Take a tour of Chewy's office space located in Boston, MA.

Interested in working at Chewy? Take a look at the company's job openings below the slideshow.

"What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?..."

There are lots of standard interview questions that people use, but we thought it would helpful for job seekers to be prepared for interview questions that are more creative, unique, or insightful.

We asked talent acquisition professionals and others across the tech industry to share their favorite, go-to interview questions they use during interviews.  Here is what they shared:

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Kelly Finn

Director, Talent Acquisition at HealthEdge

"What frustrates you at work?"

This is my favorite question because it tells me a lot about how someone may or may not fit into our culture. For example, if someone tells me they are frustrated by bureaucracy, red tape, and a lack of innovation, I know they just might be a great fit for my company. If some is frustrated by a lack of process and having to “work in the gray”, that’s a non-starter for me.

David Scott

Talent Acquisition Manager at Post Acute Analytics

"When it comes to your current search, what factors are most important to you in your decision-making process?"

This open-ended question helps to identify candidate motivators and provides an opportunity to set expectations, align on candidate journey, and explore impact of the role on the business. 

Erin Russell

Human Resources Director at BondLink

"What do you need from your manager in order to be successful in this role?"

I love this question because it tells you about what type of management style works best for them (that fit is important!) and it also tells about the candidate's level of skill/experience in their position. Do they need micromanaging or do they need room to soar?

DarShayla Price

Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition at WorkStep

"Why data / software engineering / sales / marketing? What made you jump in a career in this field?"

I really like to understand why a candidate is in the field that they are in. It is easy to ask why they are in the job market or what made them apply for the role that we have open, but what makes you want to continue a career in sales, marketing, or technology? What made you jump into the career path that you are in. It is in those questions that you find someone's true passion, their drive for what they do on a daily basis, and you can often hear the excitement (or lack thereof) to continue in this particular space. As a member of the TA team, I want to ensure that I am presenting candidates to my hiring managers that are going to log in each day excited to make a difference.

Mary Paris

Director of Talent Acquisition at PERSUIT

"Tell me about a professional mistake you've made in the past. What happened, and what did you learn from it?"

I like behavior-based questions, as they give the candidate an opportunity to highlight a specific example of the situation, how they navigated through it, and what the result/outcome was. Interviewing can sometimes be quite theoretical so I love questions that highlight real-life examples, and this question tests for self-awareness, a learning mindset, and vulnerability. Ever ask a candidate to describe their weaknesses and hear the typical answers? Try this one out instead!

Danielle Farina

Recruiter at Lakeside Software

“What’s motivating your job search and what are you hoping to do next?”

I love this question because it gets the candidate talking about themselves with a professional focus and opens up so many doors for the initial interview conversation! You learn so much from this question, from what is specifically motivating them, to whether what they’re looking for is a match for the company’s needs, to their communication style, to exactly how to sell a role so that they see just how strong a match there is between your opportunity and their interests. It also sheds light on the flip side – when what a candidate is seeking isn’t a fit for the company’s needs and that, of course, is a really important thing to know for both parties early on in the interview process.

Danielle Lareau

Talent Acquisition Partner at Cybereason

"What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?"

This is a great question to get an indication of project-based accomplishments, or more detailed stories around the candidate's work and what they are passionate about. It's a way to make people feel comfortable bragging a little bit, and helps to facilitate a natural conversation in the interview that steps away from what you can read on a resume - from their answer, you can ask many follow up questions to understand how they work with others, take initiative, etc.

Jeff Moore

VP of Talent Acquisition at Toast

I have two questions I like to use.

"Tell me about a time you took a risk and it failed. Looking back on it, what would you have done differently?"

I love that one because while everyone loves to talk about their successes during interviews, I really like to learn about when things go wrong and they need to pivot. I like to see how people learn from those moments.

"Imagine you've just been hired on a new Talent Acquisition team. It's your first week and the CEO has asked Talent Acquisition to build a presentation recommending a new location to hire in by the end of the week. The rest of the team is at max capacity, so you need to take this project on. What do you do?"

This one's specific for Talent Acquisition interviews. I have a million follow up questions/hints for this one, but this really shows me how people think.

Kathleen Mauriot

Talent Acquisition Manager at Aqua Security

"Tell me something about yourself that is not on your resume?"

