Leo Alexandru
Leo Alexandru

@theleoalexandru

14 Tweets 37 reads Dec 10, 2022
I'm a Chief Technology Officer at Deloitte.
I've hired 100+ people in my career and I know in the first 9 minutes if a candidate has what it takes.
Here are 10 things that will make you stand out in any interview:
1/ Honesty
I've seen many people claim they know everything.
But when asked in detail, they got stuck.
Instead, let me know what concepts you:
β€’ never heard of
β€’ haven't used in a while
β€’ want to learn more about
They will come up, eventually.
2/ The right attitude
I care less about skills and more about attitude.
Skills can be taught, attitude is deep-rooted.
I want people to be:
β€’ positive
β€’ trustworthy
β€’ solution-oriented
If you want to be on my team, I need you to solve things, not blame other people.
3/ Don't talk s**t about their previous job
Most people change jobs because of:
β€’their boss
β€’ more money
β€’ opportunities for development
Sometimes, it's just not the right fit.
This doesn't mean you should discredit a company just because you want to leave it.
4/ Chemistry
Zuckerberg has one rule with regard to hiring:
"I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person"
I want to respect the candidate and share common values.
Do I see myself working with her for 10+ years?
5/ Communication skills
I want my team to be able to:
β€’ debate
β€’ exchange ideas
β€’ negotiate solutions
Communication is the number one factor related to a team's success.
So I am very interested in how well you express a point of view. Without being aggressive.
6/ Don't be a "yes man"
I'll discuss some fictive scenarios and ask for feedback.
I want people who can challenge:
β€’ my decisions
β€’ the status quo
β€’ the direction of the team
I don't want to hire mindless robots, but people who I can trust to get the right job done.
7/ Preparation
Planning is a key aspect of any project.
So I need to see if the candidate is really interested in the position and has done her homework.
β€’ went through the job description in detail
β€’ researched the industry and company
β€’ prepared for common questions
8/ Asking questions
I want to have interactive discussions instead of just asking questions.
β€’ what challenges I'll be facing?
β€’ what does success mean for this position?
β€’ why did the previous person leave the role?
These are some of the best but the list is a lot longer.
9/ Passion
Citadel founder and CEO, Ken Griffin, has one mandatory requirement for candidates: passion.
If I don't see the passion:
β€’ for the role
β€’ for the domain
β€’ for transformation
We won't work well together.
10/ Proven track record
I left it last but it's probably the most important.
What have you built or helped build?
β€’ personal projects
β€’ successful products
β€’ processes you improved
Show me, don't tell me. Anyone can write anything in a CV.
What I look for in an interview candidate:
β€’ Honesty
β€’ Passion
β€’ Chemistry
β€’ Preparation
β€’ The right attitude
β€’ Asking questions
β€’ Proven track record
β€’ Communication skills
β€’ They are not "yes men"
β€’ Don't talk s**t about their previous job
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