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    EP 12: Interviewing for Jobs in Big Tech with Kelly O'Brien

    en-usJuly 07, 2022
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    About this Episode

    Today on the SYCK Podcast, I am really excited to have one of my team members on the podcast, Kelly O'Brien. Kelly has worked with us at Kadima for the last year while she was finishing her MBA at Simon Business School (the #1 most diverse MBA program in the country!). She has a lot of recent insight on the interview process, so we dig deep into some common questions and misconceptions about interviewing. We discuss what big tech companies are looking for in a candidate, how to nail your “narrative,” and share some really practical tips for answering behavioral-based questions. 

     

    IN THIS EPISODE:

    • [02:15] What do big tech companies look for in candidates
    • [04:35] How to translate resume experience into to a narrative
    • [11:12] Preparing for interview analytical and case study questions
    • [16:05] How to prepare for an interview
    • [23:06] Preparing for behavioral based interview questions
    • [39:54] What happens behind closed doors after an interview

     

    KEY TAKEAWAYS:

    • When sharing about yourself, keep it to 3-4 minutes and answer the following questions: What brought you to the company? Why this role? What’s something personal about yourself?
    • There are three stages of interviews and within each stage there are four phases. First is rapport building. Second is your narrative. The third part is the meat of the interview, where questions are coming towards you. The fourth phase is you asking questions of the interviewer. 
    • For behavioral based questions, remember the STAR acronym: situation, task, action, and result. 
    • Have a list of 10 to 15 things that you're proud of, that you can easily leverage and apply to a range of interview questions.

     

    RESOURCE LINKS

    Syckpodcast.com

    Amazon's Leadership Principles

     

    BIO:

    Kelly O'Brien is an urbanist and strategist who cares deeply about the intersection of technology and social equity. She recently graduated from Simon Business School at the University of Rochester with her STEM MBA and will begin the leadership development program at Discover Financial Services in Chicago this fall. She is also a Fulbright research grant alumna and obtained her MS in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in May 2020 as a Distinguished Graduate Fellow. She is dedicated to making the world a better place for ALL people, not just those for whom the platform was designed.

    Kelly O'Brien LinkedIn



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