pakaptur y25pakaptur 20250827 136 2 JH C1 iPK 2025 66 (send the link to your google doc (in edit mode!) icons8-reading-100.png quarterly test Prepare for quarterly test vocab pre teach functional language grammar focus smartphone or tablet device listening Download onto your phone or tablet and listen carefully. CV layout McKinsey 〆no ID photo → avoid racial discrimination 20250423 interview feedback with Amazon 1hr pre-screening format w/ HR 15-20min behavioural qs (incl. Amazon leadership principles) hard skills qs (code & technical) 2023 turned down because was not a canonical map ]]> sbook_plugins/wordlist_generated_from_xml_clog_sbook_for_sbook_session.inc sbook_plugins/payment_history_generated_from_xml_clog_sbook.inc Pavel Kaptur p.a.kaptur@gmail.com 20250827 12:00-13:00 1 3000 -3000 + 0 = 0 active JH | Set of support stories | Mock interview questions (2) JH | Set of support stories | Management techniques and buzzwords By the end of this session you will have studied Set of support stories Look at the areas of interest you will likely cover during a behavioural questions interview. → review your support stories → label them or give them a meaningful title → decide which are most relevant to each topic Formatting notes for support stories - review (see below) Look at some sample notes → match the kinds of formatting with the sample versions → which formats are easier to recycle and improvise with? Why? → ask AI to reformat your text if written in prose Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures 3) security code optimisation 20) bug found before release signature 22) driver filter (in the military) 23) giving up doing a PhD Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? 6) 25 yo legacy redesign 7) mentoring new employees (and failed) 8) adding validation steps to fix pipeline in building process 14) re-energising team to solve pbs (related to 2000-bug story) 21) retro develop-t of oval scanner Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships 1) substituting for absent manager 10) volleyball 18) testing telemetering service 19) skada user name parsing errors 24) AI checklist Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks 4) 2000 bugs in industrial cyber security 5) argument with lead architect about database 17) sigma story Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap 9) delegating a feature to an intern 11) telemetric initiative 13) finding a bug before a deadline 15) start-up vs big tech approach 16) windows event tracing 25) rephrased sigma w/ focus on technical direction 28) transparency & motivating senior employees Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession 12) improving on-boarding process 26) intern afraid of other team members 27) your manager as a role model zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 122 1 pix/icons8-microscope-100_white.png Formatting notes for support stories active wip xml_multi_dd_row How can you prepare your notes to ensure you sound both self-confident and spontaneous? 14 6 left version 1
liaising 4 Doc & Loc dept
15 new articles
feedback - EU US sm experts
doc improved in prod descriptions 4 sales
knowledge sharing version 2
While I was liaising for the Documentation & Localization department of my previous company I authored 15 new articles, indeed I had been tasked to collect feedback from subject matter experts from Europe & the US; the latter really helped me improve documentation in product descriptions for the sales team and, consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. version 3
I authored 15 new articles for the Documentation & Localization department in my previous company.

This was achieved by communicating with a multitude of stakeholders, such as European and North American subject matter experts.

As a result the documentation in product descriptions for the sales team was much improved.
Consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. version 4
• liaising for the Documentation & Localization department
• author of 15 new articles
• collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts
• documentation improved in product descriptions for the sales team
• contributed to knowledge sharing version 5
• liaised for the Documentation & Localization department
• communicated with a multitude of stakeholders
• authored 15 new articles
• collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts
• improved documentation in product descriptions for the sales team
• contributed to knowledge sharing version 6
• liaising for the Documentation & Localization department
• communication with a multitude of stakeholders
• authoring of 15 new articles
• feedback collection from European and North American subject matter experts
• improvement of documentation in product descriptions for the sales team
• contribution to knowledge sharing ]]> 1 2 3 4 5 6 telegraphic liaising 4 Doc & Loc dept 15 new articles feedback - EU US sm experts doc improved in prod descriptions 4 sales knowledge sharing 〆telegraphic notes are less legible without context prose While I was liaising for the Documentation & Localization department of my previous company I authored 15 new articles, indeed I had been tasked to collect feedback from subject matter experts from Europe & the US; the latter really helped me improve documentation in product descriptions for the sales team and, consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. 〆prose with lengthy sentences features much unnecessary information → hampers improvisation paragraphing I authored 15 new articles for the Documentation & Localization department in my previous company. This was achieved by communicating with a multitude of stakeholders, such as European and North American subject matter experts. As a result the documentation in product descriptions for the sales team was much improved. Consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. 〆paragraphing of thoughts is only relevant to answers in written interviews, provided they remain succinct bullet points • liaising for the Documentation & Localization department • author of 15 new articles • collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts • documentation improved in product descriptions for the sales team • contributed to knowledge sharing 〆inconsistent grammar forms & disparate bullet points may be confusing grammatically balanced with action verbs (past participles, gerunds, noun phrases) • liaised for the Documentation & Localization department • communicated with a multitude of stakeholders • authored 15 new articles • collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts • improved documentation in product descriptions for the sales team • contributed to knowledge sharing ✓ bullet points with action verbs are more legible & easier to retrieve relevant data from → faster to drill, recycle for another question and improvise with = recommended format for preparing answers to questions grammatically balanced with gerunds & noun phrases • liaising for the Documentation & Localization department • communication with a multitude of stakeholders • authoring of 15 new articles • feedback collection from European and North American subject matter experts • improvement of documentation in product descriptions for the sales team • contribution to knowledge sharing 〆lengthy noun phrases & gerunds with prepositions are more relevant to listing skills in a CV than past actions ]]> 121 1 8 Set of support stories active prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png Have you got enough support stories to answer all possible behavioural questions? Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession Give definitions of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer about the topics above mentioned. Use British English spelling and grammar. Use the delimiter ' = ' between the key expression and the definition. Don't use capital letters at the beginning of the key expression. Don't use a full stop at the end of the definition. ]]> Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures ]]> Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? ]]> Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships ]]> Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks ]]> Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap ]]> Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession ]]> 120 Mock interviews B2 - C1 119 1 Mock interview - Feedback Mock interview (general format) - Feedback TEMPLATE active prep_2columns_2qa edit_2columns_2qa pix/icons8-quiz-100_white.png Use this assessment sheet for feedback of behavioural questions Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? ]]> stopwatch Methodology
[ ] paraphrases question to confirm understanding [ ] elicits expected skills to be validated by initial behavioural question (by 'thinking aloud') [ ] addresses question with relevant story [ ] shows awareness of and/or experience in adjacent core skills [ ] does not follow a chronological narrative [ ] follows a clear & logical narrative progression (STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto/McKinsey Pyramid, SWOT...) [ ] uses metrics effectively [ ] engages in natural conversation (no regurgitation, attentive to follow-up questions)
Use of STAR approach
[ ] succinct situation (and NOT a chronological description) [ ] single-sentence task (focusing on 'I' rather than 'we') [ ] numerous actions (incl. cross collaboration to suggest size) [ ] results (incl. for a variety of stakeholders to show impact scale) AND lessons learnt
Target area(s) of interest
[ ] identifies skills (areas of interest) to be evidenced in the support story [ ] greatest & weakest points of your career [ ] upstream & downstream feedback [ ] cross functional collaboration [ ] conflict resolution [ ] leadership [ ] mentoring
Leadership tell-tale signs
[ ] acts as team lead [ ] empowers team members [ ] can initiate & take decisions without hierarchical support [ ] has a vision and is not just a manager
]]> Additional comments
S reached an academic glass ceiling
]]> 118 1 Mock interview - Feedback Mock interview (general format) - Feedback TEMPLATE active prep_2columns_2qa edit_2columns_2qa pix/icons8-quiz-100_white.png Use this assessment sheet for feedback of behavioural questions How do you feel when you have to take a decision on the spur of the moment? ]]> stopwatch Methodology
[ ] paraphrases question to confirm understanding [ ] elicits expected skills to be validated by initial behavioural question (by 'thinking aloud') [ ] addresses question with relevant story [ ] shows awareness of and/or experience in adjacent core skills [ ] does not follow a chronological narrative [ ] follows a clear & logical narrative progression (STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto/McKinsey Pyramid, SWOT...) [ ] uses metrics effectively [ ] engages in natural conversation (no regurgitation, attentive to follow-up questions)
Use of STAR approach
[ ] succinct situation (and NOT a chronological description) [ ] single-sentence task (focusing on 'I' rather than 'we') [ ] numerous actions (incl. cross collaboration to suggest size) [ ] results (incl. for a variety of stakeholders to show impact scale) AND lessons learnt
Target area(s) of interest
[ ] identifies skills (areas of interest) to be evidenced in the support story [ ] greatest & weakest points of your career [ ] upstream & downstream feedback [ ] cross functional collaboration [ ] conflict resolution [ ] leadership [ ] mentoring
Leadership tell-tale signs
[ ] acts as team lead [ ] empowers team members [ ] can initiate & take decisions without hierarchical support [ ] has a vision and is not just a manager
]]> Additional comments
S 00:00-03:00+ too long intro A showed the light at the end of the tunnel for exhausted team members → show how supported team spirit
]]> 117 1 Mock interview - Feedback Mock interview (general format) - Feedback TEMPLATE active prep_2columns_2qa edit_2columns_2qa pix/icons8-quiz-100_white.png Use this assessment sheet for feedback of behavioural questions What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? ]]> stopwatch Methodology
[ ] paraphrases question to confirm understanding [ ] elicits expected skills to be validated by initial behavioural question (by 'thinking aloud') [ ] addresses question with relevant story [ ] shows awareness of and/or experience in adjacent core skills [ ] does not follow a chronological narrative [ ] follows a clear & logical narrative progression (STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto/McKinsey Pyramid, SWOT...) [ ] uses metrics effectively [ ] engages in natural conversation (no regurgitation, attentive to follow-up questions)
Use of STAR approach
[ ] succinct situation (and NOT a chronological description) [ ] single-sentence task (focusing on 'I' rather than 'we') [ ] numerous actions (incl. cross collaboration to suggest size) [ ] results (incl. for a variety of stakeholders to show impact scale) AND lessons learnt
Target area(s) of interest
[ ] identifies skills (areas of interest) to be evidenced in the support story [ ] greatest & weakest points of your career [ ] upstream & downstream feedback [ ] cross functional collaboration [ ] conflict resolution [ ] leadership [ ] mentoring
Leadership tell-tale signs
[ ] acts as team lead [ ] empowers team members [ ] can initiate & take decisions without hierarchical support [ ] has a vision and is not just a manager
]]> Additional comments
]]> JH B2 - C1 Vocab review 116 1 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Management techniques and buzzwords active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 22 8 left 1 2 3 4 115 2 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Motivational techniques and buzzwords active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 14 10 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 114 3 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Project ownership active wip xml_multi_dd_row What stages do you need to ensure project ownership and motivate team members? 22 4 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 113 4 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Management vs leadership key expressions active wip xml_multi_dd_row How confident are you about the differences between a manager and a leader? Will you be able to voice your insights to satisfy a recruiter's expectations? 17 10 left 1 2 3 4 112 5 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Kinds of leadership strategies (1/2) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What strategies should a leader demonstrate experience in? 14 14 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 111 6 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Kinds of leadership strategies (2/2) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What strategies should a leader demonstrate experience in? 14 14 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 110 7 1 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Buzzwords (1/4) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 17 10 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 109 8 2 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Buzzwords (2/4) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 17 10 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 108 9 3 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Buzzwords (3/4) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 17 10 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 107 10 4 pix/icons8-dictionary-100_white.png Buzzwords (4/4) active wip xml_multi_dd_row What buzzwords, key expressions and trendy principles will make a recruiter happy? 17 10 left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Assessing the qualities of a self-introduction Choosing communication strategies Vocabulary (buzzwords & key concepts) Understanding expectations from a job description Writing a covering letter (to an imaginary or real position) Comparing your profile with the ideal candidate 106 haven't had didn't obtain a PhD We were all waited for waiting for | looking forward to the release Even if | though ll team members were exhausted ]]> 20250821 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 6000 = 3000 active JH | Set of support stories | Mock interview questions (1) JH | Set of support stories | Management techniques and buzzwords By the end of this session you will have studied Set of support stories Look at the areas of interest you will likely cover during a behavioural questions interview. → review your support stories → label them or give them a meaningful title → decide which are most relevant to each topic Mock interview questions - Zoom recordings Have you ever delegated a project with success? https://disk.yandex.ru/i/rE2V4qmVaWI2VA How do you feel when you have to take a decision on the spur of the moment? https://disk.yandex.ru/i/Cu-B9AnY-X8BEw Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures 3) security code optimisation 20) bug found before release signature 22) driver filter (in the military) 23) giving up doing a PhD Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? 6) 25 yo legacy redesign 7) mentoring new employees (and failed) 8) adding validation steps to fix pipeline in building process 14) re-energising team to solve pbs (related to 2000-bug story) 21) retro develop-t of oval scanner Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships 1) substituting for absent manager 10) volleyball 18) testing telemetering service 19) skada user name parsing errors 24) AI checklist Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks 4) 2000 bugs in industrial cyber security 5) argument with lead architect about database 17) sigma story Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap 9) delegating a feature to an intern 11) telemetric initiative 13) finding a bug before a deadline 15) start-up vs big tech approach 16) windows event tracing 25) rephrased sigma w/ focus on technical direction 28) transparency & motivating senior employees Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession 12) improving on-boarding process 26) intern afraid of other team members 27) your manager as a role model zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 105 1 8 Set of support stories active prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png Have you got enough support stories to answer all possible behavioural questions? Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession Give definitions of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer about the topics above mentioned. Use British English spelling and grammar. Use the delimiter ' = ' between the key expression and the definition. Don't use capital letters at the beginning of the key expression. Don't use a full stop at the end of the definition. ]]> Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures ]]> Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? ]]> Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships ]]> Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks ]]> Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap ]]> Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession ]]> 104 4 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you ever delegated a project with success? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you ever delegated a project with success? OR (if you have no experience in delegating yourself...) What did you do when your manager was on sick leave? How did you manage priorities among team members? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Rationale = show experience in strategic delegation → balance striking a consensus with timely decision-making What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → identify team strengths through performance tracking → align task complexity with skill development goals → set clear timelines and measurable milestones → provide ongoing coaching without micromanaging → schedule weekly check-ins for progress evaluation → empower ownership with decision-making autonomy → celebrate milestones to boost motivation → document lessons learned for future reference → mapped team competencies for targeted delegation → structured roles based on growth and expertise → set clear objectives and success metrics → maintained alignment through agile progress reviews → empowered leads to solve challenges independently → provided resources and authority for ownership → acknowledged contributions in final delivery → conducted retrospective for skill development feedback ✓ Buzzwords strategic delegation strategic delegation = deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. Increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation ✓ realised couldn't complete a deadline on your own → requested additional team member to help complete the project was able to choose the right person ✓ clear coding skills & algorithmic skills of an intern ✓ help this intern build a portfolio of professional experience = win/win strategy for both the company & the intern → avoided risk of monopolising knowledge → find a situation when you avoided the following mistakes: 〆offended an experienced team member 〆gave tasks to teams outside your dept without approval of your team lead e.g. delegated challenging tasks to experienced developers e.g. encouraged junior team members to complete tasks within the periphery of their knowledge e.g. helped celebrate success by eating out, sharing your passion for... with team members → built team spirit (T) Task reviewed candidates convinced to outsource to an intern from another team with adequate coding skills explained deliverables (A) Action developed interface, library, field descriptions, tests (R) Result intern took initiative to build his own portfolio (as part of his career development) has since become a full time member of your team What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Have you participated in a project which you believe was well delegated? Why was it so effective? What would you do differently? 103 7 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you feel when you have to take a decision on the spur of the moment? Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. active edit_ol_qa Are you able to make a split second decision? At what cost? Have you ever had any regrets? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you feel when you have to take a decision on the spur of the moment? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership ✓ Rationale What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → analysed immediate client risk during system outage → prioritised high-value assets for server rerouting → alerted engineering team for real-time escalation → notified clients proactively before SLA breaches → implemented emergency protocol without hesitation → assigned monitoring tasks to reduce panic → debriefed team post-crisis for knowledge retention → updated incident response framework for future issues ✓ Buzzwords decisive leadership decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? ✓ Support stories: → discovered a critical bug at the end of a long working day after gruelling bug fixes for months = professionally ethical choice between transparency & work-life balance (S) Situation hide a problem until anyone notices it or raise the alarm = ability to avoid anti-virus scanning → could lead to a critical security issue in customer data being hacked ! only client could have encountered this bug → reputational damage to the company → took responsibility & alerted manager offered 2 options (T) Task implemented a temporary mitigation (A) Action didn't compromise security sat at work with your manager till late evening to timely mitigate this issue disabled some scenarios in the feature to be included in the next release developed a permanent fix within 2-3 days provided documentation to retain knowledge (R) Result → quality work starts with prioritising at the cost of work-life balance → held professionally liable 24/7 What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How do you put up with compromises? Have you ever had to strike a balance with ethical choices when put under time pressure? 102 to empower = to give sb the power or authority to do sth; to authorise well-rounded = having a variety of experiences and abilities and a fully developed personality; providing or showing a variety of experience, ability, etc cross-team collaboration (or cross-functional collaboration) = happens when employees from separate departments within a company work together on a task or project in any capacity. Doesn't require to work with other functions cross functional collaboration = involves a group of people with a wide range of skills working together on a project. You could hold meetings with accounting, sales, and marketing about the accounts receivable and accounts payable processes. And don't just include department heads, include “regular employees” from each team too, and assign them different responsibilities in line with your objectives decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. strategic delegation = purposeful distribution of responsibilities to maximize team strengths and encourage professional development. Leaders who delegate strategically improve efficiency, build trust, and free up time for high-level priorities. It’s a balance of control, clarity, and coaching that promotes empowerment and results. transformational leadership = driving significant change by inspiring and developing people toward a common vision. These leaders elevate team performance, challenge the status quo, and create environments where innovation and personal growth thrive. They build trust and commitment through bold action and inclusive leadership visionary leadership = crafting and communicating a compelling future direction that inspires progress and strategic innovation. These leaders look beyond short-term goals, aligning teams and resources to long-range ambitions. Their clarity, foresight, and resilience help organizations anticipate change and create meaningful impact team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions influential leadership = art of gaining support and alignment through trust, logic, and emotional intelligence. These leaders persuade through clarity, confidence, and collaboration rather than authority. Influence is built on relationships, active listening, and the ability to connect personal motivations to broader goals communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations 101 20250818 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 9000 = 6000 active JH | Set of support stories By the end of this session you will have studied Set of support stories Look at the areas of interest you will likely cover during a behavioural questions interview. → review your support stories → decide which are most relevant to each topic zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 100 1 8 Set of support stories active prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png Have you got enough support stories to answer all possible behavioural questions? Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession Give definitions of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer about the topics above mentioned. Use British English spelling and grammar. Use the delimiter ' = ' between the key expression and the definition. Don't use capital letters at the beginning of the key expression. Don't use a full stop at the end of the definition. ]]> Greatest & weakest points of your career biggest achievement professional diligence (beyond the call of duty) fact-finding & problem-solving challenge ambitions & failures ]]> Upstream & downstream feedback making a long-lasting impact or being appreciated motivating others (as a team player pulling their weight) missing an obvious solution dealing with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? ]]> Cross functional collaboration feedback from previous boss & colleagues difficult relationships at work developing preventive measures showing initiative and taking the lead presentation skills to influence someone's opinion managing cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships ]]> Conflict resolution ways & means of dealing with conflict argumentative pitch to overcome someone's resistance stressful situation stretching your coping skills dealing with a very upset customer or co-worker conforming to a controversial policy prioritising tasks ]]> Leadership building team spirit delegating a project effectively distinguishing leadership from management taking a decision on the spur of the moment making an unpopular decision firing a friend Where do you see yourself in 5 years? contribution to shaping technical direction and setting team's roadmap ]]> Mentoring mentoring junior team members building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession ]]> 99 to empower = to give sb the power or authority to do sth; to authorise well-rounded = having a variety of experiences and abilities and a fully developed personality; providing or showing a variety of experience, ability, etc cross-team collaboration (or cross-functional collaboration) = happens when employees from separate departments within a company work together on a task or project in any capacity. Doesn't require to work with other functions cross functional collaboration = involves a group of people with a wide range of skills working together on a project. You could hold meetings with accounting, sales, and marketing about the accounts receivable and accounts payable processes. And don't just include department heads, include “regular employees” from each team too, and assign them different responsibilities in line with your objectives 98 spreaded spread | originating from between at least 2 companies and not more than 80% in one (per freelance laws in Germany) ]]> 20250814 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 12000 = 9000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Mentoring - Leadership By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership - mentoring What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? (update w/ support story, role model or examples drawn from P.Senge) How would you ensure that your team remains aligned with the company's strategy? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 97 1 22 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership mentoring ✓ Rationale prepare and enable individuals to grow into future leadership roles ensure continuity What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts assigning stretch projects with opportunities for system design and leadership conducting structured career planning sessions twice per year promoting tech talks and mentoring between senior and junior members identifying promotion paths tied to observable behaviour and outcomes inviting team members to represent the group in wider forums reviewing learning budgets and conference attendance support ✓ Buzzwords leadership succession leadership succession = preparing and enabling individuals within the team to grow into future leadership roles to ensure continuity and sustained impact What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation 3 narrative options 1) support story deciding whether to encourage a team member to get into an expert role as individual contributor instead of a management role should be exceptionally talented to grow from senior dev to an expert role most senior developers have reached their professional potential usually offer a career path from developer to senior developer, and then to teach lead 2) description of your role model, e.g. your current manager focused on sharing technologies nurtured new engineers by helping to make the right choices for the company showcased how strong the impact of a learning organisation can have on your team's workflow 3) recommendations proffered by Peter Senge although haven't been a manager formally have some relevant experience as an unofficial lead in their absence inspired by the learning organisation model proffered by Peter Senge, aka the Fifth Wheel (T) Task avoid monopolization of ideas deploy knowledge management strategies (A) Action helped speed up the on-boarding process allocated 2-3 hrs on Fridays for self-development ensured employees are aware of learning organisation vs organisation learning (R) Result followed in the steps of your former manager achieved a higher retention rate in a profession where young employees often go job hopping What is the most effective way to ensure knowledge management? ✓ implement organisation learning in a learning organisation → on-line platform with anonymous forum for Q&A, feedback ✓ formalise all good practices ✓ mentoring ✓ internationalisation ✓ digitalisation ✓ agility learning organisation = a house where organisational learning (a process) takes place What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? If you were our new manager, what first steps would you take to create a learning organisation? 96 1 23 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How would you ensure that your team remains aligned with the company's strategy? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How would you ensure that your team remains aligned with the company's strategy? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership ✓ Rationale recognise intrinsic vs extrinsic motivators intrinsic = inherent, essential; belonging naturally (intrinsic value) extrinsic = not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts tracking key company-wide OKRs and aligning team projects accordingly communicating strategic priorities during sprint and quarterly planning reviewing roadmap impact in the context of broader organisational goals adjusting engineering focus as business or market shifts occur inviting leadership to speak at team all-hands or check-ins reinforcing company mission during performance evaluations ✓ Buzzwords company strategy alignment company strategy alignment = ensuring that the actions and priorities of your team contribute directly to the company’s long-term vision, goals, and competitive position What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation 1) address lack of transparency of a team member's workflow provided vague explanations justified by ego or gut feeling called for occasional micromanagement 2) keep senior team leads both motivated & aligned with the company's goals (T) Task identify challenging tasks ensure retention of talent who are not always drawn to financial incentives (A) Action distinguish motivational factors find out hidden agenda address personal conflict of interests (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How do you catch situations when employees are not conforming to company policy? ✓ lack of transparency What motivational factors are more likely to succeed in the long term? ✓ intrinsic factors → self-satisfaction & work-life balance → teamwork with particular individuals, managers... 〆extrinsic factors ↔ hygiene factors that may not last long → depends on work culture, purchasing power & average income per capita in each country Herzberg 2-factor theory = motivators will fail if hygiene factors are not satisfactory hygiene factor = feature of a job that will make a worker unhappy if it is not provided, for example fair pay or comfortable working conditions: Hygiene factors are those which are necessary for people to work, not those that actually motivate people to work harder 95 leadership succession = preparing and enabling individuals within the team to grow into future leadership roles to ensure continuity and sustained impact learning organisation = a house where organisational learning (a process) takes place intrinsic = inherent, essential; belonging naturally (intrinsic value) extrinsic = not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside company strategy alignment = ensuring that the actions and priorities of your team contribute directly to the company’s long-term vision, goals, and competitive position Herzberg 2-factor theory = motivators will fail if hygiene factors are not satisfactory hygiene factor = feature of a job that will make a worker unhappy if it is not provided, for example fair pay or comfortable working conditions: Hygiene factors are those which are necessary for people to work, not those that actually motivate people to work harder 94 took a place participated in a planning I have never saw seen a strategy that is working ]]> 20250811 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 15000 = 12000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Mentoring By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership - mentoring What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? How would you ensure that your team remains aligned with the company's strategy? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 93 1 22 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch What is your strategy for growing engineers within your team to support long-term retention and leadership succession? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership mentoring ✓ Rationale prepare and enable individuals to grow into future leadership roles ensure continuity What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts assigning stretch projects with opportunities for system design and leadership conducting structured career planning sessions twice per year promoting tech talks and mentoring between senior and junior members identifying promotion paths tied to observable behaviour and outcomes inviting team members to represent the group in wider forums reviewing learning budgets and conference attendance support ✓ Buzzwords leadership succession leadership succession = preparing and enabling individuals within the team to grow into future leadership roles to ensure continuity and sustained impact What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation 3 narrative options 1) support story deciding whether to encourage a team member to get into an expert role as individual contributor instead of a management role should be exceptionally talented to grow from senior dev to an expert role most senior developers have reached their professional potential usually offer a career path from developer to senior developer, and then to teach lead 2) description of your role model, e.g. your current manager 3) recommendations proffered by Peter Senge (T) Task (A) Action allocated 2-3 hrs on Fridays for self-development ensured employees are aware of learning organisation vs organisation learning (R) Result What is the most effective way to ensure knowledge management? ✓ implement organisation learning in a learning organisation → on-line platform with anonymous forum for Q&A, feedback ✓ formalise all good practices ✓ mentoring ✓ internationalisation ✓ digitalisation ✓ agility learning organisation = a house where organisational learning (a process) takes place What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? 92 2 The Fifth discipline, by Peter Senge active edit_text_for_reading_task prep_contents pix/icons8-reading-100_white.png Answer the following questions.]]> Do you feel some collective aspiration in your workplace? Inventing new knowledge is not a specialized activity... it is a way of behaving - Do you agree? Why is it important to be a knowledge worker? What do you need to provide a framework for action: only tools, or also ideas? nurtured = cared for and protected while they are growing knowledge worker = professionals whose job is to "think for a living", e.g. programmers, physicians, pharmacists, architects, engineers, scientists, design thinkers, public accountants, lawyers, editors, and academics organizational redundancy = form of dismissal and may arise where the requirement for employees to undertake work of a particular kind has ceased or diminished. ... Examples of potential redundancy situations might be where you: can no longer employ one or more members of staff in your organisation, due to reduced funds tacit = that is suggested indirectly or understood, rather than said in words explicit = clear and easy to understand, without any doubt nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.” 2. To achieve these ends, Senge suggested the use of five “component technologies”: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. 3. In a similar spirit, Ikujiro Nonaka characterized knowledge-creating companies as places where “inventing new knowledge is not a specialized activity…it is a way of behaving, indeed, a way of being, in which everyone is a knowledge worker.” 4. Nonaka suggested that companies use metaphors and organizational redundancy to focus thinking, encourage dialogue, and make tacit, instinctively understood ideas explicit. 5. (...) But does it provide a framework for action? How, for example, will managers know when their companies have become learning organizations? What concrete changes in behaviour are required? What policies and programmes must be in place? How do you get from here to there? (adapted from https://hbr.org/1993/07/building-a-learning-organization) ]]> 91 learning organisation = a house where organisational learning (a process) takes place nurtured = cared for and protected while they are growing knowledge worker = professionals whose job is to "think for a living", e.g. programmers, physicians, pharmacists, architects, engineers, scientists, design thinkers, public accountants, lawyers, editors, and academics organizational redundancy = form of dismissal and may arise where the requirement for employees to undertake work of a particular kind has ceased or diminished. ... Examples of potential redundancy situations might be where you: can no longer employ one or more members of staff in your organisation, due to reduced funds tacit = that is suggested indirectly or understood, rather than said in words explicit = clear and easy to understand, without any doubt 90 you will be it makes you happy We say talk usually about the role of... Have you got a some free time? ]]> 20250807 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 18000 = 15000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Cross functional collaboration - Mentoring By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Cross functional collaboration How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? (update w/ Sigma version) Leadership - mentoring How do you approach building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 89 1 20 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? (version 2 - Sigma) active edit_ol_qa Are you visionary enough to potentially become a leader? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience cross-functional collaboration leadership ✓ Rationale satisfy business and user needs in the long term provide a vision & show potential for growth possibly target L7 level position What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts understand & take into account existing company's technology stack ✓ running technical design reviews for key storage and disaster recovery projects ✓ prioritising user needs when reviewing backlog and performance metrics ✓ aligning roadmap planning with broader platform milestones ✓ identifying legacy issues and proposing technical debt remediation ✓ championing scalable architecture choices in design discussions ✓ balancing experimentation with delivery consistency ✓ Buzzwords technical direction technical direction = long-term vision and structure of how systems and technologies should evolve to meet both business and user needs What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation 1st release of a new company product help responsible for Sigma engine in the absence of manager unfamiliar language single thread process (T) Task resisted pressure to build a non-future proof architecture to meet deadlines chose to continue developing an engine in Lua (A) Action addressed team resistance to reuse the existing engine team favoured developing their own implementation of the engine in C++ set a time frame envisaged various scenarios mitigated conflicting feature requests reused Lua as a compromise between prototyping and coding (R) Result release published on time approach supported fully by manager success story had a positive impact on yearly bonus (S) Situation 20-year old product with release happening 3-4 times a year called for a vision to replace its legacy technology (T) Task only way to solve given task was to use new technology (A) Action (R) Result had a similar vision as a senior developer as your team leader came to the same conclusions as your manager What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How did you convince senior team members who insisted in developing a new version? What indicators show that your roadmap planning is successful? Were you granted a bonus for your technical direction? What impact has this technological choice had on the long term vision? What indicators show that your roadmap planning is successful? What indicators show that your roadmap planning is successful? ✓ number of new bugs What impact has this technological choice had on the long term vision? ✓ strived to be future proof by choosing a multi-threaded approach ✓ meeting quarterly delivery goals without last-minute stress ✓ receiving positive feedback from partners on visibility and pace ✓ closing priority bugs within SLA targets ✓ improving performance and reliability metrics with each release ✓ enabling engineers to anticipate upcoming work and skill needs roadmap planning = process of forecasting and prioritising future work so that teams can deliver value efficiently while staying adaptable 88 1 21 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you approach building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you approach building a high-performing and psychologically safe team culture? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership mentoring ✓ Rationale foster a work environment to express concerns, ideas, and mistakes without fear of punishment or humiliation What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts transparency emotional intelligence modelling openness in one-to-one conversations and retrospectives encouraging feedback across levels, roles, and backgrounds resolving team tensions through active listening and shared goals recognising effort and impact both privately and publicly investing time in inclusive hiring and onboarding processes adapting rituals and meetings to team personality and capacity ✓ Buzzwords psychologically safe team culture psychologically safe team culture = team environment where members feel comfortable expressing concerns, ideas, and mistakes without fear of punishment or humiliation What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation had been mentoring new developers for years mentee failed to ask for additional help, would work on other tasks instead, in a way reminiscent of procrastination (T) Task support an intern who lacked confidence & needed specific feedback (A) Action broke the ice helped build a network redirected mentee to another team lead to seek advice understood available skill sets overcame reluctance to try alternative solutions (R) Result mentee works faster & more effectively - now a junior developer recognise telltale signs better able to anticipate psychological reluctance of new recruits to ask for help (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? What telltale signs have you often observed when team members are in trouble? How long does it usually take to recognise team members' problems? What tools or practices do you use to avoid miscommunication across distributed teams? What tools or practices do you use to avoid miscommunication across distributed teams? ✓ documenting discussions in shared platforms like Confluence ✓ using asynchronous updates via Slack and recorded demos ✓ rotating meeting times to accommodate different time zones ✓ following up on key decisions with written recaps ✓ maintaining a single source of truth for roadmaps and changes telltale = allowing a secret to become known; showing that sth exists or has happened distributed teams = teams working together across different geographic locations, often in different time zones and organisational cultures 87 technical direction = long-term vision and structure of how systems and technologies should evolve to meet both business and user needs roadmap planning = process of forecasting and prioritising future work so that teams can deliver value efficiently while staying adaptable psychologically safe team culture = team environment where members feel comfortable expressing concerns, ideas, and mistakes without fear of punishment or humiliation telltale = allowing a secret to become known; showing that sth exists or has happened distributed teams = teams working together across different geographic locations, often in different time zones and organisational cultures 86 20250804 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 21000 = 18000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Cross functional collaboration By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Cross functional collaboration What is required to effectively manage cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships in your position? How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 85 1 20 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What is required to effectively manage cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships in your position? active edit_ol_qa How skilled are you in collaborating with various departments and business clients? Are you confident enough to take responsibility for your decisions? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch What is required to effectively manage cross-functional stakeholder relationships and partnerships in your position? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience cross functional collaboration position as a product manager or product development lead (and not developer!) ✓ Rationale ensure smooth collaboration, mutual understanding, and shared success ability to delimit your responsibilities without compromising your decision-making power simplifying to communicate effectively with less tech-savvy stakeholders What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts encouraging active listening building shared understanding of success criteria with product, site reliability, and legal teams setting realistic delivery expectations based on resourcing and priorities translating technical constraints into clear language for non-engineering partners negotiating feature scope with internal customers to meet deadlines leading regular planning syncs and feedback loops mapping stakeholder impact across roadmap decisions 〆ignoring changes in external requirements or business context ✓ Buzzwords cross-functional stakeholder relationships cross-functional stakeholder relationships = interactions between team leads or decision-makers from different departments (such as engineering, product, or operations) that aim to ensure smooth collaboration, mutual understanding, and shared success What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? What steps would you take if a critical partner began delaying progress on a joint project? ✓ raising the issue during a direct stakeholder alignment meeting ✓ reviewing shared goals and deadlines from the original agreement ✓ documenting dependencies and escalating risks in writing ✓ proposing alternative paths or scope adjustments ✓ ensuring open communication without assigning blame ✓ setting regular touchpoints to regain momentum stakeholder alignment = process of getting different parties with a shared interest to agree on priorities, expectations, and timelines 84 1 19 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? active edit_ol_qa Are you visionary enough to potentially become a leader? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you contribute to shaping technical direction and setting the roadmap for your team? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience cross-functional collaboration leadership ✓ Rationale satisfy business and user needs in the long term provide a vision & show potential for growth possibly target L7 level position What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts understand & take into account existing company's technology stack ✓ running technical design reviews for key storage and disaster recovery projects ✓ prioritising user needs when reviewing backlog and performance metrics ✓ aligning roadmap planning with broader platform milestones ✓ identifying legacy issues and proposing technical debt remediation ✓ championing scalable architecture choices in design discussions ✓ balancing experimentation with delivery consistency ✓ Buzzwords technical direction technical direction = long-term vision and structure of how systems and technologies should evolve to meet both business and user needs What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation 20-year old product with release happening 3-4 times a year called for a vision to replace its legacy technology (T) Task only way to solve given task was to use new technology (A) Action (R) Result had a similar vision as a senior developer as your team leader came to the same conclusions as your manager What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? What indicators show that your roadmap planning is successful? ✓ meeting quarterly delivery goals without last-minute stress ✓ receiving positive feedback from partners on visibility and pace ✓ closing priority bugs within SLA targets ✓ improving performance and reliability metrics with each release ✓ enabling engineers to anticipate upcoming work and skill needs roadmap planning = process of forecasting and prioritising future work so that teams can deliver value efficiently while staying adaptable 83 cross-functional stakeholder relationships = interactions between team leads or decision-makers from different departments (such as engineering, product, or operations) that aim to ensure smooth collaboration, mutual understanding, and shared success stakeholder alignment = process of getting different parties with a shared interest to agree on priorities, expectations, and timelines technical direction = long-term vision and structure of how systems and technologies should evolve to meet both business and user needs roadmap planning = process of forecasting and prioritising future work so that teams can deliver value efficiently while staying adaptable 82 do you have ]]> 20250731 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 24000 = 21000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Conflict resolution | When did you last experience a stressful situation that stretched your coping skills? JH | Identifying support stories - Greatest & weakest points - Cross functional collaboration By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Conflict resolution When did you last experience a stressful situation that stretched your coping skills? