How to ace your design interview (Margo Stern)
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How to ace your design interview
Interviews are horrible. No one likes them. But does it have to be that way?
Margo Stern's new book, Good Job, takes on design interviews - both for candidates and for the people creating the interview process. She goes into great detail about how to actually ace a design interview, and for hiring managers, how to design an interview process that treats people like human beings.
We delve into all sorts of great discussions about interviews. How to ace them, what they get wrong, and what companies need to do to make the interview process better for designers.
Enjoy!
What we talked about:
✅ Why interviewing is a separate skill from doing the job
✅ How candidates can prepare through self‑reflection, rehearsal, and storytelling
✅ Why the STAR method works (and why most people use it badly)
✅ The real reason case studies fall flat and how to make yours a story, not a status report
✅ How to research a company without crossing the line into oversharing
✅ The advantages extroverts have in interviews and how introverts can level the field
✅ How candidates can show genuine interest without being performative
✅ How to read red flags in interview processes (ghosting, unclear expectations, chaotic loops)
✅ The danger of applying to too many jobs and why “less, but better” works for both sides
✅ The key questions both candidates and interviewers should ask
Where to find Margo:
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.