It usually results in a candidate revealing something fun & interesting about themselves outside of their skills and work experience that normally they would not have shared. It shows their personality, makes them think quick on their feet, and provides insight into who they are outside of work, what interests them, and how they will fit into the team and company culture.

Kayla Steinhauser

People Operations Manager at Centaur Labs

"In what ways were you most underutilized in your last role/job?"

We love this question because it gives the candidate a chance to confidently share what they're good at, what they like doing, and what they want to be doing -- which is ultimately a huge factor in the decision process on both sides.

Katie Moriarty

Director, Talent Acquisition at SevenRooms

"What is most important to you in terms of company & role as you evaluate your next career move?"

I love asking it because it always tells me more about a candidate's motivations. By learning that, I can better highlight our company and opportunities for that candidate!

Jaclyn Jussif

VP of Talent Acquisition at Paperless Parts

"What do you think your past manager would say your strengths are? What would they say your growth areas are? Do you agree, and if not, why not?"

This question helps to assess a few areas: processing feedback, self-reflection, and managing up. So much of how we show up at work depends on our own ability to accept feedback, self-reflect, and act on that synthesized info. It's important to remember when assessing answers to this question that not all feedback needs to be accepted or acted on - rather you're looking for the person's ability to process the feedback, own their growth areas, and maintain a meaningful relationship with their manager. (Yes, this is from Who!)

Bill Desmarais

Vice President Of Engineering at Outcomes4Me

"Tell me about a time recently when you had to learn something new in order to get the job done. It could be purely technical, a process, or even just a framework for thinking about something (eg: REST, RACI)."

I love this question as it gets me to where a person is in their career, developmentally, without being a "quiz" or having a "right answer." In addition, there's almost always plenty of room to dig in on what the project architecture was, what new feature was being added, etc.

A good answer can often end up being a 20-minute conversation that establishes their background, how they approach their work, and often to what extent they have a "growth mindset."

Brian Duke

Talent Partner at Bamboo Health

"When is the last time that you learned something totally new? What do you want to learn next?"

Learning something new is a choice people can make at any stage in life. In childhood, the lust for knowledge is constant and necessary. As adults, we’re able to choose to learn something new and it takes energy and commitment. We may learn a new skill to advance our career, a new language before traveling internationally, or a new sport so that we can coach our kids in an activity we never participated in. Regardless of what we’ve last learned or look forward to learning next, being a life-long learner is a trait that allows new employees to thrive in their new environment.

Liz Wren

Director, Talent Acquisition - Tech & Product at Pluralsight

"What are you looking for in your next job that your current (or most recent) role doesn’t (or didn’t) offer?"

This is what I call role differential. With a single, outcome-focused question, I am hoping to glean:

Why a candidate is looking for a new role.

What is most important in their next role.

What detracted them from their current role.

And, bonus points if the candidate is able to weave in how Pluralsight factors in!

And, if more information is needed, a good ol’ follow-up question such as: How does this role meet those needs? Or how do you see Pluralsight providing that challenge in this new role?"

Liz Raymond

Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Nexthink

"What is the most important/critical feedback you have received from a manager or colleague? What did you do with this feedback?"

I like this question because it helps me understand a bit more about someone's level of self-awareness, perspective, and their ability to handle feedback. It also can bring out stories to learn how adaptable, flexible, and willing to do the work to grow and develop.

Tamra Cooper

Emerging Talent & Diversity Programs Specialist at Nexthink

"Have you ever had a project or task where you made a mistake or didn’t go as planned? How did you redeem / fix the situation?"

I think this question shows everyone’s human side, and that we all go through ups and downs on the job. It gives the candidate a time to shine and show how they resolved the situation and what they learned from it, and how they held themselves accountable. I think it shows how they cope with adversity, and how they work through challenges individually or as a team.

Jeff Chan

Director, Talent Acquisition at connectRN

"Would love to hear of a before and after."

This is a very open ended question but also gives me the opportunity to see which direction they go. The reason I like this is because it gives me the opportunity to see how they have influenced someone or a group of people, and what their approach was. Being in Talent Acquisition, our goal is to influence and guide hiring leaders and candidates and do what is best for the company.

Elizabeth Irvine

VP, Marketing at MarketMuse

"Tell me about a recent conflict with a colleague and the steps you took to resolve it."