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? (see 20250512) → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 81 1 18 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png When did you last experience a stressful situation that stretched your coping skills? Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills active edit_ol_qa Have you got any strategies to mitigate emotions in dire straits? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch When did you last experience a stressful situation that stretched your coping skills, and how did you respond to it under pressure? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience conflict resolution cross-functional collaboration ✓ Rationale ability to deal with high-stakes, high-pressure situations effective communication What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts managing crisis resolution during a critical service outage impacting over 1 million users coordinating stakeholder communication with daily updates and issue-tracking dashboards escalating incidents through structured incident management protocols leading cross-functional debugging sessions to isolate infrastructure faults identifying single points of failure and proposing resilience engineering solutions facilitating post-mortem analysis for root cause identification and process improvement adopting cognitive reframing techniques for stress management and team morale support neglecting emotional regulation or reactive problem-solving under time constraints ✓ Buzzwords crisis resolution resilience engineering cross-team communication empathy for team members in difficulty fact-finding crisis resolution = process of addressing and resolving a high-stakes, high-pressure situation through structured actions and communication strategies resilience engineering = proactive design of systems and organisations that can absorb, adapt to and recover from unexpected disruptions What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation experienced 2000 bugs instead of usual 150 bugs after product cannibalisation leveraged your expertise to analyse & prioritise bugs rather than just fix them high-level product manager had only compared product functionalities rather than underlying technologies targeted functional parity & same resources different task from just adding a compatibility layer between some old to a newer Kaspersky Point Security (T) Task demonstrate how some randomly recurring bugs share the same root cause = design issue → lead team to deal with bugs in a timely manner convince team to complete mission impossible (i.e. 2000 bugs in 4 weeks) (A) Action scheduled meeting w/ senior team members provided examples reproducible in different environments Q&A team reincarnated (rather than just reproduced) glitches in various wui categorised bugs per priorities applied Paretto principle managed occasional resistance from some team members to work under such pressure celebrated success with pizza every 50 bugs (R) Result mitigated mistakes due to flawed time tracking estimated by product manager postponed release only by a 1 week (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? What strategies did you use to maintain emotional regulation and team morale during the stressful incident? How did you ensure that knowledge gained during the incident was captured and shared effectively with the wider organisation? In retrospect, what would you improve about your approach to handling the incident and leading under pressure? What strategies did you use to maintain emotional regulation and team morale during the stressful incident? ✓ practising active listening to acknowledge emotional responses in the team ✓ applying cognitive reframing techniques to reduce anxiety and maintain focus ✓ encouraging psychological safety through transparency and empathy ✓ setting short-term, achievable goals to restore a sense of progress ✓ maintaining visibility on task ownership to reduce ambiguity and pressure ✓ communicating recognition for effort under duress 〆allowing unfiltered emotional reactions to dominate group interactions 〆ignoring burnout signals or dismissing personal well-being emotional regulation = ability to monitor, evaluate and modify emotional reactions to promote constructive behaviour under pressure psychological safety = shared belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of negative consequences duress /djuəˈres/ = threats or force that are used to make sb do sth How did you ensure that knowledge gained during the incident was captured and shared effectively with the wider organisation? ✓ conducting structured post-incident review sessions with action item tracking ✓ creating technical documentation for issue patterns and fixes ✓ integrating lessons learned into runbooks and standard operating procedures ✓ encouraging team-wide knowledge sharing through internal workshops ✓ coordinating debriefs with leadership to align on systemic improvements ✓ uploading retrospective summaries to shared repositories for future reference 〆allowing insights to remain undocumented or siloed 〆repeating preventable mistakes without organisational learning mechanisms post-incident review = structured meeting held after a critical event to evaluate what happened, why, and how to improve future response runbook = detailed guide or manual containing standard procedures for handling recurring operational scenarios or incidents In retrospect, what would you improve about your approach to handling the incident and leading under pressure? ✓ allocating clearer responsibilities earlier to reduce task overlap ✓ improving stakeholder alignment by refining escalation criteria ✓ applying stress testing frameworks to anticipate weak points ✓ adopting more granular incident categorisation for faster triage ✓ implementing regular incident simulations to train response teams ✓ reducing cognitive load by limiting concurrent task switching 〆repeating improvised actions without long-term structural fixes 〆assuming prior experience alone guarantees effective leadership stress testing = evaluating how systems or teams perform under extreme or unexpected conditions to uncover vulnerabilities incident categorisation = process of classifying incidents based on severity, impact and urgency to guide response protocols 80 crisis resolution = process of addressing and resolving a high-stakes, high-pressure situation through structured actions and communication strategies resilience engineering = proactive design of systems and organisations that can absorb, adapt to and recover from unexpected disruptions emotional regulation = ability to monitor, evaluate and modify emotional reactions to promote constructive behaviour under pressure psychological safety = shared belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of negative consequences duress /djuəˈres/ = threats or force that are used to make sb do sth post-incident review = structured meeting held after a critical event to evaluate what happened, why, and how to improve future response runbook = detailed guide or manual containing standard procedures for handling recurring operational scenarios or incidents stress testing = evaluating how systems or teams perform under extreme or unexpected conditions to uncover vulnerabilities incident categorisation = process of classifying incidents based on severity, impact and urgency to guide response protocols 79 at all well | thoroughly We don't (didn't) know (about) anything what which was higher ]]> 20250728 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 27000 = 24000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Greatest & weakest points | Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (PhD) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Greatest & weakest points Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (update your answer with PhD or any alternative) - if you wish Conflict resolution When did you last experience a stressful situation that stretched your coping skills? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 78 3 17 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (updated) Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career cross functional collaboration ✓ Rationale assess self-awareness evaluate humility gauge strategic foresight measure realism in goal setting humility = quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts overestimated resource capabilities causing deadline slippage misjudged stakeholder expectations during project scoping adjusted goal-setting process following failed initiative conducted post-mortem analysis identifying ambition gap implemented risk-reduction tactics in strategic planning recalibrated performance metrics to reflect reality refined vision alignment using stakeholder feedback reframed objectives using agile sprint retrospectives risk management honesty continuous learning ✓ Buzzwords self-awareness self-awareness = conscious understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others. Involves ability to reflect on one’s actions and their outcomes, leading to growth and improvement. In a business context, high self-awareness allows professionals to regulate behaviours, align with team dynamics, and adapt goals in response to feedback or unforeseen realities. Leaders with strong self-awareness tend to build trust and foster collaborative environments ambition gap = gap that exists between the level of willingness to take ambitious action and the degree of action that is in fact necessary to effectively address it What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation wanted to complete a PhD after 10 years in your company → open new roles w/ exciting opportunities (T) Task convince your company to support you in your educational project despite academic paper incl. sensitive data persuade yourself to the need of working after hours to complete your PhD although you had already achieved professional recognition = getting out of your comfort zone (A) Action weighted pros & cons 〆contents of the PhD would question status & expertise of ageing university professors → difficulty finding a reviewer & attestation bodies willing to underwrite your paper 〆your research would become part and parcel of the company's policy → would affect the company's hidden agenda 〆with such PhD your former company would have to give you priority for some roles → disrupted career paths of other team members favoured by the hierarchy 〆gathered contradicting feedback → should pursue this goal, but in other company → should avoid bc a colleague had already been trying to defend their thesis for 7 years (in a similarly sensitive area) (R) Result 〆didn't get out of your comfort zone bc failed to complete a PhD! ✓ remained committed to your principles of being honest about your goals → reputation of transparency became stronger ✓ bounced back quickly in spite of initial frustration → showed resilience ✓ had a great boost to develop other skills → joined another company, actually a market leader in this field (S) Situation joined the KATAP - Kaspersky Anti Target Attack Platform as a developer assigned a typical, universal scenario of integrating telemetric processing into an existing cloud (T) Task build integration with KATAP server with 2 independent parts which begin in a strict order in a new team obtain connection integration, and only then system status (A) Action → coded the client part of the client to communication server channel found design mistakes & sporadic crashes consisting in flooding sys admin with temporary error logs analysed logs & added additional traces → took cross-functional steps requested designs from the architect carried out testing with quality assurance team organised a cross team call with 2 developers' team (service provider team, initialisation team) identified which technology is responsible for launching modules → took risk management decisions reached an independent contributor in your company for further advice → identified a race condition which had been ignored at design stage found missing dependence due to legacy technology (R) Result solved the race condition thanks to team working with over 120 people (architects, 50+ developers, 60+ members of the Quality Assurance team) eliminated all bugs within 1-2 weeks (S) Situation earlier in your career, ventured developing filtering technology to store classified data copied data encrypted on the drive on the fly reminiscent of a vault (T) Task former manager of approx 50 team members had creative ideas to improve cyber security was tasked to develop a driver filter to encrypt data on a flash drive (A) Action carried out own research for 2 months could not be mentored or coached by anyone in the company manager had underestimated the challenge (R) Result failed to come up with a solution nobody could criticise results of your work manager could | should have been held responsible for mismanaging resources was more of a visionary than a manager interesting as a task but unrealistic to complete as a KPI to this day this task hasn't been completed → still wouldn't take up the challenge either (S) Situation integration with platform strict deadlines set & guidelines provided by architect (T) Task developed integration model dealt with bugs due to racing conditions (A) Action organised cross-team calls improved synchronisation among parts discussed technologies developed tests to simplify checks and scenarios (R) Result fixed all issues collaborated with architect rebuilt all architecture by yourself in 2 weeks has since become a foundation for similar integration technologies provided documentation ✓ Support stories was not aware had offered to complete a project which was actually childish lacked confidence and hesitated to take up challenges difficulties in catching information on the fly thought had managed to increase customer satisfaction by a few percent ✓ completed KPI for probation period → realised was actually successful ! indeed, had reached as much as 15% → learnt not to set your sights too low ✓ Support stories ! distinguish start-ups from big techs ✓ enjoy fast pace & ownership that comes with start-ups ✓ leading a team of managers ✓ focusing on mentoring ✓ delegate creativity to team members if you are aware of your limited creative skills = evidence of your professional maturity (i.e. you know your weak points) → foster an environment with little bureaucracy & unlimited resources for visionary team members ✓ travelling to conferences & giving presentations to international audiences (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Would you benefit from attending a course in building self-confidence? Is setting the bar too high generally a bad thing? Why / why not? Do you think you need to be pushed to the limits to perform well, or will you manage to reach your deadlines with an easy-going work life balance too? 77 76 pretend for aspire to some roles My sister in law is has been living in Spain for the past 30 years Only a science scientific path (OR career) would be opened stay available | remain possible ]]> 20250724 09:00-10:00 1 30000 20250722 3000 -3000 + 30000 = 27000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Greatest & weakest points | Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (KATAP) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Conflict resolution Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (update your answer) → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 75 3 17 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? (KATAP) Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career cross functional collaboration ✓ Rationale assess self-awareness evaluate humility gauge strategic foresight measure realism in goal setting humility = quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts overestimated resource capabilities causing deadline slippage misjudged stakeholder expectations during project scoping adjusted goal-setting process following failed initiative conducted post-mortem analysis identifying ambition gap implemented risk-reduction tactics in strategic planning recalibrated performance metrics to reflect reality refined vision alignment using stakeholder feedback reframed objectives using agile sprint retrospectives risk management honesty continuous learning ✓ Buzzwords self-awareness self-awareness = conscious understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others. Involves ability to reflect on one’s actions and their outcomes, leading to growth and improvement. In a business context, high self-awareness allows professionals to regulate behaviours, align with team dynamics, and adapt goals in response to feedback or unforeseen realities. Leaders with strong self-awareness tend to build trust and foster collaborative environments ambition gap = gap that exists between the level of willingness to take ambitious action and the degree of action that is in fact necessary to effectively address it What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation joined the KATAP - Kaspersky Anti Target Attack Platform as a developer assigned a typical, universal scenario of integrating telemetric processing into an existing cloud (T) Task build integration with KATAP server with 2 independent parts which begin in a strict order in a new team obtain connection integration, and only then system status (A) Action → coded the client part of the client to communication server channel found design mistakes & sporadic crashes consisting in flooding sys admin with temporary error logs analysed logs & added additional traces → took cross-functional steps requested designs from the architect carried out testing with quality assurance team organised a cross team call with 2 developers' team (service provider team, initialisation team) identified which technology is responsible for launching modules → took risk management decisions reached an independent contributor in your company for further advice → identified a race condition which had been ignored at design stage found missing dependence due to legacy technology (R) Result solved the race condition thanks to team working with over 120 people (architects, 50+ developers, 60+ members of the Quality Assurance team) eliminated all bugs within 1-2 weeks (S) Situation earlier in your career, ventured developing filtering technology to store classified data copied data encrypted on the drive on the fly reminiscent of a vault (T) Task former manager of approx 50 team members had creative ideas to improve cyber security was tasked to develop a driver filter to encrypt data on a flash drive (A) Action carried out own research for 2 months could not be mentored or coached by anyone in the company manager had underestimated the challenge (R) Result failed to come up with a solution nobody could criticise results of your work manager could | should have been held responsible for mismanaging resources was more of a visionary than a manager interesting as a task but unrealistic to complete as a KPI to this day this task hasn't been completed → still wouldn't take up the challenge either (S) Situation integration with platform strict deadlines set & guidelines provided by architect (T) Task developed integration model dealt with bugs due to racing conditions (A) Action organised cross-team calls improved synchronisation among parts discussed technologies developed tests to simplify checks and scenarios (R) Result fixed all issues collaborated with architect rebuilt all architecture by yourself in 2 weeks has since become a foundation for similar integration technologies provided documentation ✓ Support stories was not aware had offered to complete a project which was actually childish lacked confidence and hesitated to take up challenges difficulties in catching information on the fly thought had managed to increase customer satisfaction by a few percent ✓ completed KPI for probation period → realised was actually successful ! indeed, had reached as much as 15% → learnt not to set your sights too low ✓ Support stories ! distinguish start-ups from big techs ✓ enjoy fast pace & ownership that comes with start-ups ✓ leading a team of managers ✓ focusing on mentoring ✓ delegate creativity to team members if you are aware of your limited creative skills = evidence of your professional maturity (i.e. you know your weak points) → foster an environment with little bureaucracy & unlimited resources for visionary team members ✓ travelling to conferences & giving presentations to international audiences (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Would you benefit from attending a course in building self-confidence? Is setting the bar too high generally a bad thing? Why / why not? Do you think you need to be pushed to the limits to perform well, or will you manage to reach your deadlines with an easy-going work life balance too? 74 73 20250722 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 3000 = 0 active JH | Identifying support stories - Cross functional collaboration By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Conflict resolution When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? (consider updating your answer) Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 72 11 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? active edit_ol_qa Can you think outside the box? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career ✓ Rationale → show you can think outside the box, i.e. creatively but logically, in a repeatable manner → anticipate what converging factors are relevant to each case What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → conducted research to identify the root cause of a production issue → interviewed key stakeholders to gather detailed insights about project challenges → analysed data trends to uncover hidden inefficiencies in a workflow → reviewed historical records to resolve a customer service dispute → investigated discrepancies between financial reports and identifying corrective actions → utilised surveys and feedback to determine areas for product improvement → leveraged industry benchmarks to solve a competitive analysis challenge → performed a root cause analysis to address recurring operational bottlenecks ✓ Buzzwords fact-finding skills thinking laterally divergent thinking fact-finding skills = ability to systematically gather, verify, and analyse information to identify problems, solutions, or insights for decision-making What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? ✓ Support stories implemented a new tracing system for journaling xml formatted events (S) Situation failed to find documentation explaining limitations (T) Task code in xml for journaling events (A) Action developed over a dozen versions iteratively of increasing complexity investigated limitations put in practice divergent thinking strategies by running React OS found open source code went from discovery to discovery over 3 weeks (R) Result published the final solution every technology features hidden or undocumented behaviour ✓ Support stories → updated datasets to take into account childish questions of customers (S) Situation ✓ product analyst noticed mistakes in the way customers were chatting with the AI chatbot → chatbot would provide wrong answers to 30% of policy questions (T) Task → search dataset logs to understand low customer satisfaction as requested from business analysts (A) Action → analysed database logs from customers → updated datasets to take into account childish questions of customers (...) (R) Result → provided an update w/in only 3 weeks → increased customer satisfaction from 3.8 to 4.2% ✓ Support stories → saved money by not investing in the wrong project → created models controlled by the Central Bank (S) Situation ✓ needed to create & estimate clients' credit risk (T) Task → provide documentation for the Central Bank's machine learning models (...) (A) Action → wrote documentation → requested approval from the Central Bank (...) (R) Result → decreased number of reports from the Central Bank → used ML algos to decrease credit risk What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Would you have been able to solve these challenges without your team? Why / why not? Are there any skills your teammates have you wish you had, such as reverse engineering? 71 3 17 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> Have you ever admitted you'd set your sights too high (or too low)? