In Before The Lock is a podcast from Erica Kuhl and Brian Oblinger about community, customer experience, and leadership at scale. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and everywhere that podcasts are found.
🔓 100: Win the interview
Erica and Brian run down the most common interview questions and how to answer them.
Community Industry News:
Quinn McCully joined Vesta as Community Management and Engagement Specialist
Maren Hamilton was promoted to Director of Social & Community at The North Face
Ami Defesche joined The Wildcard Alliance as Director of Community
Corey Strausman joined Weights & Biases as Community Manager, Growth
Nick Emmett joined Alvaria as Senior Community & Knowledge Manager
Paul Bradley joined Kaplan as Vice President, Kaplan Community
Farhan Chowdry joined Deen Developers as Community Lead for Forge
Mattie Fairchild joined OP Lab as Head of Developer Relations
Top 10 interview questions and how to answer them:
Role Specific:
What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned at your current role that you think would be relevant to this role? How would it inform you in this role?
What was the most recent community program you built and how did you build it?
Tell me about what you saw when you looked at our community?
Strategy:
Provide an example where you encountered someone or a part of the organization that was not bought into Community. How did you overcome it?
How do you balance the needs of the community and the needs of the business?
What would you say is the most important element to building a vibrant community?
What level of resources do you expect to need to be successful with the community here?
Metrics/Measurement/ROI:
How did you measure success, what were your key metrics, and what insights did you draw from them?
Collaboration:
How have you brought community input/feedback to XYZ teams in your past experience?
Content Strategy:
What was your content strategy when building community?
🔓 99: Looking to break in
How to build a career in community from scratch.
Community Industry News:
Hugh Lashbrooke joined Constantia.io as Director of Community
Melissa Spinella was promoted to Principal Community Manager at UKG
A word on Generative AI and communities…
How to get into the industry from scratch:
🔓 98: 10x Community Pros
Erica and Brian talk through the traits and skills required to become an elite community professional and people to look to for inspiration.
Community Industry News:
Amanda Boyle was promoted to Director of Community Engagement at GitHub
Christina Brashear joined Colibra as Senior Manager, Community Success
Erin Mikail Staples joined Heartex as Senior Developer Community Advocate
Nicola Balkind joined Skillshare as Program & Community Manager, Creator Success
Traits of a “10x Community Pro”:
Business Acumen:
Outcome Focused:
Exec Comms:
Analytical + Storyteller:
People Leadership:
Budgets / Headcount / Resource Allocation:
Experience / Evidence of Repeatable Success:
Operationally Sound:
Curious / Lifelong Learner:
Personable / Social:
🧵 67: Stuck in a loop
“Growing into management is an exciting opportunity, however, the team still isn’t large enough for you to step away from the IC work (yet). How do you balance the player / coach model in Community?” — Krystal Wu