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@mzbat
Last active May 17, 2023 20:19
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Mock Interview & Resume Review Workshop

September 2016, I tweeted that I'd volunteer time to help a few folks at DerbyCon who struggle with anxiety during interviews. I'd just come off of a 2 week hiring sprint and saw a lot of candidates with great technical skills who failed miserably when it came to answering "soft" questions. I thought spending a couple of hours with struggling folks at DerbyCon would be a simple way to give back to the community that's given me so much.

Response was overwhelming and it became pretty clear that the community needed more help than I would be able to give in a few short hours. I published 2 Google forms - One for volunteers to help and the other for participants. Somewhere along the way, DerbyCon organizers caught wind of the project and generously offered a room to conduct mock interviews and review resumes. Just like that, a workshop was born.

I'm setting up this Gist with the hope that sharing my format, forms, guidelines, and lessons learned will inspire other folks to take the lead on this endeavor at other conferences (I'm looking at you, BSides organizers). The need is there and folks are willing to help those in need. My hope is that putting my experience out there will encourage others to conduct, expand, and improve this workshop througout the Infosec community.

@thecravenone
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@commit-dkp
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Thoughts on the practicality of trying to adapt this workshop format for remote candidates, too?

@unprovable
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(NB this may be in the google doc we can't see)

A time-limit for the interview would be helpful for both parties. E.g.
5mins - interviewer reviews CV without interviewee present.
25-45mins - Interview
15-25mins - interview 'debrief'

Not to be rigid, but just as a guide for how the time is best spent in your experience. It'll bend to different people, sure, but it can help manage expectations on both sides. :)

@mzbat
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mzbat commented Aug 24, 2017

This thread is great, should add to resume tips (w/ credit)
https://twitter.com/Legal_Briefs08/status/900173072900038656

@mzbat
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mzbat commented Sep 19, 2017

Add childcare (if possible) with trustworthy, vetted folks, in a public area accessible to parents.
screen shot 2017-09-19 at 9 35 40 am

@dpcybuck
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Has mock job descriptions been discussed "here?" SANS is always be closing, but I open their mail anyway. They sent a development skills poster (which of course points to all of their classes). But maybe for the workshop it could be the framework for mock job descriptions.

@mzbat
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mzbat commented Oct 20, 2017

Moving this to github for easier maintenance and PRs. Stand by pl0x.

@viennalewis
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What a great idea and a way to help the community. Can you share your google docs?

@dpcybuck
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dpcybuck commented Feb 2, 2018

@viennalewis i've got some templates handy.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Uq2vdfRsPJxNk8LhnU1hLl5zFyL7GxidHpDBLDAKsck
https://drive.google.com/open?id=12qg3Bfk-W1ZCPzqZcb_8X4PehNc1KtmJN7Vmt41XNdA

Its not anything special but it should get you started. And I can't promise these links will be active forever. coughGitHubcough

@dpcybuck
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dpcybuck commented Feb 2, 2018

Here is an email and twitter blurb for advertising and building up attendance. Again, nothing special and this link won't be live forever.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13C4FDCglwc4LYfh-9ab1hxuGM1eUIS3UkUMJPm1algM/edit?usp=sharing

@mzbat
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mzbat commented Mar 27, 2018

THIS HAS MOVED TO GITHUB. PLEASE OPEN AN ISSUE TO COMMENT.
https://github.com/mzbat/mirr

NO MORE COMMENTS HERE PL0X.

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