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The last five minutes of an interview are often the most overlooked. When the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us?” — your response can set you apart. Here are four questions that show you’re thoughtful, strategic, and serious about fit: • What does success look like in this role in 30 days? 90? • Why is this role open? • What are the biggest challenges facing the team right now? • How do your leaders live your core values? Strong questions don’t just impress the interviewer—they help you decide if the role is the right fit and could help you avoid the wrong role or company. What’s the best question you’ve ever asked (or been asked) in an interview?

I’ve seen students from IITs, BITS, and NITs bomb PM interviews. Not because they aren’t smart. Because they aren’t prepared for this kind of thinking. Here’s what goes wrong: • They jump to features without understanding the user • They solve the wrong problem beautifully • They memorize frameworks but freeze on real questions • They treat it like an exam not a conversation PM interviews aren’t about being “right.” They’re about how you think when nothing is clear. And no degree can teach you that, only practice can. You don’t need a big brand to succeed. You need to show clarity, empathy, and decision-making under pressure. Brand name can’t help if you can’t explain why something matters.

My client had her final-round interviews on Monday. And she absolutely crushed it. Why? Because her preparation was spot on. 🎯 Here's exactly how she did it: 1. Know your Audience She researched her interviewers on LinkedIn -- reviewed their background, interests, and recent posts. She wanted to know who she was talking to, not just what they did. 2. Know the Company Beyond the website... She learned what the company really does, how the team fits into it, and where it's heading in the category. 3. Find Connection That research (1 & 2) sparked talking points to build common ground. ...They use Asana? She highlighted Asana expertise without being asked. 4. Write a Million Sticky Notes You can only succeed if you have sticky notes covering every part of your desk, even the lamp. Funny thing? She didn't look at them once in her interview. The writing was for reinforcement to her memory, and a safety net for the interview. Real prep work isn't about memorizing facts and figures. It's showing up ready to: - Showcase your value - Connect with your audience - Speak with conviction What's one interview prep strategy you swear by?

I’ve interviewed A LOT of people. Like in the thousands. So believe me when I tell you that I know cringe-worthy interviews. I’ve lived through enough of them. (pssst….I’ve also been the awkward interviewee too!) There is this misconception that it’s the people who walk into an interview with no preparation that lead to these embarrassing interviews. It isn’t. It’s the people who have prepared the most for them. Shocked? Think about it, have you ever spent days preparing for an interview? Only to go in and melt down? To have your brain go haywire where it struggles to form a cohesive sentence or to stop a never-ending ramble? It happens more than you think. And it’s caused by you OVERPREPARING. It’s you freezing, trying to remember your answer. You talking too much. Stuck in your head. So how do you find that line between perfectly prepared and too prepared? Start prepping for the interview before the interview request. Think of your stories and think through how you want to say them. Okay, let’s get more specific: What’s your elevator pitch? What are your WINS (strengths, best projects, differentiating factor, happiest customer, biggest accomplishment, etc) What are your LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES (missed deadline, weakness, mistake, bad decision, unhappy customer, biggest lesson learned, etc) Craft stories using any acronym - I prefer BAR (Background, Action, Result) but honestly any will do (CAR, STAR, etc) Practice them (out loud or in your head) while you walk, drive, wash dishes. This helps with confidence, recall in that high stress situation and ability to adapt to any interview situation. But also it means once the request comes in you can do some company research, a little bit of refinement and then relax! This is the way to go into any interview, create a human connection while talking about how YOU can help them in this role. Let me know in the comments your cringiest interview story (I’ll share mine too!)

Most people focus on how to start an interview well. But in Day 5 of my Interview with Confidence Challenge, we discovered that how you finish can change everything. 💡 I taught a simple reframe for the close — not as a final hurdle, but as a moment to help the panel feel how great it will be to work with you. 💡 We turned those end-stage questions — like “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and “What will your first 90 days look like?” — into chances to show readiness and momentum. 💡 Vince’s takeaway (from his live practice): using a Strength–Impact–Future structure gave his close a stronger finish. 💡 Jayini focused on making sure the panel remembers the conversation and the specific skills and achievements she brought to the role. 💡 When Kathy D. shared feeling overlooked, we shaped language she can use to leave them remembering her value and willingness to learn. By the end, the group could see that a confident close isn’t about clever last words. It’s about connection, clarity, and composure — the same qualities that make you a colleague people want to work with. If you’re ready to build the same calm confidence for your own interviews, my Interview Confidence Course and 4 Weeks to a Better Resume both open in November. They’ll help you prepare, perform, and progress — with confidence that lasts long after the interview ends.