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career ✓ Rationale assess self-awareness evaluate humility gauge strategic foresight measure realism in goal setting humility = quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts overestimated resource capabilities causing deadline slippage misjudged stakeholder expectations during project scoping adjusted goal-setting process following failed initiative conducted post-mortem analysis identifying ambition gap implemented risk-reduction tactics in strategic planning recalibrated performance metrics to reflect reality refined vision alignment using stakeholder feedback reframed objectives using agile sprint retrospectives risk management honesty continuous learning ✓ Buzzwords self-awareness self-awareness = conscious understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others. Involves ability to reflect on one’s actions and their outcomes, leading to growth and improvement. In a business context, high self-awareness allows professionals to regulate behaviours, align with team dynamics, and adapt goals in response to feedback or unforeseen realities. Leaders with strong self-awareness tend to build trust and foster collaborative environments ambition gap = gap that exists between the level of willingness to take ambitious action and the degree of action that is in fact necessary to effectively address it What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation earlier in your career, ventured developing filtering technology to store classified data copied data encrypted on the drive on the fly reminiscent of a vault (T) Task former manager of approx 50 team members had creative ideas to improve cyber security was tasked to develop a driver filter to encrypt data on a flash drive (A) Action carried out own research for 2 months could not be mentored or coached by anyone in the company manager had underestimated the challenge (R) Result failed to come up with a solution nobody could criticise results of your work manager could | should have been held responsible for mismanaging resources was more of a visionary than a manager interesting as a task but unrealistic to complete as a KPI to this day this task hasn't been completed → still wouldn't take up the challenge either (S) Situation integration with platform strict deadlines set & guidelines provided by architect (T) Task developed integration model dealt with bugs due to racing conditions (A) Action organised cross-team calls improved synchronisation among parts discussed technologies developed tests to simplify checks and scenarios (R) Result fixed all issues collaborated with architect rebuilt all architecture by yourself in 2 weeks has since become a foundation for similar integration technologies provided documentation ✓ Support stories was not aware had offered to complete a project which was actually childish lacked confidence and hesitated to take up challenges difficulties in catching information on the fly thought had managed to increase customer satisfaction by a few percent ✓ completed KPI for probation period → realised was actually successful ! indeed, had reached as much as 15% → learnt not to set your sights too low ✓ Support stories ! distinguish start-ups from big techs ✓ enjoy fast pace & ownership that comes with start-ups ✓ leading a team of managers ✓ focusing on mentoring ✓ delegate creativity to team members if you are aware of your limited creative skills = evidence of your professional maturity (i.e. you know your weak points) → foster an environment with little bureaucracy & unlimited resources for visionary team members ✓ travelling to conferences & giving presentations to international audiences (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Would you benefit from attending a course in building self-confidence? Is setting the bar too high generally a bad thing? Why / why not? Do you think you need to be pushed to the limits to perform well, or will you manage to reach your deadlines with an easy-going work life balance too? 70 fact-finding skills = ability to systematically gather, verify, and analyse information to identify problems, solutions, or insights for decision-making humility = quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble self-awareness = conscious understanding of one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and impact on others. Involves ability to reflect on one’s actions and their outcomes, leading to growth and improvement. In a business context, high self-awareness allows professionals to regulate behaviours, align with team dynamics, and adapt goals in response to feedback or unforeseen realities. Leaders with strong self-awareness tend to build trust and foster collaborative environments ambition gap = gap that exists between the level of willingness to take ambitious action and the degree of action that is in fact necessary to effectively address it 69 have stumbled upon | on too Fact-based research can be funny fun Fix some moments issues | glitches you missed He didn't spend some time to on some other technology I didn't understand what should I did should do with this data ]]> 20250717 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 6000 = 3000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Conflict resolution - Cross functional collaboration By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Conflict resolution When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? (todo: 2nd support story, not about mentoring) When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? Have you ever tried to accomplish something and failed? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 68 3 12 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? active edit_ol_qa When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience conflict resolution greatest & weakest points of your career upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Rationale → demonstrate ability to prioritise tasks → balance learning from mistakes and compromising with a possible technical debt What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → professional diligence → dealing with feedback ✓ Buzzwords diligence Oops-a-daisy diligence = careful and thorough work or effort Oops-a-daisy = something said to young children when they fall over What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? ✓ Support stories: oval scanner (S) Situation running a team of 4 developers to deliver an oval scanner late on schedule every spring due to regular unpredicted impact & technology limitations of an antivirus scanner (T) Task check original estimations to identify causes of delay (lack of expertise & analysis) make a decision to either allocate more human resources or ignore the limited risk of a technical debt to meet deadlines → persevered without compromising other projects by working after hours (A) Action updated the deliverables roadmap in an agile manner provided a retro (retrospective meeting | performance appraisal | performance review) at the end of each spring changed & optimised processes drew a checklist for evaluation tests authored an article for best practice (R) Result thanks to optimisation, completed the following feature delivery with less than 5% tasks overdue ✓ Support stories: mentoring (S) Situation 〆lacked tangible deliverables ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member → changed on-boarding plan (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes ✓ Support stories: adding new fields into a database to generate substantial reports (S) Situation experienced speed loss in report building tests showed results found in the wrong tables of the db (T) Task shortened time required to update reports with new fields in the db (A) Action analysed reports upon receiving negative feedback from end users joined tables instead of adding new fields (R) Result generated reports 30% faster learnt the hard way by making a mistake that couldn't have been anticipated to persevere = (in sth / in doing sth) | ~ (with sth/sb) (approving) to continue trying to do or achieve sth in spite of difficulties What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Could someone with more experience have made the same mistake? Would analysing this mistake likely help avoiding it again? 67 11 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? active edit_ol_qa Can you think outside the box? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch When did you last make use of your fact-finding skills to solve a problem? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career ✓ Rationale → show you can think outside the box, i.e. creatively but logically, in a repeatable manner → anticipate what converging factors are relevant to each case What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → conducted research to identify the root cause of a production issue → interviewed key stakeholders to gather detailed insights about project challenges → analysed data trends to uncover hidden inefficiencies in a workflow → reviewed historical records to resolve a customer service dispute → investigated discrepancies between financial reports and identifying corrective actions → utilised surveys and feedback to determine areas for product improvement → leveraged industry benchmarks to solve a competitive analysis challenge → performed a root cause analysis to address recurring operational bottlenecks ✓ Buzzwords fact-finding skills thinking laterally divergent thinking fact-finding skills = ability to systematically gather, verify, and analyse information to identify problems, solutions, or insights for decision-making What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? ✓ Support stories implemented a new tracing system for journaling xml formatted events (S) Situation failed to find documentation explaining limitations (T) Task code in xml for journaling events (A) Action developed over a dozen versions iteratively of increasing complexity investigated limitations went from discovery to discovery over 3 weeks (R) Result published the final solution every technology features hidden or undocumented behaviour ✓ Support stories → updated datasets to take into account childish questions of customers (S) Situation ✓ product analyst noticed mistakes in the way customers were chatting with the AI chatbot → chatbot would provide wrong answers to 30% of policy questions (T) Task → search dataset logs to understand low customer satisfaction as requested from business analysts (A) Action → analysed database logs from customers → updated datasets to take into account childish questions of customers (...) (R) Result → provided an update w/in only 3 weeks → increased customer satisfaction from 3.8 to 4.2% ✓ Support stories → saved money by not investing in the wrong project → created models controlled by the Central Bank (S) Situation ✓ needed to create & estimate clients' credit risk (T) Task → provide documentation for the Central Bank's machine learning models (...) (A) Action → wrote documentation → requested approval from the Central Bank (...) (R) Result → decreased number of reports from the Central Bank → used ML algos to decrease credit risk What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Would you have been able to solve these challenges without your team? Why / why not? 66 diligence = careful and thorough work or effort Oops-a-daisy = something said to young children when they fall over to persevere = (in sth / in doing sth) | ~ (with sth/sb) (approving) to continue trying to do or achieve sth in spite of difficulties fact-finding skills = ability to systematically gather, verify, and analyse information to identify problems, solutions, or insights for decision-making 65 for them for a week ]]> 20250714 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 9000 = 6000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Conflict resolution By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Conflict resolution Have you ever had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done? When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 64 2 10 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you ever had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done? active edit_ol_qa How often do go the extra mile? Is it because you want to be promoted? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you ever had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience greatest & weakest points of your career ✓ Rationale → show unwavering commitment unwavering = not changing or becoming weaker in any way What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → take on additional responsibilities due to a colleague’s sudden departure → work overtime to meet tight deadlines for a key client project → volunteer to lead a project outside of core responsibilities to ensure its success → coordinate with multiple teams to resolve an unexpected technical issue → offer support after hours to resolve urgent client concerns → go beyond standard procedures to ensure a customer's needs were met → proactively identify and solve a potential problem before it escalated → step in to mentor new team members during peak workload times ✓ Buzzwords above and beyond cross-functional collaboration above and beyond = exceeding expectations or going further than what is required or typically expected in a job role What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation quality assurance incl. automated testing & new scenarios revealed design flaws beyond your field of competences unpredictable mistakes are widespread in a developer's workload (especially when dealing with old systems) (T) Task reproduced scenario to identify errors (A) Action postponed the release worked late 2 consecutive nights & over the weekend collaborated w/ 3 different teams to align interfaces (i.e. cross-functional collaboration) reviewed not only your code but also another team's code implemented a robust fix by running additional tests to avoid any possible technical debt (R) Result documented issue & created artefacts to redesign parts of the code as a tech lead, spent another 3 weeks to patch the next release built a reputation as a developer writing code to fix urgent bugs and not generate new ones (or break future code) What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Are you not getting frustrated to mitigate other people's mistakes? Had your managers appreciated to what extent you had exceeded expectations? Would you go the extra mile again even if you weren't remunerated accordingly or do you consider this inappropriate behaviour for senior positions? to go the extra mile = to make a special effort to achieve something 63 3 12 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate your work? active edit_ol_qa When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience conflict resolution greatest & weakest points of your career upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Rationale → demonstrate ability to prioritise tasks → balance learning from mistakes and compromising with a possible technical debt What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → professional diligence → dealing with feedback ✓ Buzzwords diligence Oops-a-daisy diligence = careful and thorough work or effort Oops-a-daisy = something said to young children when they fall over What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? ✓ Support stories: mentoring (S) Situation 〆lacked tangible deliverables ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member → changed on-boarding plan (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes ✓ Support stories: adding new fields into a database to generate substantial reports (S) Situation experienced speed loss in report building tests showed results found in the wrong tables of the db (T) Task shortened time required to update reports with new fields in the db (A) Action analysed reports upon receiving negative feedback from end users joined tables instead of adding new fields (R) Result generated reports 30% faster learnt the hard way by making a mistake that couldn't have been anticipated What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? Could someone with more experience have made the same mistake? Would analysing this mistake likely help avoiding it again? 62 unwavering = not changing or becoming weaker in any way above and beyond = exceeding expectations or going further than what is required or typically expected in a job role to go the extra mile = to make a special effort to achieve something 61 yourself as an the owner of the project As an involved a motivated person ]]> 20250704 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 12 000 = 9 000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership - Conflict resolution By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion (check if needs updating) Conflict resolution Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Have you ever had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done? When things go wrong, do you take time to evaluate if your work could have been completed in another way, or do you proceed without delay with your next task? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 60 1 pix/icons8-microscope-100_white.png Formatting notes for support stories active wip xml_multi_dd_row How can you prepare your notes to ensure you sound both self-confident and spontaneous? 14 6 left version 1
liaising 4 Doc & Loc dept
15 new articles
feedback - EU US sm experts
doc improved in prod descriptions 4 sales
knowledge sharing version 2
While I was liaising for the Documentation & Localization department of my previous company I authored 15 new articles, indeed I had been tasked to collect feedback from subject matter experts from Europe & the US; the latter really helped me improve documentation in product descriptions for the sales team and, consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. version 3
I authored 15 new articles for the Documentation & Localization department in my previous company.

This was achieved by communicating with a multitude of stakeholders, such as European and North American subject matter experts.

As a result the documentation in product descriptions for the sales team was much improved.
Consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. version 4
• liaising for the Documentation & Localization department
• author of 15 new articles
• collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts
• documentation improved in product descriptions for the sales team
• contributed to knowledge sharing version 5
• liaised for the Documentation & Localization department
• communicated with a multitude of stakeholders
• authored 15 new articles
• collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts
• improved documentation in product descriptions for the sales team
• contributed to knowledge sharing version 6
• liaising for the Documentation & Localization department
• communication with a multitude of stakeholders
• authoring of 15 new articles
• feedback collection from European and North American subject matter experts
• improvement of documentation in product descriptions for the sales team
• contribution to knowledge sharing ]]> 1 2 3 4 5 6 telegraphic liaising 4 Doc & Loc dept 15 new articles feedback - EU US sm experts doc improved in prod descriptions 4 sales knowledge sharing 〆telegraphic notes are less legible without context prose While I was liaising for the Documentation & Localization department of my previous company I authored 15 new articles, indeed I had been tasked to collect feedback from subject matter experts from Europe & the US; the latter really helped me improve documentation in product descriptions for the sales team and, consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. 〆prose with lengthy sentences features much unnecessary information → hampers improvisation paragraphing I authored 15 new articles for the Documentation & Localization department in my previous company. This was achieved by communicating with a multitude of stakeholders, such as European and North American subject matter experts. As a result the documentation in product descriptions for the sales team was much improved. Consequently, I successfully contributed to knowledge sharing. 〆paragraphing of thoughts is only relevant to answers in written interviews, provided they remain succinct bullet points • liaising for the Documentation & Localization department • author of 15 new articles • collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts • documentation improved in product descriptions for the sales team • contributed to knowledge sharing 〆inconsistent grammar forms & disparate bullet points may be confusing grammatically balanced with action verbs (past participles, gerunds, noun phrases) • liaised for the Documentation & Localization department • communicated with a multitude of stakeholders • authored 15 new articles • collected feedback from European and North American subject matter experts • improved documentation in product descriptions for the sales team • contributed to knowledge sharing ✓ bullet points with action verbs are more legible & easier to retrieve relevant data from → faster to drill, recycle for another question and improvise with = recommended format for preparing answers to questions grammatically balanced with gerunds & noun phrases • liaising for the Documentation & Localization department • communication with a multitude of stakeholders • authoring of 15 new articles • feedback collection from European and North American subject matter experts • improvement of documentation in product descriptions for the sales team • contribution to knowledge sharing 〆lengthy noun phrases & gerunds with prepositions are more relevant to listing skills in a CV than past actions ]]> 59 1 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you anticipate potential problems and develop preventive measures? active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you anticipate potential problems and develop preventive measures? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership ✓ Rationale ability to identify risks and vulnerabilities before they become insurmountable show independence vs tendency to escalate → don't ignore problems by burying your head in the sand insurmountable = (of difficulties, problems, etc.) that cannot be dealt with successfully What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → conducting pre-launch risk audits with stakeholder input → creating contingency workflows for process bottlenecks → integrating early feedback loops into product lifecycle → establishing escalation protocols with ownership mapping → building early-warning systems for service disruptions → scheduling training to prevent compliance breaches → documenting prevention strategies in knowledge base → reviewing risk logs in weekly planning sessions ✓ Buzzwords preventive leadership preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation migration of Scada system (based on ageing industrial standards, incl. non unicode characters) of some 700 000 end points protected by industrial cyber security found a mistake in the regular expression to match usernames in the registry (wrong, non ASCII character code) (T) Task proved that original system ignored non unicode characters offered to reverse engineer proprietary data storage format consisting of a mix of hashes and hex code i.e. getting data from unknown data (A) Action reached your manager evidenced breach added code to process symbols such as Arabic, Russian implemented early diagnostic of format changing to be future proof (R) Result avoided many bugs in non Latin usernames of potential, future clients contributed to knowledge base should always double-check original code What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? To what extent was business continuity at risk? How close were you to reaching a bottleneck or service disruption? 58 insurmountable = (of difficulties, problems, etc.) that cannot be dealt with successfully preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges 57 for this question only by... ]]> 20250630 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 15 000 = 12 000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (7/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision → find an alternative story to re-writing the Sigma engine OR emphasise why it was unpopular, explain what obstacles you faced, how you dealt with resistance from your team Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion → focus on storytelling skills Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 56 1 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision active edit_ol_qa Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership cross-functional collaboration ✓ Rationale ability to make decisions aligned with core corporate values forcing your way to achieve goals What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → restructuring team roles during budget cuts → prioritizing business continuity over short-term morale → communicating decision with radical transparency → offering one-on-one support to affected staff → emphasizing long-term vision in messaging → gathering feedback to refine future decisions → demonstrating consistency to build post-decision trust → documenting rationale for accountability ✓ Buzzwords principled leadership agile mindset principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations agile mindset = thought process that involves understanding, collaborating, learning, and staying flexible to achieve high-performing results. This way of thinking helps teams adapt to change, rather than struggle around it What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation developing a new, critical feature of a reporting system resisted pressure to build a non-future proof architecture (T) Task management called for ASAP implementation of a full-scope feature via patches (A) Action stood your ground demonstrated risks with a SWOT analysis pushed for continuous improvement on the long term facilitated negotiation between product manager and product developer (R) Result delivered only core functionality reduced scope to the disappointment of some stakeholders 20% reduction avoided accumulating technical debt What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How did the team react to your stance? Would you consider yourself as stubborn or having a determined and agile mindset if relevant? Has taking unpopular decisions made you more or less popular as a professional? Have you ever lost opportunities as a result of your determined approach? stubborn = (often disapproving) determined not to change your opinion or attitude; obstinate agile mindset = thought process that involves understanding, collaborating, learning, and staying flexible to achieve high-performing results. This way of thinking helps teams adapt to change, rather than struggle around it 55 2 15 A pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion Have you been in a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way? active edit_ol_qa Can you use storytelling to achieve your goals? How? