Tell Me About Yourself Flashcards
Memorize and Nail this Interview Answer!
Tell Me About Yourself?
BREVITY!!!
KEEP IT SHORT!!!!
ASK QUESTIONS BACK TO HER!
ALWAYS REPEAT THE QUESTION AND/OR BY TIME TO FORMULATE ANSWER “ THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT”…
Good afternoon! This is Sandra speaking :)
How are you?
BREVITY
CONFIDENCE
KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS
KEEP IT SHORT
KEEP IT SIMPLE
SMILE YOURE ON CAMERA!!!
BE METHODICAL!!!!
if comes up, Jason conversation! Make sure you bring it up!!!
MY BACKGROUND
product and hospitality professional with over decade of being lucky at the right place and right time from cooking, to running restaurant opening, event management, and special projects, I’ve had blessed experiences and grateful to have worked with such talented people along the way!
REALITY IN PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Currently at Claritiv as part of a Saas start-up, it’s been exciting to push for high impact features such as an AI-POWERED user story creator and see it come to life! At Premiere Digital, I was lucky to experience being client facing w/ Apple and work closely with engineering, UX, CS and QA teams triaging bugs, revamping a complex dashboard, and improving UAT and backlog refinement processes to for example
BUT RESTAURANTS HAVE MY HEART
BENTOBOX FAMILIARITY
APPRECIATE DRIVING ENGAGEMENT AND REVENUE WITH AWESOME PASQUALE JONES’ PIZZ DOUGH VIDEO ON THE SITE AND EASY UPDATES TO MERCH.
I’M REALLY PUMPED TO MAKE A Swift IMPACT WITH MY PRODUCT INTUITION AND RESTAURANT EXPERTISE. IT’s the perfect match that aligns with the company’s mission and my passion in the industry and to develop my skills in product.
that’s a little bit about me! HAPPY TO share more and answer any questions. I’d LOVE to learn more about the company and the role from your perspective! more about the team and who i’ll be working with.
- Why are you interested in this role/company?
From updating digital menus, catering orders, to managing events, I’ve lived the pain points. Krystle Mobayeni’s Forbes ‘digital front door’ interview struck a chord! Connecting with Jason from the team and my former colleague Tracy, really solidified my excitement.
This role perfectly bridges my hospitality expertise with my product intuition.
I see myself triaging bugs, analyzing feature requests, and helping to build dashboards to inform product decisions. At my previous company, I tackled similar tasks, along with feature enhancements improving internal processes.
Hanna, do you know of any specific challenges or areas where you see me adding unique value to the team?
- What do you know about BentoBox / have you done your research?
Yes! So excited about this Product Operations Manager role! I have great memories of BentoBox from my time at Delicious Hospitality. Plus, I loved learning more about the company from Tracy and others and on the company website.
It was super cool to learn that investors who I deeply respect in the NYC restaurant indsutry made investments into BentoBox such as Camilla Ruth Marcus, Ben Leventhal, and WIll Guidera.
But I’d love to learn more about the company and the role from your perspective!
What are you looking for in your next role?
My top priorities in this role align perfectly with your focus on user-driven product, cross-functional collaboration, and data-informed decisions. I thrive on contributing to products that directly address user needs through tasks like triaging bugs, analyzing feature requests, and building dashboards. In my previous role, I tackled similar tasks, helping implement feature enhancements that streamlined internal processes such as optimizing a smoother workflow for invoicing related needs for sales, operations and finance teams at Premiere Digital - all driven by data and user feedback.
I’m confident I can bring the same impact at BentoBox.
- Why are you leaving your job?
While I really appreciate my current role at Claritiv, my passion lies in the hospitality industry. At BentoBox, I see myself translating user needs into actionable insights, collaborating across teams to launch impactful features, and optimizing processes for maximum efficiency. My enthusiasm for BentoBox and the industry, coupled with my proven skills, I believe is a perfect fit! I’m eager to contribute and leave a lasting positive impact.
- What are your compensation expectations?
I’m sure we’ll arrive at a reasonable compensation that works for me and the company. i want to first make sure there’s a mutual fit in terms of the company, team and product. can you tell me a bit more about……..????????
I want to first make sure that there’s a great mutual fit in terms of the company, team and product. Can you tell me more about the team? / what challenges the company or are currently with the products? High-level share company’s goal for this year?
What are the compensation ranges you’re seeing in the market today?
Is there a target compensation range for this role?
Would you say that the compensation at your company is in the upper range of the market?
IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE AND I’M REQUIRED, compensation range $96K - $116K
QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS
for Hanna
What are the key priorities for this role?
How is success measured?
Could you tell me more about the team I would be working with?
IF NOT CLEAR ON ANSWERING QUESTION - REDIRECT. CONFIDENCE AND BREVITY IS KEY!!!…re: skill…“LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE REASONS NEEDING THIS EXPERIENCE?”
Outside of the people, what’s the one thing you’re grateful for celebrating right now at BentoBox?
What are some of the biggest challenges for the company or product right now?
What’s the percentage of the team and department that is onsite vs remote?
ABOUT COMPANY - How has the company and role changed over time?
Has the search for this role been moving quickly or have you been interviewing for awhile?
If it’s been taking a while, then ASK - What have candidates been consistently missing when you interview them?
Next steps of the hiring process? Who else will I meet in the next stages of the interview process?
LAST RESERVE: What are some of the biggest challenges for the company or product right now?
Tell Me About a Time when You Challenge/ Tough Stakeholder/Resolution
Sure! Let me think about that!
SENIOR STAKEHOLDER - OPS
ITMSP PRODUCT ROADMAP CHANGES
COMMUNICATION
EMAIL
CALLS
SLACK MESSAGE UPDATES - bugs, process updates, requirements/refinement
QA - nightly off shore team and align QA team w/ acceptance criteria and testing in tandem getting to know them bonding love for dogs and cats./
it was a growing/challenging experience and really enjoyed working together to see the bulk of this 4-phase project be successful in releases as well as .
A tough challenge was working with a senior stakeholder who frequently changed priorities on a product roadmap. Recognizing they preferred phone calls, I switched from email to weekly calls, improving communication dramatically.
Additionally, I realized they responded best to frequent updates. [[For top-priority feature releases for complex metadata for Apple’s itsmp packaging feature enhancements (ONLY IF SHE ASKS - metadata file OR movie image) and bug triaging needs. ]] I sent daily Slack updates that included progress updates, bug fixes, and validating acceptance criteria needs. This allowed quick iterations and prevented wasted development time - not going down the wrong rabbit hole!
To ensure smooth execution, I also collaborated nightly with our offshore QA team, no only sharing our love for dogs and cats and even bonding over similar lentil recipes, like the one I learned how to make under the mentorship of the late Chef Floyd Cardoz!
Our joint efforts led to a successful UAT processes and timely release. Through this challenging project, I’m especially grateful to have bonded more with the QA team and see the fruits of our collaborative efforts - with an continuously higher UAT success rate throughout the multiple phases of this project.
Tell me about a time when you had a challenge or problem you faced.
We were tasked with revamping the UI for Order and Order Item sections of Premiere’s media asset workflow for film and TV studios. It was complex, but exciting! But early on, communication hiccups with my teammate caused some bumps in the road. Overlapping tasks and missed scope put a pinch on our timelines.
I approached my teammate with understanding. Recognizing her high workload and potential personal pressures (later learned she was prepping for the US citizenship exam!) and was so excited for her letting her know I was rooting her on! I proposed increased communication touchpoints and supportive check-ins.
Openly discussing our challenges and working together to create a communication rhythm of regular updates and check-ins really boosted our collaboration and in hyping each other up!
we tackled the revamp head-on, clarified scope, and even found opportunities to improve on the original plan in which UI revamp pages should be prioritized based on analyzing the user needs and pain points and business impact. The CEO and operations team especially appreciated the revamp of the Order and Order Item sections, praising their increased efficiency and user-friendliness.
At Premiere, I worked on a complex and exciting project: revamping the UI for the Order and Order Item sections within their media asset workflow used by film and TV studios. Initially, some communication gaps with my teammate led to overlapping tasks and tightened timelines. But instead of frustration, I approached with empathy.
Recognizing her heavy workload and potential personal pressures (turns out, she was prepping for her US citizenship exam!), I expressed my sincere support and excitement for her. Then, I proposed a solution: frequent check-ins and updates to create a clear communication rhythm.
The shift was transformative. Openly discussing our challenges and establishing this communication routine not only boosted our collaboration but also fostered a supportive, encouraging environment. We were hyping each other up!
With newfound clarity and teamwork, we tackled the revamp head-on. Not only did we clarify scope, but we also identified opportunities to enhance the original plan based on user research, pain points, and business impact. Prioritizing based on these factors, we prioritized pages that would deliver the most significant efficiency gains and user satisfaction.
