Grokking the Engineering Manager Interview
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Addressing an Unnoticed Mistake
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When an interviewer asks,

"What would you do in a situation where you discovered you made a mistake that no one else has noticed yet?"

They aim to assess several key qualities:

  1. Integrity: Are you honest and willing to admit your mistakes?
  2. Responsibility: Do you take accountability for your actions?
  3. Problem-Solving Skills: How effectively can you address and correct mistakes?
  4. Proactiveness: Do you take the initiative to resolve issues before they escalate?
Key traits and pitfalls to avoid
Key traits and pitfalls to avoid

Structuring Response Using the STAR Method

Question:

"What would you do in a situation where you discovered you made a mistake that no one else has noticed yet?"

Answer:

Situation: "In my previous role as a project manager at XYZ, I was responsible for overseeing a critical software deployment. After the deployment, I realized that I had overlooked a configuration error that could potentially disrupt the service for a small subset of users."

Task: "My task was to ensure that our software deployment was smooth and error-free. Despite the error being unnoticed by others, I needed to address it immediately to prevent any potential disruption."

Action: "As soon as I discovered the mistake, I took the following steps:

  1. Assessment: I assessed the potential impact of the configuration error to understand its severity and which users could be affected.
  2. Notification: I immediately informed my direct supervisor about the mistake and my plan to fix it. This ensured transparency and allowed for any additional input or oversight.
  3. Correction: I quickly corrected the configuration error and deployed the fix. I then conducted thorough testing to ensure that the issue was resolved and no new problems were introduced.
  4. Documentation: After resolving the issue, I documented the error and the steps taken to fix it. I also updated our deployment checklist to include additional verification steps to prevent similar errors in the future."

Result: "The issue was resolved without any user impact, and my supervisor appreciated my honesty and quick action. By addressing the mistake proactively, I maintained the trust of my team and ensured the continued reliability of our service. This experience reinforced the importance of taking responsibility and being transparent about mistakes."

Pitfalls To Avoid

  1. Ignoring the Mistake: Avoid implying that you would ignore the mistake because no one else noticed. This shows a lack of integrity and responsibility.

  2. Blaming Others: Don't shift the blame to external factors or other team members. Take full responsibility for your actions.

  3. Vague Descriptions: Provide clear and specific details about how you would handle the situation. Vague responses do not effectively demonstrate your problem-solving skills.

  4. Lack of Proactive Measures: Failing to mention how you would prevent similar mistakes in the future can make it seem like you are not committed to continuous improvement.

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