I like situational questions like this because they give me an idea of how they approach tough situations, work/collaborate with colleagues, and identify lessons learned.

Here's your look at the latest hires and promotions across the tech community at Paperless Parts, Thasio, Zapata, and Spruce.

Did I miss your new employees? Send me an email with their name and details about their new role. I'll add them to next week's edition of Talent on the Move. 

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What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for a Sr Manager of Operation Strategy at Hometap?

We connected with Samantha Sandler to find out!

Interested in learning more about Hometap and their job openings?  Make sure to check out their company page on VentureFizz!

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Where did you grow up?  What did your parents do for work?  

I grew up in a small town named Madison, Connecticut. My mom and dad started a logistics company 30+ years ago based out of Windsor, Connecticut. Unfortunately, my dad passed away when I was younger, so my mom took over and grew the business full time while raising my brother, sister, and I. Growing up watching my mom run the business primed me for the working world, as I got to see firsthand how difficult it is to build and run something successfully on your own. Both my parents’ work ethic and dedication to their business is something that has always motivated me to know that if you work hard, good things will come.

Where did you go to college?  What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?

I started my college career at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Growing up, I played a lot of sports and was lucky enough to play both field and ice hockey at Trinity. Ultimately, I decided that I had been in Connecticut long enough and wanted to stretch myself academically, so I transferred to Vanderbilt University in Nashville to study economics and retired from sports. 

My first job out of school was with a Boston-based tech startup called Catalant. I had interned for them the summer before graduation and started out on the Network Strategy team. I have always described that role as a hybrid of sales, recruiting, and project management. It was an amazing job right out of school because it gave me the opportunity to learn about different industries and how enterprise and private equity companies were structured. It gave me access to a lot of very successful and smart people — who I wouldn't have normally been able to learn from — both externally and internally.

You recently transitioned from a role in Sales to a role in Operations. What prompted the change? How has the transition been? 

I have! That is a great question. I joined Hometap as the fifth salesperson and have seen our team grow to 80+. What I loved most about my time in sales, besides helping our homeowners, was being a part of that growth and the ability to wear a lot of hats and make an impact.

On top of that, I have always had a sincere interest in the forward vision of the company, understanding why we make the decisions we do, and how we can become more efficient on our way there. Many of my one-on-one meetings with my previous manager and VP of Sales, Dan Amato, would be spent learning about the types of meetings he is in and asking about his vision for the company in the future. I ultimately saw an opening for me to give back to the company in a new way and develop a new set of skills on our Operations Strategy team. The role can have a positive impact on sales with our improved processes, so even though I am not directly under the umbrella of sales, I will still be able to influence their success! 

What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?

One of our values here at Hometap is putting the team and homeowner first. Since I joined back in 2020, if anyone ever asked for help or asked me to step in, I have never said no. I try to approach each day by understanding how my role plugs into the greater company mission. I have an innate competitiveness, so I utilize that part of myself to make sure I can be the best in whatever position I am currently in. By doing this and being available as a resource to my teammates, I recognize that it will hopefully propel me to where I would like to be professionally. Additionally, on our sales team, there was a defined set of milestones to hit that I could strive for to get me that next promotion. I always knew what I was gunning for and was able to move up in our sales organization.

I have also been fortunate enough to have had incredible mentors both inside and outside of Hometap. In particular, Dan Amato has always enabled me to do more than what has been in my job description. He has helped open the door for me to work cross-functionally and expose me to new opportunities. Being able to get insight into other parts of the business was the first indicator to me that I may be better suited for a strategy role at this point in my career.

Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Sr Manager of Operation Strategy at Hometap?

In my role as Senior Manager of Ops Strategy, there is a meaningful opportunity to improve our systems, process, and approach to scaling our business, improving customer and employee satisfaction, and using speed and quality of execution as Hometap’s competitive advantage. I help to ensure that our operations can support continued growth and smooth execution. I work closely with internal stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and execute on process improvement opportunities to enhance our homeowner and Hometap employee experiences. 

Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?

When I was in the sales organization, I would join all new hires for lunch during their first or second week. I would often get the question, “How do I get promoted?” I will share what I share in those meetings, and I think it holds true for all fields. First, focus on what your current job is, and do that exceptionally well. Once you do that, you will solidify yourself amongst your peers and across the company as the “go-to” person. If someone asks you to participate in something, help them out, or do them a favor, say yes. If you marry those two things and become an asset to the organization, I have no doubt you will get wherever you want to go.

