💗 A small thing to check when reading a job description: the verbs.

They can reveal what stage the function is actually in.
If you keep seeing words like:

» Build / establish / launch / create
The company may expect you to create the process, tooling, metrics, or structure from scratch.

» Scale / grow / expand / optimize
Something is already working. The challenge is making it handle more customers, revenue, markets, volume, or complexity.

» Standardize / document / implement / systematize
The work already exists, but the company needs stronger processes around it.

This matters because the same title can require very different experience depending on the stage.

Before applying, look past the title and pay attention to what the company actually expects you to do with the function.

💗 Don’t prepare for every interview stage in exactly the same way.

Different stages usually exist to learn different things.
Before each call, look at who you’re meeting and what they’re likely to care about.

» Recruiter / Talent
Role fit, expectations, location, availability, compensation.

» Hiring Manager
How you approach the actual work, make decisions, prioritize, and solve problems.

» Future teammates
How you collaborate, communicate, and work through real situations together.

» Leadership
Often broader context: ownership, judgment, impact, and how your work connects to company priorities.

You don’t need a completely different personality for every interview.

But choosing examples that match what the conversation is actually trying to learn can make your answers much stronger.

🔈 A job title doesn’t always tell you what kind of problem you’re walking into.

The verbs in the job description can give you useful clues.

» Build / establish / launch
You may be creating the function or process from scratch.

» Scale / grow / optimize
Something already works and needs to handle more.

» Standardize / document / automate
The work exists, but the structure around it still needs to catch up.

Our latest article breaks down how to spot the difference and what it can tell you before the interview.

🔗 Read the full article here!

💗 If the role changes while you’re interviewing, reconfirm these before accepting:

1. Responsibilities
What was added, removed, or moved elsewhere?

2. Reporting line
Are you still joining the same manager and team?

3. Success metrics
What are you now expected to accomplish in the first few months?

4. Title + level
Does the original title still match the updated scope?

5. Compensation
If the responsibility changed substantially, is the package still aligned with the job?

Roles can evolve during a hiring process.

The important thing is making sure you’re evaluating the current version of the job, not the one you originally applied for.

💗 Treat screening questions like part of the application, not a second cover letter.

If a company asks:

“Tell us about your experience with community growth.”

Avoid spending half the answer explaining how interested you are in the company.

Give them something they can evaluate.

For example:

“I managed a Discord community of X members, introduced a contributor programme, and changed our onboarding flow after noticing new members weren’t reaching the first activation step.”

Specific examples are usually stronger than broad claims like:

“I have extensive community experience and excellent communication skills.”

A simple structure helps:
Context → What you did → Result

And unless the question asks for detail, keep it focused.