The best career hack I know is this:
Reverse interview your future manager and another 1-2 people after you get an offer.
This technique beats almost *every* career advice I know. Yet so few people use it - speaking as a hiring manager.
Here’s how (and why) to do it:
Reverse interview your future manager and another 1-2 people after you get an offer.
This technique beats almost *every* career advice I know. Yet so few people use it - speaking as a hiring manager.
Here’s how (and why) to do it:
1. First, get an offer: do your best on the interviews. Gather information about the people and place as you do.
Some people are hesitant to interview at startups, or places with bad press. But if you reverse interview later, you get a lot of information the “public” doesn’t.
Some people are hesitant to interview at startups, or places with bad press. But if you reverse interview later, you get a lot of information the “public” doesn’t.
2. Once you have an offer, negotiate that offer. Here’s some advice how to go about it: youtu.be . Get the numbers right before you reverse interview.
3. Once you have an offer you’re happy with, it’s time to reverse interview your future team:
3. Once you have an offer you’re happy with, it’s time to reverse interview your future team:
4. Ask to talk with your future manager and people who are relevant to your work. The PM. The longest tenured eng on the team. The director/cofounder (depending on company size).
When I got the my Uber offer, I reverse interviewed my future manager & longest tenured engineer.
When I got the my Uber offer, I reverse interviewed my future manager & longest tenured engineer.
5. Reverse interviewing comes with *so* many benefits:
- You get *way* more information. When talking with engineers, you get the real deal.
- When you start, you already have a network. You know how many people reverse interview? 1 in 20-40 people. I remember everyone who did.
- You get *way* more information. When talking with engineers, you get the real deal.
- When you start, you already have a network. You know how many people reverse interview? 1 in 20-40 people. I remember everyone who did.
6. If you have competing offers, reverse interviewing can help top the scale - instead of an additional 2-3% in cash. Money won’t make you happy for long, but a great team/environment will.
How do you know if the environment is good/bad? Reverse interview!
How do you know if the environment is good/bad? Reverse interview!
7. Many people ask me if they should join X or Y company. My answer every time: have you reverse interviewed your future team?
If not, do it! They’ll say yes. If they don’t: that’s a massive red flag and I’ve yet to hear this.
More on reverse interviews: youtu.be
If not, do it! They’ll say yes. If they don’t: that’s a massive red flag and I’ve yet to hear this.
More on reverse interviews: youtu.be
A final tip: always reverse interview a future peer and ask them about your future manager. What I asked when interviewing at Uber:
- What do you like and dislike about them?
- Who did they last promote on the team and why?
- Who left the team and why?
- How supportive are they?
- What do you like and dislike about them?
- Who did they last promote on the team and why?
- Who left the team and why?
- How supportive are they?
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