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Day in the Life

Coffee, tea, or nothing?

Black coffee with cinnamon, but not as soon as I wake up. I usually have my first sip around 8:45/9am.

What time do you start working? 

It really depends on the day. I have a hard time disconnecting, so I am always responding to emails or internal messages. But, I would say I am always ready to go, standing at my desk by 8:15 AM.

Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?

I am an early riser and tend to be woken up by my furry alarm clock and five year-old golden retriever, Ollie, around 6am. I’ll wake up, feed him, take him for a walk, and then get ready to go to the gym. That gives me time to have my “moving meditation” and set myself up for success that day. Once back, I log on, answer any emails that I have not yet replied to, and get started on the day. My typical day has shifted a lot in my time at Hometap from a lot of external calls to homeowners, to helping members of the sales team internally, to now to working cross-functionally and closely with my manager. We’ll check in on current projects in flight and learn how those intersect with other initiatives across the organization. I live in NYC without a yard, so I’ll take Ollie out again on a quick walk around 3, and then come back to work and tend to wrap up around 6:30/7 depending on the day. As previously mentioned, I am not great at disconnecting so will monitor messages and emails and will pop back on, if needed. If not, I love to go out and meet friends for dinner or drinks in the city! Or, curl up on the couch with Ollie and watch TV.

Do you log back in at night or do you shut it down completely?  

It really depends on what I am working on. Some days I don’t have to. Others, I see something pop up on my phone and I would rather take care of it at that moment than wait until the next day.

Any productivity hacks?

I am a big snoozer of my Slack notifications. We are a mostly remote company, so all communication outside of meetings is done via Slack. It is an awesome tool; but, between the direct messages and channels, it is important for me to snooze when I need dedicated time to focus.

What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?

I am most proud of seeing the progress that members of my sales team made while I was their manager. The reps that I worked with have come such a long way. Seeing how they have come into their own, grown their confidence, realized their potential, and become leaders on the sales floor was the most rewarding part of my previous role.

Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?

I mentioned previously that I have been very fortunate with mentors both inside and outside of Hometap. One person in particular that I always call upon for professional advice outside of Hometap is my cousin, Aleca Hughes. I grew up trying to chase her in the hockey rink (spoiler: that did not pan out). But now in a professional setting, it is similar. She has climbed her way up at her current company and always gives great advice, challenges me to be better, and gives direct and actionable feedback. I am very lucky to have her on my team.

Episode #273 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Dr. Jorge Guzman - Associate Professor of Management at Columbia Business School.

For this podcast, I typically interview founders and investors, but there are times that I like to switch things up and get a different perspective about startups and entrepreneurship.

Thus, I was excited to interview Jorge, as he teaches Entrepreneurial Strategy at Columbia Business School and his research has been focused on entrepreneurship policy, regional entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial strategy.

He is also one of the creators of The Startup Cartography Project, which is an interactive map showcasing the quantity, quality, and performance of entrepreneurship across America.

Jorge received his PhD from the Sloan School of Management at MIT, and was previously a postdoc at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a lecturer at MIT Sloan. 

In this episode of our podcast, we cover:

• Jorge’s thoughts on the current economic conditions and what it means for entrepreneurs.
• His background story and the path his career took to becoming a professor.
• The latest in terms of the entrepreneurial culture at Columbia Business School, including the details on the school’s brand new Manhattanville campus.
• The expansion of entrepreneurship across lots of different regions and does it matter to be in Silicon Valley?
• A discussion on his research around the gender gap in entrepreneurship.
• Common mistakes that Jorge sees entrepreneurs make over and over again.
• And so much more.

Here's your look at the latest hires and promotions across the tech community at Paperless Parts, Simon Data, Zapata, Vestmark, Amwell, Attensi, and Givzey.

Did I miss your new employees? Send me an email with their name and details about their new role. I'll add them to next week's edition of Talent on the Move. 

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What do the career path and the day-in-the-life look like for a Threat Intelligence Analyst on the Operational Outcomes Team at Recorded Future?

We connected with Diana Granger to find out!

Interested in learning more about Recorded Future and their job openings?  Make sure to check out their company page on VentureFizz!

