What do I need to know for Twitter interviews?

April 20, 2012 2:17 PM

I'm interviewing for a business role at Twitter next week - what do I need to know?

I'm interviewing with Twitter for a mid-management level position on the business side next week; I'm being intentionally a little vague about exactly which role it is. I've been working in the tech business for just short of a decade and my general knowledge of the industry is good. I've followed the rise of Twitter and I have an active account, but I'm not exactly a power user.

What sort of things do you think I should prepare? I imagine they will ask me how I would make the product better, how I would explain Twitter to a five-year-old/grandmother/alien, how Twitter makes money, and questions specific to the role itself. What else might come up, and what do you know that I should know?

Anon because of the chance of current overloads finding out I am seeking new overlords.

posted by anonymous to technology (2 answers total)

A mid management position at Twitter will need to know less about how to make it innovative--they've already got that--and more about how to empower their coders to keep up with the latest trends so Twitter stays at the top.

You don't need to be a power user, you need to be great with understanding and prioritizing technical trends, particularly in the mobile sector.

I'd be surprised if they ask you the questions you think they will. If I were Twitter I'd ask you much more about what you think about the trends coming down the runway. Twitter needs to invest a lot into the ones that hit big and they need to minimize investing in the duds.

If I were you, I'd spend less time here and more time on a coder forum.
posted by Murray M at 5:13 AM on April 21, 2012

Is the post really one where they expect you to walk in and change the way they do things radically? If not, I would expect them to concentrate on your ability to manage. You may need to be able to demonstrate flexibility by showing how you have coped in a changing environment in the past, and how you expect to cope with changing to a new company with a new culture if it is radically different from where you have worked.

You need to know about the money side of your department, not of Twitter as a whole. In general, I would think it is more constructive to ask them meaningful questions about the things related to your role, rather than you tell them what you think Twitter is about.
posted by Idcoytco at 9:23 AM on April 21, 2012