Interview Question: “Tell me about yourself”. This question sets the tone for the whole interview. So many times we have strong software engineers lose the room in 2 minutes. They start well, then keep talking. More jobs. More tools. No clear point. Here is the tip: → Keep your intro short and clear. Unless someone asks for a deep dive, avoid a long 10 minute intro. A good format: how many years of experience you have, your top strengths, and the last project you worked on (keep it relevant to the role). #InterviewTips

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 ? Here’s something I often hear on topmate.io when I ask, "Have you started giving interviews?" - "𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝐷𝑆𝐴 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡." - "𝐼 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛, 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡, 𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔." - "𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑡." If you’ve ever thought the same, let me break this myth for you: "𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝!" ❌ No matter how much you study, or how ready you think you are, there will always be questions that catch you off guard in an interview. 🥲 So, when should you start interviewing? 👉 The best time to start is when you’re about 50% done with your preparation. At this stage, you’ve gained enough confidence to handle interviews, and the experience itself will motivate you to prepare for the rest. ☑️ Sure, you may not ace your first interview, but you’ll gain experience, reduce anxiety, and notice patterns in the questions that come up repeatedly. 📖 So, don’t wait for the "perfect" moment. Start giving interviews even if you don’t feel fully ready! 💪 What are your thoughts? Drop them in the comments! Follow Gourav Roy for more such Amazing content 💚 👨💻 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞.𝐢𝐨 - https://lnkd.in/gyGxA7ut #interview #interviewprep #motivation #softwareengineering

🎯 Mock Interview Day at Power Hub Zug On 14 October 2025, Power Hub Zug hosted a Mock Interview event for our mentees - and what a valuable experience it turned out to be! This time, even more mentors joined us to support our mentees — 8 pairs met online, and 5 more sessions will happen individually. What an inspiring day full of learning and insights! 💪 One brilliant piece of advice came from Iryna Maksymenko: “Record yourself during practice interviews, watch how you speak and behave, analyze, and improve. After 10 rounds, you’ll notice a huge difference in your non-verbal communication — and that can truly set you apart.” 💬 Mentees practiced real interview questions, received direct feedback, and gained confidence for their next career steps. ✨ Top takeaway: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to tell clear, impactful stories that show your skills and personality. A big THANK YOU to all our amazing mentors for sharing their time, expertise, and encouragement! 💙 You made this experience both powerful and personal. #PowerHubZug #MockInterview #CareerGrowth #JobSearchSupport

Want to stand out in interviews (without faking it)? Here are 5 ways to make your interview unforgettable... without lying, over-prepping, or exaggerating: 1️⃣𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 Don’t just list responsibilities. Tell a short story about a challenge you solved or a result you achieved. 2️⃣𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 “Managed a project” is fine. “Managed a project that increased sales by 25% in 3 months” is unforgettable. 3️⃣𝐀𝐬𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Go beyond answers. Ask about team challenges, success metrics, or goals. It shows curiosity and initiative. 4️⃣𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 Talk about something new you learned or how you adapted. Growth matters more than perfection. 5️⃣𝐁𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 Smile. Listen. Respond naturally. Confidence comes from authenticity, not memorized lines. Small shifts like these make you memorable. You don’t need to exaggerate or “perform.” Next time you prep, ask yourself: “How can I leave an impression they won’t forget?” What’s one interview tip you think more candidates should use but rarely do?

Getting the Most Out of Your Interviews 🎯 Kick things off with a fun question. ❓🎉 Break the ice! Ask something that lets the candidate share what excites them—it’s a great way to ease nerves and start on a positive note. Dive into behavioral questions. 🕵️♀️ Ask about real situations they’ve faced. This gives you a window into how they handle challenges, collaborate with others, and show up at work. Keep the questions fair and approachable—you want candidates to showcase their strengths, not get tripped up. 💪 Know what you’re looking for. 🎯 Before you even start, get clear on the skills, traits, and competencies that matter most for the role. It keeps your evaluation focused and intentional. ✅ Keep it consistent. 🔄 Most importantly, use the same structure and questions for every candidate. This gives you a fair baseline and makes it way easier to compare and rate people objectively. 📊