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership cross functional collaboration conflict resolution ✓ Rationale show you may guide your team with inspiring storytelling techniques What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → preparing high-impact visuals to frame key data → structuring narrative to match executive priorities → rehearsing tone and timing for message clarity → anticipating objections with prepared responses → engaging audience through interactive Q&A → tailoring message to align with stakeholder pain points → highlighting short-term wins within long-term plan → securing buy-in through confident delivery ✓ Buzzwords communication leadership minimum viable product (MVP) communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation experienced tedious process of checking over-night builds, false positives... due to legacy wasted 15hrs per week on repetitive validation (T) Task offered to provide a telemetry server for antivirus product (A) Action quantified waste of time over 2 weeks calculated time saved w/ alternative solution drafted an MVP (minimal valuable product) handled 80% of cases recorded a video to explain the script presented different scenarios (R) Result improved ROI manual testing shortened deployed automated testing came to the conclusion that too much data in your slides can less effective to convince someone (S) Situation joined the KATAP - Kaspersky Anti Target Attack Platform as a developer assigned a typical, universal scenario of integrating telemetric processing into an existing cloud (T) Task build integration with KATAP server with 2 independent parts which begin in a strict order in a new team obtain connection integration, and only then system status (A) Action → coded the client part of the client to communication server channel found design mistakes & sporadic crashes consisting in flooding sys admin with temporary error logs analysed logs & added additional traces → took cross-functional steps requested designs from the architect carried out testing with quality assurance team organised a cross team call with 2 developers' team (service provider team, initialisation team) identified which technology is responsible for launching modules → took risk management decisions reached an independent contributor in your company for further advice → identified a race condition which had been ignored at design stage found missing dependence due to legacy technology (R) Result solved the race condition thanks to team working with over 120 people (architects, 50+ developers, 60+ members of the Quality Assurance team) eliminated all bugs within 1-2 weeks minimum viable product (MVP) = version of a product with just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development. A focus on releasing an MVP means that developers potentially avoid lengthy and (possibly) unnecessary work. Instead, they iterate on working versions and respond to feedback, challenging and validating assumptions about a product's requirements What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How often do you find yourself sorting out and perhaps shun essential data for your audience because less is more? Why isn't plotting statistics on a graph always the best way to communicate? Have some of your stakeholders sometimes failed to understand your point in spite of all the evidence presented? What did you do next? What narrative techniques (such as a SWOT analysis, Cialdini's principles of persuasion, etc) do you prefer? Why? to shun = to avoid sb/sth 54 principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations agile mindset = thought process that involves understanding, collaborating, learning, and staying flexible to achieve high-performing results. This way of thinking helps teams adapt to change, rather than struggle around it stubborn = (often disapproving) determined not to change your opinion or attitude; obstinate agile mindset = thought process that involves understanding, collaborating, learning, and staying flexible to achieve high-performing results. This way of thinking helps teams adapt to change, rather than struggle around it communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue minimum viable product (MVP) = version of a product with just enough features to be usable by early customers who can then provide feedback for future product development. A focus on releasing an MVP means that developers potentially avoid lengthy and (possibly) unnecessary work. Instead, they iterate on working versions and respond to feedback, challenging and validating assumptions about a product's requirements to shun = to avoid sb/sth 53 quantities pieces of luggage 2 bags of table board games They closed this position at all altogether Every your Each of your next product is products are connected to your previous product I tried to remind remember all the moments points ]]> thorough /ˈθʌrə/ rigour /ˈrɪɡə/ 20250623 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 18 000 = 15 000 active Multipass related technologies, education, context | Written interview - Canonical JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (7/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Written interview - Canonical https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DCZYJK-1qP2jQ3mWpV-52Kx-tqOxIELwzD-2C6qjDWU/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcP0vsQq6Iuxfrm9dPHcyA4l9ia9TqiYc3_hLzDr8TU/edit?tab=t.0 postponed icons8-lecturer-100.png Identifying support stories Leadership Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision → find an alternative story to re-writing the Sigma engine OR emphasise why it was unpopular, explain what obstacles you faced, how you dealt with resistance from your team Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion → focus on storytelling skills Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 52 2 Multipass related technologies | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Describe your experience with C++. Which standard(s) are you familiar with? What are some features you use regularly? How do you measure and minimize the resource footprint of your C++ applications? What hypervisors are you familiar with on Windows and Linux? Describe your experience with these. Describe your development experience on Linux, Windows, and/or macOS. Describe your level of understanding of networking, especially virtual networking on Windows, macOS and Linux. 51 3 Education | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How did you rank in your final year of high school in mathematics? Were you a top student? On what basis would you say that? ✓ ranking in class ✓ average grade over the year How did you rank in your final year of high school, in your home language? Were you a top student? On what basis would you say that? ✓ ranking in class ✓ average grade over the year Please state your high school graduation results or university entrance results, and explain the grading system used. For example, in the US, you might give your SAT or ACT scores. In Germany, you might give your scores out of a grading system of 1-5, with 1 being the best. ✓ 5~1 Russian (3 = pass) ✓ 1~5 German ✓ 20~1 French (10/20 = pass) ✓ A~E Anglo-Saxon (C = pass - D, E, F = fail) Can you make a case that you are in the top 5% in your academic year, or top 1%, or even higher? If so please outline that case. Make reference where possible to standardised testing results at regional or national level, or university entrance results. Please explain any specific grading system used. ✓ regional contests, Olympiads ✓ grant(s) What sort of high school student were you? Outside of class, what were your interests and hobbies? What would your high school peers remember you for? ✓ hint at how diligent you were and/or have always been → relate to how you perceive work life balance today ✓ suggest your natural predisposition for team playing, leading... Which university and degree did you choose? What other universities did you consider, and why did you select that one? ✓ prestigious university ranked # nationally and # worldwide ✓ faculty ✓ ubiquitous | rare degree in (subject) ubiquitous = seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common Overall, what was your degree result and how did that reflect on your ability? Please help us understand the grading system for your results. ✓ low level languages ✓ focus on algorithms rather than possibly deprecating technologies → coding in any language thanks to mastering principles During all of your education years, from high school to university, can you describe any achievements that were truly exceptional? ✓ outline a challenge you are proud of rather than seek anything exceptional → explain why this was such an achievement for you e.g. building self-confidence for giving a presentation e.g. networking during an international student exchange What leadership roles did you take on during your education? Did you conceive of, and drive to completion, any initiatives outside of your required classwork? ✓ helping peers in difficulty to complete their homework → learnt to show empathy → got a taste of how rewarding coaching & mentoring may feel ✓ ran a club ✓ headed a sports team ✓ organised a festival 50 4 Context | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Outline your thoughts on the mission of Canonical. What is it about the company's purpose and goals which is most appealing to you? What do you see as risky or unappealing? Who are Canonical's key competitors, and how should Canonical set about winning? Why do you most want to work for Canonical? What would you most want to change about Canonical? 49 ubiquitous = seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common 48 flied flew out of our galaxy You remind yourself have to remember | recall (and demonstrate usage of) some correct formulas Oftenly they often have experience in cyber security ]]> 20250619 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 21 000 = 18 000 active Engineering experience (2/2) | Written interview - Canonical JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (7/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Written interview - Canonical https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DCZYJK-1qP2jQ3mWpV-52Kx-tqOxIELwzD-2C6qjDWU/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcP0vsQq6Iuxfrm9dPHcyA4l9ia9TqiYc3_hLzDr8TU/edit?tab=t.0 postponed icons8-lecturer-100.png Identifying support stories Leadership Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision → find an alternative story to re-writing the Sigma engine OR emphasise why it was unpopular, explain what obstacles you faced, how you dealt with resistance from your team Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion → focus on storytelling skills Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 47 1 Engineering experience | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What kinds of software projects have you worked on before? Which operating systems, development environments, languages, databases? Would you describe yourself as a high quality coder? Why? Would you describe yourself as an architect of resilient software? If so, why, and in which sorts of applications? Outline your thoughts on open source software development. What is important to get right in open source projects? What open source projects have you worked on? Have you been an open source maintainer, on which projects, and what was your role? How comprehensive would you say your knowledge of a Linux distribution is, from the kernel up? How familiar are you with low-level system architecture, runtimes and Linux distro packaging? How have you gained this knowledge? Outline your thoughts on performance in software engineering. How do you ensure that your product is fast? Outline your thoughts on quality in software development. What practices are most effective in software teams to drive improvements in quality? 46 20250616 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 24 000 = 21 000 active Engineering experience (1/2) | Written interview - Canonical JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (7/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Written interview - Canonical https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DCZYJK-1qP2jQ3mWpV-52Kx-tqOxIELwzD-2C6qjDWU/edit?usp=sharing postponed icons8-lecturer-100.png Identifying support stories Leadership Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision → find an alternative story to re-writing the Sigma engine OR emphasise why it was unpopular, explain what obstacles you faced, how you dealt with resistance from your team Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion → focus on storytelling skills Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 45 1 Engineering experience | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What kinds of software projects have you worked on before? Which operating systems, development environments, languages, databases? Would you describe yourself as a high quality coder? Why? Would you describe yourself as an architect of resilient software? If so, why, and in which sorts of applications? Outline your thoughts on open source software development. What is important to get right in open source projects? What open source projects have you worked on? Have you been an open source maintainer, on which projects, and what was your role? How comprehensive would you say your knowledge of a Linux distribution is, from the kernel up? How familiar are you with low-level system architecture, runtimes and Linux distro packaging? How have you gained this knowledge? Outline your thoughts on performance in software engineering. How do you ensure that your product is fast? Outline your thoughts on quality in software development. What practices are most effective in software teams to drive improvements in quality? 44 2 Multipass related technologies | Written interview template - Canonical active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Describe your experience with C++. Which standard(s) are you familiar with? What are some features you use regularly? How do you measure and minimize the resource footprint of your C++ applications? What hypervisors are you familiar with on Windows and Linux? Describe your experience with these. Describe your development experience on Linux, Windows, and/or macOS. Describe your level of understanding of networking, especially virtual networking on Windows, macOS and Linux. 43 20250609 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 27 000 = 24 000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (6/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership How do you build team spirit? (may need updating...) Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 42 1 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you build team spirit? active edit_ol_qa How do you create a sense of belonging in your team members? How can you make sure they prioritise group objectives rather than individual ones? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch How do you build team spirit? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership being team-oriented ✓ Rationale prove you may create a sense of belonging in your team members illustrate how you prioritise group objectives rather than individual ones foster a collaborative atmosphere rather than a competitive one demonstrate your motivating skills What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → encouraging cross-team collaboration through shared projects → hosting regular team retrospectives and celebrations → promoting psychological safety in communication → recognizing unique strengths in public settings → facilitating team-building events with inclusive formats → aligning goals with shared values and purpose → resolving conflicts through open dialogue frameworks → fostering a feedback-rich culture with trust as a foundation ✓ Buzzwords team-centric leadership sense of belonging team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions sense of belonging = feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation ✓ created a coding challenge involving a symbolic prize ✓ knew most of colleagues in the dept thanks to having been networking regularly ✓ your product had been cannibalised → team morale was low 〆risk of burnout (T) Task → had to gamify the task played the role of a team gluer by connecting team members together when solving problems (A) Action used time sheets to track time spent on participating metrics systematically reported by foreign teams awarded title of best performer of the week celebrated success with pizza evenings (R) Result hit the nail on the head increase of 30% team performance found balance between work and challenging tasks What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? How time-consuming was it? Could this time spent on integration incentives pay off? How did you measure performance increase? Was it related to a financial bonus (at the cost of friendly competition)? What other gamification strategies have tried out? 41 2 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Have you been in a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way? active edit_ol_qa Do you know how to gain support without necessarily relying on your position's authority? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare at least 2-3 stories per experience area. If you do use the same story, explain why. Collect as many facts & figures as possible since you may be able to narrate one story with given metrics A, and recycle the same story from a different angle while relying on metrics B. Make short sentences of 70-100 words using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about ]]> stopwatch Have you been in a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way? What kind of experience does this question call for? What is the rationale? ]]> ✓ Experience leadership cross functional collaboration conflict resolution ✓ Rationale being able to negotiate the implementation of your own solution to a problem show potential for growth thanks to soft skills What key concepts & buzzwords are expected in your answer? ✓ Key concepts → presenting data-backed rationale in executive review → aligning proposal with stakeholder priorities → framing benefits in terms of risk mitigation → building credibility through prior wins → acknowledging opposing views with empathy → using storytelling to connect with audience emotions → offering compromise as proof of goodwill → following up with supportive evidence post-decision ✓ Buzzwords influential leadership soft skills influential leadership = art of gaining support and alignment through trust, logic, and emotional intelligence. These leaders persuade through clarity, confidence, and collaboration rather than authority. Influence is built on relationships, active listening, and the ability to connect personal motivations to broader goals What support stories give evidence of your skills? What narrative pattern(s) is/are more appropriate to keep your interlocutor intrigued? (S) Situation ✓ arguably obsolete implementation of an unfamiliar, low-language Sigma security feature with performance issues → possible re-writing your own implementation of a new engine 〆would involve testing to avoid performance risks, writing new documentation... (T) Task held a meeting to discuss parity problems compare both engines (A) Action wrote tests to run on both engines persuade your team could do better (R) Result able to postpone the re-writing of a new engine for a more informed one What follow-up questions should you anticipate on this topic? What was the time frame? Were you under pressure to convince a variety of stakeholders? Did your interlocutors feel they had learnt from this approach? Was it a win-win outcome they were satisfied with? Was it empowering for them to go your way? 40 decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. strategic delegation = purposeful distribution of responsibilities to maximize team strengths and encourage professional development. Leaders who delegate strategically improve efficiency, build trust, and free up time for high-level priorities. It’s a balance of control, clarity, and coaching that promotes empowerment and results. transformational leadership = driving significant change by inspiring and developing people toward a common vision. These leaders elevate team performance, challenge the status quo, and create environments where innovation and personal growth thrive. They build trust and commitment through bold action and inclusive leadership visionary leadership = crafting and communicating a compelling future direction that inspires progress and strategic innovation. These leaders look beyond short-term goals, aligning teams and resources to long-range ambitions. Their clarity, foresight, and resilience help organizations anticipate change and create meaningful impact team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions influential leadership = art of gaining support and alignment through trust, logic, and emotional intelligence. These leaders persuade through clarity, confidence, and collaboration rather than authority. Influence is built on relationships, active listening, and the ability to connect personal motivations to broader goals communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations 39 at on the 8th of July I was not sure in about this story They found this task very empowerment empowering ]]> 20250606 13:00-14:00 1 3000 -3000 + 30 000 = 27 000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (5/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you build team spirit? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 38 1 Identifying support stories - Leadership (5/5) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Are you a natural leader or do you need delegated authority for your team to follow you? → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch . Embed each question in the following tags inside . Embed each answer in the following tags inside . Embed each buzzword in the following tags inside . Questions: todo Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? How do you build team spirit? Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. ]]> Where do you see yourself in 5 years? ✓ Key concepts: → leading cross-functional teams in global initiatives → building impact-driven leadership pipelines → advising executives on culture-driven strategy → championing innovation through inclusive policy → establishing benchmarks for agile transformation → scaling product ecosystems with long-term sustainability → representing company in industry thought leadership → mentoring rising leaders across organizational tiers ✓ Support stories: ! distinguish start-ups from big techs ✓ enjoy fast pace & ownership that comes with start-ups ✓ leading a team of managers ✓ focusing on mentoring ✓ delegate creativity to team members if you are aware of your limited creative skills = evidence of your professional maturity (i.e. you know your weak points) → foster an environment with little bureaucracy & unlimited resources for visionary team members ✓ travelling to conferences & giving presentations to international audiences ✓ Follow-up questions: What steps have you already taken to get to that position in 5 years' time? Are you reading any books or attending courses to prepare for this job? You've mentioned mentoring: is that something you particularly enjoy? Why? Will you be more upgrading than innovating in a big tech? Which do you find more satisfying? visionary leadership = crafting and communicating a compelling future direction that inspires progress and strategic innovation. These leaders look beyond short-term goals, aligning teams and resources to long-range ambitions. Their clarity, foresight, and resilience help organizations anticipate change and create meaningful impact How do you build team spirit? ✓ Key concepts: → encouraging cross-team collaboration through shared projects → hosting regular team retrospectives and celebrations → promoting psychological safety in communication → recognizing unique strengths in public settings → facilitating team-building events with inclusive formats → aligning goals with shared values and purpose → resolving conflicts through open dialogue frameworks → fostering a feedback-rich culture with trust as a foundation ✓ Support stories: → open contest for best performer of the week feat. amusing avatars / pictures = gamification of the work process (S) Situation ✓ created a coding challenge involving a symbolic prize ✓ knew most of colleagues in the dept thanks to having been networking regularly (T) Task played the role of a team gluer by connecting team members together when solving problems (A) Action used time sheets to track time spent on participating metrics systematically reported by foreign teams (R) Result ✓ Follow-up questions: How time-consuming was it? Could this time spent on integration incentives pay off? team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions 37 decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. strategic delegation = purposeful distribution of responsibilities to maximize team strengths and encourage professional development. Leaders who delegate strategically improve efficiency, build trust, and free up time for high-level priorities. It’s a balance of control, clarity, and coaching that promotes empowerment and results. transformational leadership = driving significant change by inspiring and developing people toward a common vision. These leaders elevate team performance, challenge the status quo, and create environments where innovation and personal growth thrive. They build trust and commitment through bold action and inclusive leadership visionary leadership = crafting and communicating a compelling future direction that inspires progress and strategic innovation. These leaders look beyond short-term goals, aligning teams and resources to long-range ambitions. Their clarity, foresight, and resilience help organizations anticipate change and create meaningful impact team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions influential leadership = art of gaining support and alignment through trust, logic, and emotional intelligence. These leaders persuade through clarity, confidence, and collaboration rather than authority. Influence is built on relationships, active listening, and the ability to connect personal motivations to broader goals communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations 36 few little time You can't grow so as fast as in a start-up I plan to train through any available relevant courses I'm not creative enough to create ideas nobody pronounced had | voiced | expressed before Nobody wants to pay for cybersecurity until somebody destroys your infrastructure at all completely She helps us to solve some bureaucracy moments administrative issues ]]> 20250602 09:00-10:00 1 30000 20250523 3000 -3000 + 3000 +30 000= 30 000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (4/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you build team spirit? → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 35 1 Identifying support stories - Leadership (4/5) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Are you a natural leader or do you need delegated authority for your team to follow you? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch . Embed each question in the following tags inside . Embed each answer in the following tags inside . Embed each buzzword in the following tags inside . Questions: todo Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? How do you build team spirit? Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. ]]> Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. ✓ Key concepts: → mapped team competencies for targeted delegation → structured roles based on growth and expertise → set clear objectives and success metrics → maintained alignment through agile progress reviews → empowered leads to solve challenges independently → provided resources and authority for ownership → acknowledged contributions in final delivery → conducted retrospective for skill development feedback ✓ Support stories: (S) Situation ✓ realised couldn't complete a deadline on your own → requested additional team member to help complete the project (T) Task reviewed candidates convinced to outsource to an intern from another team with adequate coding skills explained deliverables (A) Action developed interface, library, field descriptions, tests (R) Result intern took initiative to build his own portfolio (as part of his career development) has since become a full time member of your team strategic delegation = purposeful distribution of responsibilities to maximize team strengths and encourage professional development. Leaders who delegate strategically improve efficiency, build trust, and free up time for high-level priorities. It’s a balance of control, clarity, and coaching that promotes empowerment and results. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? (S) Situation ✓ adding validation steps to eliminate bugs implemented own customised steps in pipeline = small impact but long lasting (S) Situation ✓ built a mentoring plan to facilitate on-boarding after failing to mentor a new recruit (T) Task → needed a measurable plan to validate probation period (A) Action summarised all technologies & best practices, included practical steps = also contributes to knowledge management (R) Result ✓ shortens adaptation time twofold ✓ improvements would probably go unnoticed if were not compared with the previous statistics → add metrics e.g. how many people have already undergone this plan ✓ build scalable systems for long-term growth ✓ develop talent through structured mentorship ✓ embed values into team culture and operations ✓ shape strategy with future-proofing mindset ✓ prioritise sustainable over short-term wins ✓ empower teams to make autonomous decisions ✓ create strategies for organisational continuity ✓ leave behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams ✓ Key concepts: → launched a new division under tight market conditions → aligned multi-departmental stakeholders on common KPIs → drove 200% ROI within first two quarters → restructured team for long→term sustainability → mentored junior leads into strategic roles → embedded innovation culture into core operations → reduced churn through employee ownership initiatives → documented scalable processes for future replication ✓ Support stories: = alternative support story (from other person) ✓ most engineers don't want to rebuild stacks → migrated from MS Azure to Google = senior architect task approved at CTO level (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result transformational leadership = driving significant change by inspiring and developing people toward a common vision. These leaders elevate team performance, challenge the status quo, and create environments where innovation and personal growth thrive. They build trust and commitment through bold action and inclusive leadership 34 decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. strategic delegation = purposeful distribution of responsibilities to maximize team strengths and encourage professional development. Leaders who delegate strategically improve efficiency, build trust, and free up time for high-level priorities. It’s a balance of control, clarity, and coaching that promotes empowerment and results. transformational leadership = driving significant change by inspiring and developing people toward a common vision. These leaders elevate team performance, challenge the status quo, and create environments where innovation and personal growth thrive. They build trust and commitment through bold action and inclusive leadership visionary leadership = crafting and communicating a compelling future direction that inspires progress and strategic innovation. These leaders look beyond short-term goals, aligning teams and resources to long-range ambitions. Their clarity, foresight, and resilience help organizations anticipate change and create meaningful impact team-centric leadership = emphasizes collective success, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving. These leaders cultivate a strong sense of belonging and align individual efforts with group objectives. They build high-performing teams by prioritizing trust, transparency, and emotional connection in everyday interactions influential leadership = art of gaining support and alignment through trust, logic, and emotional intelligence. These leaders persuade through clarity, confidence, and collaboration rather than authority. Influence is built on relationships, active listening, and the ability to connect personal motivations to broader goals communication leadership = ability to influence, motivate, and guide others through clear, persuasive, and purposeful communication. These leaders adapt their message to various audiences, use storytelling effectively, and deliver with authenticity. They bridge gaps between vision and execution through compelling presentations and dialogue preventive leadership = focuses on identifying risks and vulnerabilities before they escalate. These leaders are forward-thinking, analytical, and proactive. They embed mitigation strategies into daily operations, reduce disruption, and ensure business continuity by anticipating both internal and external challenges principled leadership = making decisions aligned with core values, even when unpopular. It emphasizes integrity, fairness, and accountability. These leaders prioritize the greater good over convenience, handle resistance with empathy, and remain transparent to maintain trust in ethically complex situations 33 a half of a year After that we don't know what will be happen It doesn't have any juridical face legal representative | representation in Germany You should complete tasks that are exist in a pool ]]> 20250522 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 6000 = 3000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Leadership (3/5) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Leadership Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 32 1 Identifying support stories - Leadership (3/5) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Are you a natural leader or do you need delegated authority for your team to follow you? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch . Embed each question in the following tags inside . Embed each answer in the following tags inside . Embed each buzzword in the following tags inside . Questions: todo Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? How do you build team spirit? Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. ]]> Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. ✓ Key concepts: → analysed immediate client risk during system outage → prioritised high-value assets for server rerouting → alerted engineering team for real-time escalation → notified clients proactively before SLA breaches → implemented emergency protocol without hesitation → assigned monitoring tasks to reduce panic → debriefed team post-crisis for knowledge retention → updated incident response framework for future issues ✓ Support stories: → discovered a critical bug at the end of a long working day after gruelling bug fixes for months = professionally ethical choice between transparency & work-life balance (S) Situation hide a problem until anyone notices it or raise the alarm = ability to avoid anti-virus scanning → could lead to a critical security issue in customer data being hacked ! only client could have encountered this bug → reputational damage to the company → took responsibility & alerted manager offered 2 options (T) Task implemented a temporary mitigation (A) Action didn't compromise security sat at work with your manager till late evening to timely mitigate this issue disabled some scenarios in the feature to be included in the next release developed a permanent fix within 2-3 days provided documentation to retain knowledge (R) Result → quality work starts with prioritising at the cost of work-life balance → held professionally liable 24/7 ✓ Key concepts: → analysed immediate client risk during system outage → prioritised high-value assets for server rerouting → alerted engineering team for real-time escalation → notified clients proactively before SLA breaches → implemented emergency protocol without hesitation → assigned monitoring tasks to reduce panic → debriefed team post-crisis for knowledge retention → updated incident response framework for future issues decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. ✓ Key concepts: → recognizing individual contributions during tough deadlines → creating reward systems aligned with team values → celebrating small wins to maintain momentum → sharing vision through inspiring storytelling → coaching underperformers with growth-focused feedback → encouraging autonomy through flexible project roles → promoting peer-to-peer recognition programs → building collective accountability through shared ownership ✓ Support stories: → took initiative & found incentives relevant to team members to complete a project on time rather than just hitting deadlines (as expected by your manager) (S) Situation 14 times more bugs than usual = management mistake in under evaluating the impact & scale of changes in a cannibalisation of a product (T) Task re-energised the depressed team to complete the late project (A) Action mini-presentations at meetings to recognise individual contribution & inspire team members celebrated small wins addressed the frustration of some team members to meet impossible deadlines distracted team members from daily routine by having pizza to avoid burn out built collective accountability through shared ownership (R) Result released the product only a week late 40% boost in happiness score chart learnt how to work in a team under pressure nobody left the team since inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. 31 decisive leadership = ability to make clear, timely, and confident decisions, especially under pressure. It requires sharp analytical skills, emotional regulation, and trust in one’s judgement. Effective decisive leaders minimize risk, adapt swiftly, and provide clarity to teams when every second counts retention = ability to remember things inspirational leadership = ability to energize, uplift, and guide individuals toward a shared vision or goal. Through empathy, authenticity, and communication, these leaders foster deep engagement and emotional commitment. They lead by example and cultivate purpose-driven environments where motivation is intrinsic and sustained. 30 always should always be attentive It's the best story I found out The most beautiful optimal solutions If I tell a story out of my head ad hoc | without preparation ]]> 20250519 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 9000 = 6000 active JH | How hard is it to cheat in technical interviews with ChatGPT? | Identifying support stories - Leadership (2/5) By the end of this session you will have studied How hard is it to cheat in technical interviews with ChatGPT? We ran an experiment. By Mike Mroczka | Published: January 31, 2024; Last updated: May 6, 2024 → read the article → prepare 3-5 comments you'd like to agree / disagree with https://interviewing.io/blog/how-hard-is-it-to-cheat-with-chatgpt-in-technical-interviews icons8-lecturer-100.png Identifying support stories Leadership Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 29 1 How hard is it to cheat in technical interviews with ChatGPT? active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-reading-100_white.png If AI can help prepare for job interviews, can you also use it during the interview itself? How hard is it to cheat in technical interviews with ChatGPT? We ran an experiment. by Mike Mroczka | Published: January 31, 2024; Last updated: May 6, 2024 → read the article → prepare 3-5 comments you'd like to agree / disagree with https://interviewing.io/blog/how-hard-is-it-to-cheat-with-chatgpt-in-technical-interviews → answer the questions]]> https://leetcode.com/explore/interview/card/top-interview-questions-easy/]]> ✓ mostly relevant when working with algos → every developer should have some awareness & understanding ✓ helps brushing up your coding skills Have you experienced interviews with recruiters who may have lacked engagement? ✓ recycled LeetCode questions or just obscured them a little = liminal implementation 〆according to the survey, none of the interviewers caught candidates cheating → cheating with AI is still an option, though can be challenging to make use of liminal = on the threshold Should you still practise LeetCode questions? Why / Why not? ✓ FAANG are reluctant to moving away from verbatim questions = time consuming & expensive → expect head hunters to leverage AI to rephrase questions ! can't ask a question without understanding & being able to explain it to the candidate → bottleneck remains the expertise of interviewers verbatim = exactly as spoken or written; word for word How can you leverage AI when practising LeetCode questions? ✓ should be the opportunity to imagine how your target company would rephrase questions = boon when preparing for interviews with target company? 〆AI collects data from various sources, including less reliable ones → right answers may get diluted by AI ✓ AI increases the average level → human feedback is still relevant boon (to / for sb) = something that is very helpful and makes life easier for you 28 verbatim = exactly as spoken or written; word for word liminal = on the threshold boon (to / for sb) = something that is very helpful and makes life easier for you 27 1 Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (3/3) - updated active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you show your commitment to achieving goals? Can you refrain from being too emotional? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch Imagine this is a job interview. Answer the following questions in no more than 300 words with 5 to 8 bullet points for each. Don't use sentences, only infinitive forms or gerunds with noun phrases. Give a definition of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer. Questions: What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. Absolutely. Here are your answers in the requested format: --- ### **1. What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you?** **Buzzword: Emotional Intelligence** *Emotional intelligence* is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions while being able to recognize, empathize with, and influence the emotions of others. In professional settings, it contributes to better teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. High emotional intelligence leads to stronger interpersonal relationships and more adaptable, resilient team environments. - Demonstrating consistent reliability under pressure - Showing empathy in team conflict resolution - Communicating clearly during high-stress situations - Supporting junior staff with proactive mentoring - Responding positively to feedback and coaching - Maintaining composure during organizational change - Adapting quickly to new team dynamics - Championing inclusive and respectful collaboration --- ### **2. Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated?** **Buzzword: Legacy Leadership** *Legacy leadership* is the mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. It focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently. - Building scalable systems for long-term growth - Developing talent through structured mentorship - Embedding values into team culture and operations - Shaping strategy with future-proofing mindset - Prioritizing sustainable over short-term wins - Empowering teams to make autonomous decisions - Creating playbooks for organizational continuity - Leaving behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams --- ### **3. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.** **Buzzword: Strategic Delegation** *Strategic delegation* is the deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. It increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow. - Identifying team strengths through performance tracking - Aligning task complexity with skill development goals - Setting clear timelines and measurable milestones - Providing ongoing coaching without micromanaging - Scheduling weekly check-ins for progress evaluation - Empowering ownership with decision-making autonomy - Celebrating milestones to boost motivation - Documenting lessons learned for future reference --- ### **4. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.** **Buzzword: Ethical Leadership** *Ethical leadership* refers to leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions. - Conducting performance evaluations with transparency - Delivering feedback with empathy and honesty - Consulting HR for procedural fairness and support - Prioritizing company values over personal relationships - Preparing severance and transition support plans - Communicating decision respectfully and privately - Offering long-term career guidance post-departure - Reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity --- Would you like help tailoring these responses for a specific role or industry? Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. OR Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → snowed under & failed to provide structured support couldn't provide feedback for probation period (S) Situation 〆lacked tangible deliverables ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member → changed on-boarding plan (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes todo: update conclusion? ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → mitigated impact of a professional mistake (S) Situation ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → provided impartial feedback during a performance review ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ethical leadership = leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions impartial = not supporting one person or group more than another; neutral 26 1 Identifying support stories - Leadership (2/5) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Are you a natural leader or do you need delegated authority for your team to follow you? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch . Embed each question in the following tags inside . Embed each answer in the following tags inside . Embed each buzzword in the following tags inside . Questions: todo Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? How do you build team spirit? Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. ]]> Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. ✓ Key concepts: → identified opportunity gaps during cross-team stagnation → proposed a pilot initiative to test market assumptions → gathered cross-functional support through informal influence → organised workflow with agile task delegation → coordinated stakeholders through weekly sprint meetings → drove momentum through consistent check-ins → delivered prototype ahead of deadline → presented results to leadership with performance insights (S) Situation ✓ noticed how manager hadn't been eating for 2 days ✓ tasks were not scheduled or prioritised logically ← manager had not time to delve deeper into the project = was snowed under (T) Task ✓ convinced your manager to delegate tasks to you ✓ mixed Kanban and Waterfall methods to develop during the 2-week sprint (A) Action ✓ organised sessions with team of 13 developers ✓ filtered ✓ implemented logic by yourself ✓ discussed how to built interface ✓ reviewed bugs ✓ carried out pre-emptive testing (...) (R) Result ✓ reduced post launching bugs by 40% Follow-up questions: How did your colleagues to you taking the lead? Did they all accept your orders? How challenging was it to achieve consensus with your team members? ✓ Key concepts: → identified opportunity gaps during cross-team stagnation → proposed a pilot initiative to test market assumptions → gathered cross-functional support through informal influence → organised workflow with agile task delegation → coordinated stakeholders through weekly sprint meetings → drove momentum through consistent check-ins → delivered prototype ahead of deadline → presented results to leadership with performance insights (S) Situation ✓ replaced the volleyball captain 〆faced difficulty with... (T) Task ✓ become a volleyball coach (A) Action ✓ negotiated time, commitments... ✓ provided additional training ✓ recruited new players (...) (R) Result ✓ came 3rd, and then 1st at tournaments ✓ Key concepts: → identified opportunity gaps during cross-team stagnation → proposed a pilot initiative to test market assumptions → gathered cross-functional support through informal influence → organised workflow with agile task delegation → coordinated stakeholders through weekly sprint meetings → drove momentum through consistent check-ins → delivered prototype ahead of deadline → presented results to leadership with performance insights proactive leadership = involves anticipating needs, initiating change, and acting in advance to address potential obstacles. It reflects a leader's drive to improve performance, foster innovation, and take responsibility without waiting for directives. This leadership style inspires confidence, energizes teams, and ensures continuous progress in uncertain environments 25 proactive leadership = involves anticipating needs, initiating change, and acting in advance to address potential obstacles. It reflects a leader's drive to improve performance, foster innovation, and take responsibility without waiting for directives. This leadership style inspires confidence, energizes teams, and ensures continuous progress in uncertain environments 24 less little As Whether it is the manager as or me, it doesn't matter They were indifferent for to this ]]> trio /'tri:,əu/ 20250515 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 12000 = 9000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (3/3) - Leadership By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Upstream & downstream feedback Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 23 1 Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (3/3) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you show your commitment to achieving goals? Can you refrain from being too emotional? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch Imagine this is a job interview. Answer the following questions in no more than 300 words with 5 to 8 bullet points for each. Don't use sentences, only infinitive forms or gerunds with noun phrases. Give a definition of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer. Questions: What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. Absolutely. Here are your answers in the requested format: --- ### **1. What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you?** **Buzzword: Emotional Intelligence** *Emotional intelligence* is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions while being able to recognize, empathize with, and influence the emotions of others. In professional settings, it contributes to better teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. High emotional intelligence leads to stronger interpersonal relationships and more adaptable, resilient team environments. - Demonstrating consistent reliability under pressure - Showing empathy in team conflict resolution - Communicating clearly during high-stress situations - Supporting junior staff with proactive mentoring - Responding positively to feedback and coaching - Maintaining composure during organizational change - Adapting quickly to new team dynamics - Championing inclusive and respectful collaboration --- ### **2. Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated?** **Buzzword: Legacy Leadership** *Legacy leadership* is the mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. It focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently. - Building scalable systems for long-term growth - Developing talent through structured mentorship - Embedding values into team culture and operations - Shaping strategy with future-proofing mindset - Prioritizing sustainable over short-term wins - Empowering teams to make autonomous decisions - Creating playbooks for organizational continuity - Leaving behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams --- ### **3. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.** **Buzzword: Strategic Delegation** *Strategic delegation* is the deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. It increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow. - Identifying team strengths through performance tracking - Aligning task complexity with skill development goals - Setting clear timelines and measurable milestones - Providing ongoing coaching without micromanaging - Scheduling weekly check-ins for progress evaluation - Empowering ownership with decision-making autonomy - Celebrating milestones to boost motivation - Documenting lessons learned for future reference --- ### **4. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.** **Buzzword: Ethical Leadership** *Ethical leadership* refers to leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions. - Conducting performance evaluations with transparency - Delivering feedback with empathy and honesty - Consulting HR for procedural fairness and support - Prioritizing company values over personal relationships - Preparing severance and transition support plans - Communicating decision respectfully and privately - Offering long-term career guidance post-departure - Reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity --- Would you like help tailoring these responses for a specific role or industry? Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. OR Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → snowed under & failed to provide structured support couldn't provide feedback for probation period (S) Situation 〆lacked tangible deliverables ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member → changed on-boarding plan (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → mitigated impact of a professional mistake (S) Situation ✓ mentee could not meet deadlines because the mentor didn't provide enough guidance = task was wrongly assigned (T) Task ✓ re-assigned realistic objectives given professional experience of junior team member (A) Action ✓ delivered feedback with empathy and honesty ✓ refrained from suggesting frustration or disappointment ✓ distinguished recoverable from irrecoverable errors in mentoring ✓ broke down KPIs into smaller stages ✓ communicated decision respectfully and privately to avoid reputational damage (R) Result ✓ provided impartial feedback during performance review ✓ both mentee & mentor learnt from this mismanagement ✓ mentee changed position in the company to become a future team-lead → reflected on leadership integrity by acknowledging your own mistakes ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → provided impartial feedback during a performance review ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ethical leadership = leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions impartial = not supporting one person or group more than another; neutral 22 1 Identifying support stories - Leadership (1/5) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Are you a natural leader or do you need delegated authority for your team to follow you? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch . Embed each question in the following tags inside . Embed each answer in the following tags inside . Embed each buzzword in the following tags inside . Questions: todo Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second decision. Give me an example of a time when you motivated others. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. What is your biggest achievement as a leader? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? How do you build team spirit? Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion. Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. ]]> 21 proactive leadership = involves anticipating needs, initiating change, and acting in advance to address potential obstacles. It reflects a leader's drive to improve performance, foster innovation, and take responsibility without waiting for directives. This leadership style inspires confidence, energizes teams, and ensures continuous progress in uncertain environments 20 do make a mistake These mistakes we can solit to into 2 categories: recoverable and irrecoverable You can't do nothing anything It helps to share a knowledge ]]> tournament /ˈtuənəmənt/ 20250512 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 15000 = 12000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (2/3) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about → use the following AI prompt to facilitate oral delivery of your notes Make short sentences using the past participle or infinitive form and bullet points for each idea zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 19 1 Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (2/3) active edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png How do you show your commitment to achieving goals? Can you refrain from being too emotional? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch Imagine this is a job interview. Answer the following questions in no more than 300 words with 5 to 8 bullet points for each. Don't use sentences, only infinitive forms or gerunds with noun phrases. Give a definition of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer. Questions: What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. Absolutely. Here are your answers in the requested format: --- ### **1. What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you?** **Buzzword: Emotional Intelligence** *Emotional intelligence* is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions while being able to recognize, empathize with, and influence the emotions of others. In professional settings, it contributes to better teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. High emotional intelligence leads to stronger interpersonal relationships and more adaptable, resilient team environments. - Demonstrating consistent reliability under pressure - Showing empathy in team conflict resolution - Communicating clearly during high-stress situations - Supporting junior staff with proactive mentoring - Responding positively to feedback and coaching - Maintaining composure during organizational change - Adapting quickly to new team dynamics - Championing inclusive and respectful collaboration --- ### **2. Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated?** **Buzzword: Legacy Leadership** *Legacy leadership* is the mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. It focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently. - Building scalable systems for long-term growth - Developing talent through structured mentorship - Embedding values into team culture and operations - Shaping strategy with future-proofing mindset - Prioritizing sustainable over short-term wins - Empowering teams to make autonomous decisions - Creating playbooks for organizational continuity - Leaving behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams --- ### **3. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.** **Buzzword: Strategic Delegation** *Strategic delegation* is the deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. It increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow. - Identifying team strengths through performance tracking - Aligning task complexity with skill development goals - Setting clear timelines and measurable milestones - Providing ongoing coaching without micromanaging - Scheduling weekly check-ins for progress evaluation - Empowering ownership with decision-making autonomy - Celebrating milestones to boost motivation - Documenting lessons learned for future reference --- ### **4. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.** **Buzzword: Ethical Leadership** *Ethical leadership* refers to leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions. - Conducting performance evaluations with transparency - Delivering feedback with empathy and honesty - Consulting HR for procedural fairness and support - Prioritizing company values over personal relationships - Preparing severance and transition support plans - Communicating decision respectfully and privately - Offering long-term career guidance post-departure - Reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity --- Would you like help tailoring these responses for a specific role or industry? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? (S) Situation ✓ adding validation steps to eliminate bugs implemented own customised steps in pipeline = small impact but long lasting (S) Situation ✓ built a mentoring plan to facilitate on-boarding after failing to mentor a new recruit (T) Task → needed a measurable plan to validate probation period (A) Action summarised all technologies & best practices, included practical steps = also contributes to knowledge management (R) Result ✓ shortens adaptation time twofold ✓ improvements would probably go unnoticed if were not compared with the previous statistics → add metrics e.g. how many people have already undergone this plan ✓ build scalable systems for long-term growth ✓ develop talent through structured mentorship ✓ embed values into team culture and operations ✓ shape strategy with future-proofing mindset ✓ prioritise sustainable over short-term wins ✓ empower teams to make autonomous decisions ✓ create strategies for organisational continuity ✓ leave behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams ✓ build scalable systems for long-term growth ✓ develop talent through structured mentorship ✓ embed values into team culture and operations ✓ shape strategy with future-proofing mindset ✓ prioritise sustainable over short-term wins ✓ empower teams to make autonomous decisions ✓ create strategies for organisational continuity ✓ leave behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams legacy leadership = mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. Focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently tenure = period of time when sb holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. OR (if you have no experience in delegating yourself...) What did you do when your manager was on sick leave? How did you manage priorities among team members? (S) Situation was able to choose the right person ✓ clear coding skills & algorithmic skills of an intern ✓ help this intern build a portfolio of professional experience = win/win strategy for both the company & the intern → avoided risk of monopolising knowledge ✓ Rationale: = show experience in strategic delegation → balance striking a consensus with timely decision-making ✓ Key concepts: → identify team strengths through performance tracking → align task complexity with skill development goals → set clear timelines and measurable milestones → provide ongoing coaching without micromanaging → schedule weekly check-ins for progress evaluation → empower ownership with decision-making autonomy → celebrate milestones to boost motivation → document lessons learned for future reference ✓ Support stories: → find a situation when you avoided the following mistakes: 〆offended an experienced team member 〆gave tasks to teams outside your dept without approval of your team lead e.g. delegated challenging tasks to experienced developers e.g. encouraged junior team members to complete tasks within the periphery of their knowledge e.g. helped celebrate success by eating out, sharing your passion for... with team members → built team spirit ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you participated in a project which you believe was well delegated? Why was it so effective? What would you do differently? ✓ Rationale: = show experience in strategic delegation → balance striking a consensus with timely decision-making ✓ Key concepts: → identify team strengths through performance tracking → align task complexity with skill development goals → set clear timelines and measurable milestones → provide ongoing coaching without micromanaging → schedule weekly check-ins for progress evaluation → empower ownership with decision-making autonomy → celebrate milestones to boost motivation → document lessons learned for future reference ✓ Support stories: → find a situation when you avoided the following mistakes: 〆offended an experienced team member 〆gave tasks to teams outside your dept without approval of your team lead e.g. delegated challenging tasks to experienced developers e.g. encouraged junior team members to complete tasks within the periphery of their knowledge e.g. helped celebrate success by eating out, sharing your passion for... with team members → built team spirit ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you participated in a project which you believe was well delegated? Why was it so effective? What would you do differently? strategic delegation = deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. Increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. OR Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? ✓ Rationale: = give evidence of ethical leadership ✓ Key concepts: → conducting performance evaluations with transparency → delivering feedback with empathy and honesty → consulting HR for procedural fairness and support → prioritizing company values over personal relationships → preparing severance and transition support plans → communicating decision respectfully and privately → offering long-term career guidance post-departure → reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity ✓ Support stories: → provided impartial feedback during a performance review ✓ Follow-up questions: Have you ever felt guilty of protecting a colleague who had committed a professional mistake? How important when team building is socialising with colleagues? Can you do without? Have you ever been in a company where values were not worth being given priority over personal relationships? ethical leadership = leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions 18 empathy = ability to understand another person's feelings, experience, etc empowerment = autonomy; act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant; increasing the economic, political, social, educational, gender, or spiritual strength of an entity or entities Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example - discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with feminism: see consciousness-raising (Wikipedia) strategic delegation = deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. Increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow ethical leadership = leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions 17 forgot had forgotten | used to forget to add some important moments features The client will never saw see it it They don't check all these bugs, revisions, and etc It's and both for me and for the team It goes They go hand by in hand (OR they go together) The guy spent a month for on setting up his environment ]]> 20250506 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 18000 = 15000 active JH | Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (1/2) By the end of this session you will have studied Identifying support stories → prepare answers Have you ever had to deal with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback? What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 16 2 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png Identifying support stories - Upstream & downstream feedback (1/2) active edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa_writing How do you show your commitment to achieving goals? Can you refrain from being too emotional? Do not use the same story more than twice. Prepare 2-3 stories per each of the LPs. If you do use the same story, point it out explicitly. In that case, recruiters, most probably, will ask you to provide another story. In the end, all interviewers will share what they've got with each other and if it appears that you've got just 1-3 interesting stories, then they may think that you haven't experienced enough yet. Explaining how you behave should be supported by personal and memorable stories. → make sure these examples illustrate some key concepts described earlier. → identify key concepts e.g. rationale & buzzwords head hunters expect to hear from you → choose & prepare a support story e.g. recall surprising facts & figures, metrics → answer the question with a relevant narrative structure e.g. STAR, CARL, BLUF, Minto / McKinsey Pyramid → think of additional 2-3 follow-up questions e.g. about details you have omitted on purpose to encourage the head hunter to ask you about Upstream & downstream feedback ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ]]> stopwatch Imagine this is a job interview. Answer the following questions in no more than 300 words with 5 to 8 bullet points for each. Don't use sentences, only infinitive forms or gerunds with noun phrases. Give a definition of approximately 100 words for each buzzword which a head hunter would expect to hear in each answer. Questions: What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated? Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend. Absolutely. Here are your answers in the requested format: --- ### **1. What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you?** **Buzzword: Emotional Intelligence** *Emotional intelligence* is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions while being able to recognize, empathize with, and influence the emotions of others. In professional settings, it contributes to better teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. High emotional intelligence leads to stronger interpersonal relationships and more adaptable, resilient team environments. - Demonstrating consistent reliability under pressure - Showing empathy in team conflict resolution - Communicating clearly during high-stress situations - Supporting junior staff with proactive mentoring - Responding positively to feedback and coaching - Maintaining composure during organizational change - Adapting quickly to new team dynamics - Championing inclusive and respectful collaboration --- ### **2. Would you like to make a long-lasting impact or be appreciated?** **Buzzword: Legacy Leadership** *Legacy leadership* is the mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. It focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently. - Building scalable systems for long-term growth - Developing talent through structured mentorship - Embedding values into team culture and operations - Shaping strategy with future-proofing mindset - Prioritizing sustainable over short-term wins - Empowering teams to make autonomous decisions - Creating playbooks for organizational continuity - Leaving behind high-performing, self-sufficient teams --- ### **3. Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.** **Buzzword: Strategic Delegation** *Strategic delegation* is the deliberate assignment of responsibilities based on team members’ strengths, development needs, and organizational priorities. It increases efficiency, builds trust, enhances team capabilities, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level planning while empowering others to grow. - Identifying team strengths through performance tracking - Aligning task complexity with skill development goals - Setting clear timelines and measurable milestones - Providing ongoing coaching without micromanaging - Scheduling weekly check-ins for progress evaluation - Empowering ownership with decision-making autonomy - Celebrating milestones to boost motivation - Documenting lessons learned for future reference --- ### **4. Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.** **Buzzword: Ethical Leadership** *Ethical leadership* refers to leading with integrity, fairness, and moral clarity, especially during challenging decisions. It emphasizes transparency, accountability, and doing what is right—even when uncomfortable. Ethical leaders prioritize values over convenience and inspire trust through consistent ethical actions. - Conducting performance evaluations with transparency - Delivering feedback with empathy and honesty - Consulting HR for procedural fairness and support - Prioritizing company values over personal relationships - Preparing severance and transition support plans - Communicating decision respectfully and privately - Offering long-term career guidance post-departure - Reflecting on decision to reinforce leadership integrity --- Would you like help tailoring these responses for a specific role or industry? Have you ever had to deal with negative upstream and/or downstream feedback? ✓ Rationale: = check if you are involved & committed but not too emotional ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) e.g. say how you avoided a shouting match → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ coaching / mentoring → are now able to put yourself in the shoes of junior team members in a similar situation as you were back then ✓ Support stories: (S) Situation dealing with 25-year old design legacy of a sub-system 〆vague solutions 〆mixed abstractions 〆additional errors in design (T) Task ✓ re-design (A) Action ✓ intensive reading to gain more insight ✓ re-writing of parts of the code (R) Result ✓ acknowledged your manager was right ✓ learnt much in terms of: → maintainability → scalability Follow-up questions: How critical are you about receiving only positive upstream feedback? What is the share of negative vs positive downstream feedback you get from your managers? Why do you think it is so? How did stakeholders react to you distancing yourself from their criticism? Have you experienced a similar situation when you were providing negative feedback to your hierarchy? Will you seek support from your manager / colleagues to strengthen your point of view? ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task ✓ Key concepts: → taking things with a pinch of salt (distancing) → lesson learnt (resilience) ✓ Support stories: → disappointing performance review by a superior in spite of your hard work → misunderstanding of a given task What would your previous boss & colleagues say about you? ✓ Rationale: = explain why your help was solicited ✓ Support stories: → find situations when your colleagues sought your expertise ✓ Key concepts: → suggest how your contribution was decisive → emphasise repeated occurrences of reliance on your skills ✓ Support stories: ✓ reliable because regularly substituted for a colleague gone on holiday (STAR description) ✓ cross-functional because provided technical writers with information relevant to them (STAR description) ✓ practical rather than bureaucratic thanks to networking skills when system scripts by another team impacted your workflow (STAR / BLUF description) ✓ helpful because always willing to do a favour to colleagues (STAR / BLUF description) ✓ being a top performer after having experienced lack of motivation in a governmental structure (Minto/McKinsey Pyaramid / STAR description) ✓ creative when... (Minto/McKinsey Pyaramid / STAR description) Follow-up questions: Would your managers have anything negative to say about you? How did your managers react to low-priority tasks you had undertaken on your own initiative? How do you build team spirit? Have you taken any steps to make sure you are not irreplaceable? Why / why not? Have you ever made yourself any enemies? Why / why not? (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result ✓ anticipate qualities relevant to team matching e.g. reminiscent of putting a football team together, i.e. strong individuals or team players → keen on work-life balance vs being a hard working, ready-to-burn-out nerd 15 legacy leadership = mindset and approach of leading with the intention of creating long-term value and positive change that lasts beyond one's tenure. Focuses on empowerment, sustainable growth, and cultural influence within organizations. Legacy leaders build systems and shape people to continue evolving and succeeding independently tenure = period of time when sb holds an important job, especially a political one; the act of holding an important job 14 have done better I am used to use using hard skills What did your managers said say about low-priority tasks you had undertaken on your own initiative? ]]> architecture /ˈɑ:kɪtektʃə/ 20250505 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 21000 = 18000 active JH | Answering questions with the STAR approach (2/2) By the end of this session you will have studied Answering questions with the STAR approach → prepare answers (rescheduled from previous session) What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example how your environment has helped you to deal successfully with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 13 2 Answering questions with the STAR approach active edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa_writing edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Can you avoid lengthy chronological descriptions to give evidence of your experience? How do you focus on actions undertaken? stopwatch Give me a specific example of a time at your company when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem with a business solution. (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result ✓ Red Five technical debt = no scheduled tasks → wrong assessment that everything was all right = example of poor design ✓ implemented delayed shutdown to allow for system check Follow-up questions: Why hadn't anyone else questioned this solution? ✓ only person to be clear-sighted enough to address this technical debt Did this generate conflict with hierarchy? ✓ metrics proved a 200% increase in speed Has this experience of showing initiative had any impact on your future assignments? ✓ employee turnover per region (S) Situation In 2021 we had 2 accidents in the main factory that cost a million dollars and disrupted production. It was the first time we had a big explosion. Internal investigation identified the human factor as the cause. (Staff had changed technology but not procedures. They had failed to calculate the risk in the oxygen converter.) (T) Task Based on investigation results, we were tasked by the management council to provide a business solution dealing with risk management. (A) Action We suggested a series of actions to foster a risk culture in the company. It consisted firstly of general courses for managers. The following courses focused on mitigating risk with the supply chain, accounting, etc depending on staff's area of interest. (R) Result Our KPIs were to reach a zero fatality level as well as reduce the LTFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) from 1.5 to 0.5. → delegate tasks → manage expectations Describe a time when you experienced a stressful situation at work & dealt with it. (be careful not to answer with a chronological description!) (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation ✓ as a result of cannibalisation we had 2000 bugs instead of 150 = focus on startling metrics ← hook ✓ stressful situation also due to tight deadline to deal with a cannibalised project unlike an in-house product where you are familiar with the base code because has been developed internally ✓ reminiscent of the Sword of Damocles /'dæmə,kli:z/ hanging over your head = situation in which something very bad could happen to you at any time (T) Task ✓ show how you took the lead & prioritised bugs = tasked yourself with... ! more an example of seniority & leadership ✓ deal with technical debt (to avoid the Sword of Damocles) (A) Action ✓ researched bugs ✓ convinced team members ✓ led dozens of developers ✓ focused on the most challenging bugs → didn't follow the Pareto Principle blindly (as most would do in such circumstances) e.g. major bugs help address minor bugs (R) Result ✓ postponed the release deadline by only 1 week when design flaws suggested many months of delay ✓ when dealing with one bug, another two cropped up - is reminiscent of the second labour of Hercules, a venomous serpent with multiple heads that regenerated whenever cut off ≠ predictable 'full-stop' sort of conclusion (S) Situation In the early days of the Covid pandemic, there were hardly no means of on-line communication beside Skype. Our objective was not to withhold on-going processes. Doing business on-line was a very stressful experience for staff who only knew how to provide a business service face to face. (T) Task We tested 6 solutions to provide our business services on-line. We had to identify the optimum solutions for both staff and clients. (A) Action We outsourced a customer-oriented software company who were able to create the most appropriate solutions tailored to our needs in close cooperation with us. (R) Result We ended up with a win-win solution. They now also sell this product to other companies and not only