How can product professionals ace their interviews? In this webinar, Facebook Fmr. Product Lead Nancy Chu speaks on acing interviews with leadership communication & storytelling. This session is for leaders who want to communicate their capabilities effectively and memorably in interviews. Nancy focuses on not just storytelling methods, but also emphasizes strategic, concise communication that showcases your leadership qualities from the get-go. Learn how to present your decision-making strategies and leadership style in a clear and compelling manner, integrating key details as needed. Join us to refine your interview skills, ensuring you stand out as a strategic thinker and effective leader.
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Show Notes:
- Charisma is key to standing out in interviews through strong first impressions and leadership qualities.
- Leadership presence consists of purpose, perspective, and poise according to Dr. John Allman.
- Interview preparation should focus on competence, character, and connection.
- The bluff framework prioritizes bottom line up front over detailed stories.
- Intrinsic motivation is important in hiring and team leadership.
- Personal growth stories highlight character development.
- Adopt a “givers mindset” in interviews by focusing on sharing over taking.
- Believe in yourself before interviews to increase charisma.
- Showcase warmth through character and connection stories.
- Answer behavioral questions by demonstrating leadership actions.
- Frame problems from multiple angles like gamifying the DMV experience.
- Prepare for interviews by getting your energy up or calming down.
- Avoid deep technical discussions and focus on relatable issues.
- Homework assignments can showcase abilities if hypothetical.
- Recover from mistakes by reframing your mindset to just share experiences.
- Build connections with indifferent interviewers through shared humanity.
- View blocks as conflicts and use the bluff framework to resolve them.
- Escalate when goals are incompatible due to “tops-down” conflicts.
- Replicate relevant stories by customizing them to your experience.
- Believing in yourself is the key to acing interviews.
About the speaker
Nancy is a compassionate Product Management coach who strives to inspire other Product Managers to reach even greater heights, empowering and guiding them to build on her learnings and soar. With over 15 years of experience in tech, Nancy has worked with B2C and B2B startups as well as large companies like Meta/Facebook. As a Product Leader, she has launched successful products that users connected with and driven long-term growth. Nancy is passionate about making the sometimes overwhelming world of Product Management feel more accessible and enjoyable, while being sensitive to her mentees’ emotional needs and experiences. In coaching, Nancy focuses on compassion and grit, helping her mentees unlock their brilliance and find their best selves. With experience conducting over 200 interviews at Meta/Facebook and being part of hiring committees, she can offer insights on interview prep, as well as career growth, including strategies for promotions and shifting between individual contributor and people management roles. Having been through it herself, Nancy shares insights and tips with other Product Managers from a place of deep understanding and empathy. Above all, Nancy knows that Product Management can be a high-stress and lonely role, so she is dedicated to helping her mentees manage their well-being and find balance. As an adoptee and immigrant, Nancy has faced her fair share of challenges and can offer empathy and support based on her own experiences. Together, she explores how to cultivate resilience and maintain wellness while tackling the unique challenges of the Product Management role, ensuring her mentees always feel emotionally supported. Nancy holds a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, which has laid a strong foundation for her career in tech. This academic background, combined with Nancy’s extensive professional experience, enables her to offer well-rounded guidance and support for those pursuing and building careers in Product Management.
About the host
As the Chief Product Officer at NEOGOV, Denise leads the strategy for public sector HR and Public Safety software, driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and excellence. Her experience at Checkr as Chief Product Officer saw her delivering customer-focused products and promoting a fairer future. Denise’s notable career spans over two decades, with significant roles including GM for Analytics at Workday, where she launched new products and grew the business to over $200 million in ARR. Her background includes leadership positions at Platfora, Salesforce, HSBC, and AT&T, showcasing her expertise in enterprise product development and a commitment to technological advancement and customer success.