
Ask HN: Going for my first eng manager interview – advice/expectations? - kngspook
Hi,<p>So I&#x27;ve been an eng manager before, but I got given the responsibilities over time. For the first time, I&#x27;m about to be interviewed as an engineering manager at a medium-size public Silicon Valley tech company.<p>Having rarely interviewed and never hired an eng manager, I&#x27;m not 100% sure how to prepare or exactly what qualities will be being searched for (I know what I would value in an eng manager, and I think that&#x27;s a decent guideline, but it&#x27;s only one data point).<p>Can anyone share their experiences, either of hiring eng managers or being the hired eng manager? I&#x27;m looking for both strategic advice (big picture what should I try to emphasize and convey) and tactical advice (what are your go-to questions to ask prospective eng managers, what does the interview slate usually look like, etc.).<p>Thanks!
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softwareman
Focus the conversations around your experience being an EM in your current
role. Do NOT expect that you should know (or should have experienced) certain
things because you are a manager in your current role...just accept candidly
what you have experienced and what you haven't.

Management is all about experience.

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fastbeef
Make absolutely, positively, beyond a doubt certain that you gel with the team
and that you understand and believe in product being built.

I didn’t when I took my first leadership role and it was one of the most
miserable years of my life. I ended up catapulting myself out what felt like
second before burning out.

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sloaken
So the questions you can expect are: what processes do you use / like, how do
you address conflict, how do you get the most from your people.