to us. Pareto principle = rule which states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example how your environment has helped you to deal successfully with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation lead-architect required vague db table readings 〆blocked your initial proposal → disagreement with professional stance, designs & workflows of a colleague / superior (T) Task implement adapters to read all decisions (A) Action emphasised what was worth appraisal from your interlocutor's angle negotiated rather than just imposed your view (R) Result ✓ convinced the lead-architect to follow your path ✓ cleared the air & got on with it without 2 weeks expected delay Follow-up questions: Would you have done anything differently? ✓ request better feature design (S) Situation Clients expect a single interlocutor when enquiring about business solutions, however we have currently 3 services ready to support their needs, and that can be confusing. (T) Task We need to put in place a CRM (customer relationship management) (A) Action One dept focuses on the production function. Another dept deals with all other functions. We have created an on-line CRM system so that it doesn't matter who is responsible for the solution, i.e. we have implemented a needs-oriented system. (R) Result Business needs and access to our existing offers are now available through a user-friendly interface. ✓ created smaller groups for joint discussions → align positions in small groups → present as one solution ✓ don't try to avoid conflict because can be productive → show you are ready to deal with conflict rather than avoid it or pretend to ignore it = acknowledge you are not a team gluer though you appreciate this role in some of your team members ✓ don't let hidden or latent conflicts (perhaps of interests) poison relationships → don't allow subjective, professional opinions postpone your objectives ✓ use present simple to give a general rule, explain a habitual behaviour... ✓ use past simple to describe a specific situation which illustrates your usual behaviour 12 to regurgitate = (disapproving) to repeat sth you have heard or read without really thinking about it or understanding it USP = unique selling point part and parcel = necessary or important part; something necessary to a larger thing technical | design debt = implied cost of future reworking required when choosing an easy but limited solution instead of a better approach that could take more time to hit the ground running = to begin an activity immediately and with full commitment maturity = quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible, adult manner resilience = ability of people or things to feel better quickly after sth unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc to rest on one's laurels = to be satisfied with the success you have already won; stop trying to win new honours concession = something that you allow or do, or allow sb to have, in order to end an argument or to make a situation less difficult empathy = ability to understand another person's feelings, experience, etc empowerment = autonomy; act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant; increasing the economic, political, social, educational, gender, or spiritual strength of an entity or entities Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example - discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with feminism: see consciousness-raising (Wikipedia) to neglect = to not give enough attention to sth to praise ~ sb/sth (for sth) | ~ sb/sth (as sth) = to express your approval or admiration for sb/sth to take sth with a grain | pinch of salt = to view something with scepticism or not to interpret something literally 11 for on preparing... Every conflict begins with without doubts with some... It was the best decision for the at the current moment of time (OR at the present time) If it was not hadn't been finalised, it can could have been changed ]]> 20250502 10:30-11:30 1 3000 -3000 + 24000 = 21000 active JH | Answering questions with the STAR approach By the end of this session you will have studied Answering questions with the STAR approach → prepare answers (rescheduled from previous session) Describe a time when you experienced a stressful situation at work & dealt with it. What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example how your environment has helped you to deal successfully with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 10 2 Answering questions with the STAR approach active edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa_writing edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Can you avoid lengthy chronological descriptions to give evidence of your experience? How do you focus on actions undertaken? stopwatch Give me a specific example of a time at your company when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem with a business solution. (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result ✓ Red Five technical debt = no scheduled tasks → wrong assessment that everything was all right = example of poor design ✓ implemented delayed shutdown to allow for system check Follow-up questions: Why hadn't anyone else questioned this solution? ✓ only person to be clear-sighted enough to address this technical debt Did this generate conflict with hierarchy? ✓ metrics proved a 200% increase in speed Has this experience of showing initiative had any impact on your future assignments? ✓ employee turnover per region (S) Situation In 2021 we had 2 accidents in the main factory that cost a million dollars and disrupted production. It was the first time we had a big explosion. Internal investigation identified the human factor as the cause. (Staff had changed technology but not procedures. They had failed to calculate the risk in the oxygen converter.) (T) Task Based on investigation results, we were tasked by the management council to provide a business solution dealing with risk management. (A) Action We suggested a series of actions to foster a risk culture in the company. It consisted firstly of general courses for managers. The following courses focused on mitigating risk with the supply chain, accounting, etc depending on staff's area of interest. (R) Result Our KPIs were to reach a zero fatality level as well as reduce the LTFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) from 1.5 to 0.5. → delegate tasks → manage expectations Describe a time when you experienced a stressful situation at work & dealt with it. (be careful not to answer with a chronological description!) (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation ✓ as a result of cannibalisation we had 2000 bugs instead of 150 = focus on startling metrics ← hook ✓ stressful situation also due to tight deadline to deal with a cannibalised project unlike an in-house product where you are familiar with the base code because has been developed internally ✓ reminiscent of the Sword of Damocles /'dæmə,kli:z/ hanging over your head = situation in which something very bad could happen to you at any time (T) Task ✓ show how you took the lead & prioritised bugs = tasked yourself with... ! more an example of seniority & leadership ✓ deal with technical debt (to avoid the Sword of Damocles) (A) Action ✓ researched bugs ✓ convinced team members ✓ led dozens of developers ✓ focused on the most challenging bugs → didn't follow the Pareto Principle blindly (as most would do in such circumstances) e.g. major bugs help address minor bugs (R) Result ✓ postponed the release deadline by only 1 week when design flaws suggested many months of delay ✓ when dealing with one bug, another two cropped up - is reminiscent of the second labour of Hercules, a venomous serpent with multiple heads that regenerated whenever cut off. ≠ predictable 'full-stop' sort of conclusion (S) Situation In the early days of the Covid pandemic, there were hardly no means of on-line communication beside Skype. Our objective was not to withhold on-going processes. Doing business on-line was a very stressful experience for staff who only knew how to provide a business service face to face. (T) Task We tested 6 solutions to provide our business services on-line. We had to identify the optimum solutions for both staff and clients. (A) Action We outsourced a customer-oriented software company who were able to create the most appropriate solutions tailored to our needs in close cooperation with us. (R) Result We ended up with a win-win solution. They now also sell this product to other companies and not only to us. Pareto principle = rule which states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example how your environment has helped you to deal successfully with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation Clients expect a single interlocutor when enquiring about business solutions, however we have currently 3 services ready to support their needs, and that can be confusing. (T) Task We need to put in place a CRM (customer relationship management) (A) Action One dept focuses on the production function. Another dept deals with all other functions. We have created an on-line CRM system so that it doesn't matter who is responsible for the solution, i.e. we have implemented a needs-oriented system. (R) Result Business needs and access to our existing offers are now available through a user-friendly interface. ✓ don't try to avoid conflict because can be productive ✓ created smaller groups for joint discussions → align positions in small groups → present as one solution 9 to regurgitate = (disapproving) to repeat sth you have heard or read without really thinking about it or understanding it USP = unique selling point part and parcel = necessary or important part; something necessary to a larger thing technical | design debt = implied cost of future reworking required when choosing an easy but limited solution instead of a better approach that could take more time to hit the ground running = to begin an activity immediately and with full commitment maturity = quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible, adult manner resilience = ability of people or things to feel better quickly after sth unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc to rest on one's laurels = to be satisfied with the success you have already won; stop trying to win new honours concession = something that you allow or do, or allow sb to have, in order to end an argument or to make a situation less difficult empathy = ability to understand another person's feelings, experience, etc empowerment = autonomy; act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant; increasing the economic, political, social, educational, gender, or spiritual strength of an entity or entities Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example - discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with feminism: see consciousness-raising (Wikipedia) to neglect = to not give enough attention to sth to praise ~ sb/sth (for sth) | ~ sb/sth (as sth) = to express your approval or admiration for sb/sth to take sth with a grain | pinch of salt = to view something with scepticism or not to interpret something literally to hit the ground running = to start something and proceed at a fast pace with great enthusiasm; to immediately work hard and successfully at a new activity to live your life = to live in the way that you want to and accept responsibility for your actions and decisions, without other people's advice or interference somebody | someone else's problem = issue which is dismissed by a person on the grounds that they consider somebody else to be responsible for it Pareto principle = rule which states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect Sword of Damocles /'dæmə,kli:z/ hanging over your head = situation in which something very bad could happen to you at any time how Hercules cut the hydra = second labour of Hercules, a venomous serpent with multiple heads that regenerated whenever cut off 8 A half a year ago I offered them suggested to divide all bugs into 2 priorities We moved postponed (solving non critical bugs) And Neither yes and nor no ]]> Damocles /'dæmə,kli:z/ 20250428 09:00-10:00 1 30000 20250424 3000 -3000 + -3000 +30000 = 24000 active JH | Sticky points | Answering questions with the STAR approach By the end of this session you will have studied Answering questions with the STAR approach → prepare answers Give me a specific example of a time at your company when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem with a business solution. Describe a time when you experienced a stressful situation at work & dealt with it. zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 7 3 Sticky points Describing weaknesses Sometimes, especially if you already have a CV ready but are still in the process of finding tangible evidence of your experience, it is a good idea to identify your blind spots. You may indeed identify better the support stories that address likely questions of the recruiter if you can anticipate what the recruiter may show concerns about. edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa active Are you able to anticipate areas that a head hunter may try to use against you to destabilise you during a stress or case interview? Prepare your answers to the following sticky questions. → practise with the stopwatch → identify areas that may need improvement stopwatch What could be your weakest points? 〆conducting research and/or reverse-engineering undocumented functions independently e.g. preparing a network driver → rely on networking to find a solution 〆more of a social animal in need of teamwork to perform 〆lack of confidence in use of language e.g. taking English lessons sticky = (informal) difficult or unpleasant rabbit hole = situation in which you become so interested in a subject or an activity that you cannot stop trying to find out about it or doing it superficial = of or on the surface of sth; (often disapproving) not studying or looking at sth thoroughly; seeing only what is obvious; appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully What differences in interpersonal skills & leadership will you encounter when working in a foreign company? = show awareness of possible blind spots → expect a mix of styles which depends on the company's corporate culture

McGregor - Theory X and Theory Y Management

mc_gregor_theory_x_theory_y_management_chart01.png mc_gregor_theory_x_theory_y_management_chart02.png
]]> ✓ use relevant examples & MBA methodology when applying for a management position e.g. I had to be a McGregor X-type kind of manager when... empowerment = encouraging workers to improve the way they do their own jobs; to give sb the power or authority to do sth linear-active culture = culture where you may want to be concise, precise, and factual, avoid interruptions and distractions, and follow a clear agenda and timeline What constructive feedback would your peers share about you? ✓ team player ✓ inspiring leader ✓ provide occasional hands-on support if team members need help = be supportive → show potential for growth ✓ give an example (consider using the STAR method) ✓ avoid confrontation because you should be a team player e.g. I should pay more attention to what exactly people say What would be the hardest part of coming to this company? ✓ work-life balance → relocation of your family ✓ cultural blind spots → you just want to live your life → don't deal with someone else's problem ✓ slow to harness but quick to ride ↔ to make sure you are able to hit the ground running 〆coping with stressful deadlines 〆having regular performance appraisal during the probation period 〆lacking proper induction 6 2 Answering questions with the STAR approach active edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa_writing edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Can you avoid lengthy chronological descriptions to give evidence of your experience? How do you focus on actions undertaken? stopwatch Give me a specific example of a time at your company when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem with a business solution. (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result ✓ Red Five technical debt = no scheduled tasks → wrong assessment that everything was all right = example of poor design ✓ implemented delayed shutdown to allow for system check Follow-up questions: Why hadn't anyone else questioned this solution? ✓ only person to be clear-sighted enough to address this technical debt Did this generate conflict with hierarchy? ✓ metrics proved a 200% increase in speed Has this experience of showing initiative had any impact on your future assignments? ✓ employee turnover per region (S) Situation In 2021 we had 2 accidents in the main factory that cost a million dollars and disrupted production. It was the first time we had a big explosion. Internal investigation identified the human factor as the cause. (Staff had changed technology but not procedures. They had failed to calculate the risk in the oxygen converter.) (T) Task Based on investigation results, we were tasked by the management council to provide a business solution dealing with risk management. (A) Action We suggested a series of actions to foster a risk culture in the company. It consisted firstly of general courses for managers. The following courses focused on mitigating risk with the supply chain, accounting, etc depending on staff's area of interest. (R) Result Our KPIs were to reach a zero fatality level as well as reduce the LTFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) from 1.5 to 0.5. → delegate tasks → manage expectations Describe a time when you experienced a stressful situation at work & dealt with it. (be careful not to answer with a chronological description!) (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation ✓ as a result of cannibalisation we had 2000 bugs instead of 150 = focus on startling metrics ← hook ✓ stressful situation also due to tight deadline to deal with a cannibalised project unlike an in-house product where you are familiar with the base code because has been developed internally ✓ reminiscent of the Sword of Damocles /'dæmə,kli:z/ hanging over your head = situation in which something very bad could happen to you at any time (T) Task ✓ show how you took the lead & prioritised bugs = tasked yourself with... ! more an example of seniority & leadership ✓ deal with technical debt (to avoid the Sword of Damocles) (A) Action ✓ researched bugs ✓ convinced team members ✓ led dozens of developers ✓ focused on the most challenging bugs → didn't follow the Pareto Principle blindly (as most would do in such circumstances) e.g. major bugs help address minor bugs (R) Result ✓ postponed the release deadline by only 1 week when design flaws suggested many months of delay ✓ when dealing with one bug, another two cropped up - is reminiscent of the second labour of Hercules, a venomous serpent with multiple heads that regenerated whenever cut off. ≠ predictable 'full-stop' sort of conclusion (S) Situation In the early days of the Covid pandemic, there were hardly no means of on-line communication beside Skype. Our objective was not to withhold on-going processes. Doing business on-line was a very stressful experience for staff who only knew how to provide a business service face to face. (T) Task We tested 6 solutions to provide our business services on-line. We had to identify the optimum solutions for both staff and clients. (A) Action We outsourced a customer-oriented software company who were able to create the most appropriate solutions tailored to our needs in close cooperation with us. (R) Result We ended up with a win-win solution. They now also sell this product to other companies and not only to us. Pareto principle = rule which states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. In other words, a small percentage of causes have an outsized effect What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example how your environment has helped you to deal successfully with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). (S) Situation (T) Task (A) Action (R) Result (S) Situation Clients expect a single interlocutor when enquiring about business solutions, however we have currently 3 services ready to support their needs, and that can be confusing. (T) Task We need to put in place a CRM (customer relationship management) (A) Action One dept focuses on the production function. Another dept deals with all other functions. We have created an on-line CRM system so that it doesn't matter who is responsible for the solution, i.e. we have implemented a needs-oriented system. (R) Result Business needs and access to our existing offers are now available through a user-friendly interface. ✓ don't try to avoid conflict because can be productive ✓ created smaller groups for joint discussions → align positions in small groups → present as one solution 5 rabbit hole = situation in which you become so interested in a subject or an activity that you cannot stop trying to find out about it or doing it superficial = of or on the surface of sth; (often disapproving) not studying or looking at sth thoroughly; seeing only what is obvious; appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully empowerment = encouraging workers to improve the way they do their own jobs; to give sb the power or authority to do sth linear-active culture = culture where you may want to be concise, precise, and factual, avoid interruptions and distractions, and follow a clear agenda and timeline to hit the ground running = to start something and proceed at a fast pace with great enthusiasm; to immediately work hard and successfully at a new activity to live your life = to live in the way that you want to and accept responsibility for your actions and decisions, without other people's advice or interference somebody | someone else's problem = issue which is dismissed by a person on the grounds that they consider somebody else to be responsible for it 4 good well The main problem is find finding | to find which story is suitable They live and live live their lives This problem doesn't reproduce isn't reproducible on my system It's old code, don't touch it, it's working good works well I felt myselflike a god ]]> instrument /ˈɪnstrumənt/ due to /dju:/ debt /det/ months /'mənθs/ and NOT monthes /'mənθes/ 20250423 09:00-10:00 1 3000 -3000 + 0 = -3000 active JH | CV review | Sticky points By the end of this session you will have studied https://disk.yandex.ru/i/Stm-oxQS9cUWWQ zoom_meeting.png Zoom meeting details Meeting ID: 765 1187 4648 Passcode: pFGjq3 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76511874648?pwd=pqq81L5Zbdw6lT8hToYVMKUIJsisYn.1 ]]> Bottoms Up - JH B2 Preparing for professional mobility 3 3 Sticky points Describing weaknesses Sometimes, especially if you already have a CV ready but are still in the process of finding tangible evidence of your experience, it is a good idea to identify your blind spots. You may indeed identify better the support stories that address likely questions of the recruiter if you can anticipate what the recruiter may show concerns about. edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa active Are you able to anticipate areas that a head hunter may try to use against you to destabilise you during a stress or case interview? Prepare your answers to the following sticky questions. → practise with the stopwatch → identify areas that may need improvement stopwatch What could be your weakest points? 〆conducting research and/or reverse-engineering undocumented functions independently e.g. preparing a network driver → rely on networking to find a solution 〆more of a social animal in need of teamwork to perform 〆lack of confidence in use of language e.g. taking English lessons sticky = (informal) difficult or unpleasant rabbit hole = situation in which you become so interested in a subject or an activity that you cannot stop trying to find out about it or doing it superficial = of or on the surface of sth; (often disapproving) not studying or looking at sth thoroughly; seeing only what is obvious; appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully What differences in interpersonal skills & leadership will you encounter when working in a foreign company? = show awareness of possible blind spots → expect a mix of styles which depends on the company's corporate culture

McGregor - Theory X and Theory Y Management

mc_gregor_theory_x_theory_y_management_chart01.png mc_gregor_theory_x_theory_y_management_chart02.png
]]> ✓ use relevant examples & MBA methodology when applying for a management position e.g. I had to be a McGregor X-type kind of manager when... empowerment = encouraging workers to improve the way they do their own jobs; to give sb the power or authority to do sth linear-active culture = culture where you may want to be concise, precise, and factual, avoid interruptions and distractions, and follow a clear agenda and timeline What constructive feedback would your peers share about you? ✓ team player ✓ inspiring leader ✓ provide occasional hands-on support if team members need help = be supportive → show potential for growth ✓ give an example (consider using the STAR method) ✓ avoid confrontation because you should be a team player e.g. I should pay more attention to what exactly people say What would be the hardest part of coming to this company? ✓ work-life balance → relocation of your family 〆coping with stressful deadlines 〆having regular performance appraisal during the probation period 〆lacking proper induction 2 rabbit hole = situation in which you become so interested in a subject or an activity that you cannot stop trying to find out about it or doing it superficial = of or on the surface of sth; (often disapproving) not studying or looking at sth thoroughly; seeing only what is obvious; appearing to be true, real or important until you look at it more carefully empowerment = encouraging workers to improve the way they do their own jobs; to give sb the power or authority to do sth linear-active culture = culture where you may want to be concise, precise, and factual, avoid interruptions and distractions, and follow a clear agenda and timeline 1 such as x, y, z to name but a few Developed own solutions based on it afore-mentioned API Senior Researcher and Developer in (in|at) (the) Academy of Cryptography of (the) Russian Federation (ellipsis of articles 'the' may feel telegraphic in style) Designed, developed and implemented software components for innovative hardware Retrain Retraining and Advanced Studies Institute I don't like their name too either If it will not be not a big part of code (All problems) I can divide by into 2 categories (coding vs design) (all problems) The final result will be better that than working alone They didn't respond for reply to this letter ]]> component /kəmˈpəunənt/