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Where did you grow up?  What did your parents do for work?  

I grew up in Glencoe, IL, a small suburb about 30 minutes north of Chicago. My mom was an electrical engineer and my dad worked in venture capital and business consulting.

Where did you go to college?  What did you study and what were some of your initial jobs out of school?

I went to Wellesley College, where I double majored in Computer Science and Spanish. My first job out of school before coming to Recorded Future was as a security analyst at an investment management firm. 

What has attributed to your success thus far and has helped propel you to the position you have now?

While my degree in Computer Science provided a lot of foundational knowledge, a lot of the technical skills I use day-to-day are things that I learned from on-job-training I received from mentors and colleagues who were willing to invest in me. Additionally, taking opportunities early in my career to solve diverse problems, even if I had limited experience in the subject matter, has made me a well-rounded analyst. 

Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Threat Intelligence Analyst on the Operational Outcomes Team at Recorded Future?

My main responsibilities include writing, reviewing, and publishing notes about new and emerging adverserial TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures), periodically selecting some of these TTPs for more in-depth analysis, and creating signatures to detect them. I also produce finished intelligence reports requested by our clients covering a wide range of cyber-related topics.

Any tips for someone considering a career in your field?

Training is great, but make sure you make time to practice what you learned even after the training/class/seminar is over. Hands-on, practical experience (or as close as you can get to that) is invaluable.

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Day in the Life

Coffee, tea, or nothing?

Black coffee always, 2 cups a day. I’ll add in a cup of tea during the winter.

What time do you start working? 

Around 9:30am.

What are three things that motivate you in your role?

• My supportive and empathetic teammates.
• The super interesting topics I get to research.
• The actionable nature of the work my team does. Most of my research projects culminate in some sort of action item for our clients (mitigation or remediation steps, signatures to detect malicious activity, etc.)

Every day is different, but can you outline what a typical day looks like for you?

• 9 - 9:30: Coffee and breakfast.
• 9:30 - 9:45: Log in and check Slack, email, or ticket notifications. We’re a global company, so sometimes questions or announcements come in overnight. Look over my ongoing assignments and deadlines so I can set priorities for the day and week ahead.
• 9:45-10:30: Time to work! If I have any quick administrative tasks this is when I usually get it done since it’s a shorter work window.
• 10:30-10:45: Team meeting twice a week to check in on the status of ongoing client-requested reports and assign analysts to new requests.
• 10:45 - 12:30: Back to work! This is when I like to get started on more technical research, malware analysis, or tool / malware signature development.
• 12:30 - 1:00: Lunch.
• 1:00-3:00: Back into research. Depending on my assignments for the week, this is when I do a lot of writing or review of my teammates' reports.
• 3:30-4:00: Weekly meeting with the New and Emerging Threats team within Operational Outcomes to go over success metrics, address any process changes, and ask questions.
• 4:00-5:30: Back to research or writing until I can get to a good stopping point, respond to any final Slack messages or emails, and log off for the day.

What time do you typically wrap up the work day? 

Around 5:30pm

Any productivity hacks?

Nothing revolutionary, but I’m a visual person, so Kanban style boards (e.g., Trello) help me prioritize projects and manage competing deadlines. Choosing blocks of time to mute notifications on my devices also helps minimize distractions during tasks that require a lot of focus.

What are the 3 apps that you can’t live without?

• Google Calendar is how I know where I’m supposed to be at any given moment.
• Overcast is my podcast player of choice. I’m one of those people who needs background noise to focus, so I’m pretty much always listening to a comedy / pop culture podcast or music, which brings me to my 3rd app…
• Spotify. My taste in music is all over the place so I make a lot of playlists, but lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Lil Nas X, Lady Gaga, and The Weeknd.

What professional accomplishment are you proudest of?

I had the opportunity to lead a report about Cyber Threats to the Black Community in 2021. It was challenging and way out of my comfort zone, but I’m really proud of the outcome and thankful for the support I received from the analysts that co-wrote the report with me. 

Who do you admire or call upon for professional advice?

My teammates and managers at Recorded Future, both current and former, are some of the kindest and smartest people I know and have given me great advice over the years.

Take a tour of Vestmark's office space located in Wakefield, MA.

Interested in working at Vestmark? Take a look at the company's job openings below the slideshow.