The result? The CEO and operations team were thrilled with the revamped Order and Order Item sections, specifically praising their increased efficiency and user-friendliness. That’s a time where I overcame a challenge and felt great about the win-win solution.
What is your biggest strength?
I really get excited in the hustle getting creative when problem solving!
For Jay-Z’s Oscar Gold night party, my biggest challenge was securing ideally the perfect wood-fired pizza oven, or any wood-fired oven. Guests go especially wild for the NY slices, and sourcing the right one for a 6-hour, 300-guest party was critical. I’d worked with trusted vendors before, but one backed out a week before!
Pressure on, I got creative. I tapped my network of LA chef friends, scoured Instagram and Google, and even cold-called kitchen equipment companies. After getting creative and cold calling a pizza catering company that does not rent their oven, ever, Turns out, we shared the same incredible purveyor, and they saved the day.
The head event director, my manager and team were ecstatic. They emailed the team sharing ‘We couldn’t have done this without you, Sandra’. Given that it’s currently award season, I’m also really grateful that many of my core team I hired and led for this have reached out in the past few weeks too expressing their interest to work together again!
Tell me about a time you identified and solved a customer pain point through product improvement. Quantify your impact if possible.
At Premiere Digital, user feedback revealed difficulties navigating product discovery due to complex UI/UX. I was responsible for determining the XYZ for a cross-functional multi-phase UX redesign project, boosting beta tester insights by 24% and reducing workload by 13% through optimized workflows. This increased user satisfaction and adoption, paving the way for increased user acquisition.
Explain how you would handle a situation where two stakeholders disagree on a product decision.
- Explain how you would handle a situation where two stakeholders disagree on a product decision.
While at Premiere Digital Services, I encountered conflicting feedback from internal Sales and Operations teams regarding invoicing related feature updates. I facilitated a collaborative discussion, presenting data and user insights to bridge the gap between perspectives. Ultimately, we found a solution that addressed both stakeholder needs, leading to a 78% UAT acceptance rate and exceeding revenue projections. My focus is on building consensus through open communication and data-driven solutions.
6. What tools and methodologies are you familiar with for product management and analysis?
I’m experienced in various PM tools like Jira, Confluence, and Figma, and analytical tools like Google Analytics and recently completed a micro-certification for Mizpanel. Additionally, I am actively expanding my knowledge through online courses like “Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp. My technical aptitude allows me to effectively manage workflows, analyze data, and collaborate with engineering teams.
- Walk me through your process for analyzing product usage data and drawing actionable insights.
At Claritiv, I implemented AI-powered analysis of beta tester activity to identify feature usage patterns and predict potential bottlenecks. This data informed my MVP/MLP definition, prioritizing high-impact features and projected a 15% increase in user satisfaction based on benchmark comparisons. My approach combines quantitative analysis with user feedback to ensure data-driven decision making that delivers tangible benefits.
What is your greatest weakness?
I thrive on action and getting things done, but at times, my enthusiasm can lead me to jump into projects without fully understanding all the nuances. Last year, while improving the packaging metadata features for film and TV studios, my boss noticed I wasn’t asking enough probing questions to grasp the diverse user needs and workflows.
I embraced it as an opportunity to grow. I started actively digging deeper, asking clarifying questions about specific user scenarios across platforms like iTunes, international distribution, and even in-flight entertainment. This deeper understanding allowed me to refine, clearly define acceptance criterias, prioritize tasks based on impact, and deliver a dramatically improved product that truly met the customer needs.
This experience taught me the power of balancing action with meticulousness. It perfectly aligns with BentoBox’s mission of empowering restaurants to own their presence, profits, and relationships. I believe my passion for action, combined with my newfound focus on detail, will be an invaluable asset to your product team.”
What was the biggest accomplishment in this position?
My biggest accomplishment in product that I’m proud of?
Currently working at a b2b SaaS startup from scratch at Claritiv. thanks to the relationships I forged in my previous job, I landed this incredible opportunity as part of the core team.
From trade shows sparking customer insights to building our market position through SWOT analysis, I’ve had a hand in every stage.
One of My proudest and exciting moments? Seeing my data-driven insights translate into features and UI/UX refinements that directly addressed user needs. Its been an awesome true team effort, and witnessing this product blossom from vision to reality has been really exciting. It’s like seeing all the recipe testing of a dish come to life on a plate!
I’m eager to leverage my startup experience and passion for customer-centricity to contribute significantly to your product ops team.
