experience being an EM in your current role. Do NOT expect that you should know (or should have experienced) certain things because you are a manager in your current role...just accept candidly what you have experienced and what you haven't.

Management is all about experience.

fastbeef6y ago

Make absolutely, positively, beyond a doubt certain that you gel with the team and that you understand and believe in product being built.

I didn’t when I took my first leadership role and it was one of the most miserable years of my life. I ended up catapulting myself out what felt like second before burning out.

sloaken6y ago

So the questions you can expect are: what processes do you use / like, how do you address conflict, how do you get the most from your people.

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