If you’ve ever not gotten that job offer, read this

I wanted to share this with people who have had interviews and not gotten the offer. I have a product manager that works for me. Out of about 120-150 PMs who have worked for me or with whom I have worked in my 25 year technology career, she is probably in the top 4-5 PMs. She’s phenomenal and super dedicated. I came across the interview feedback that I gathered during her loop. The feedback was lukewarm, with a few interviewers stating that they felt she would not be successful. We hired her because we were pretty desperate and had a deadline to get started on the project. Within a month, I knew we had a star. Within 3 months, I knew she was more talented than I ever have been. So glad we hired her.

The moral of the story? You only have a single hour or whatever time to evaluate a candidate. It’s not an exact science and we (the interviewers) often get it wrong. [NOTE: I’ve gotten it wrong the other way too, hiring someone who I thought would be great, but ended up underperforming.] So do not beat yourself up when you interview and don’t get the offer. Try to take away the positives from the interview and remember the questions they asked… and how best to answer them the next time you hear it in an interview. Best of luck as you navigate your career.