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Helping or Roasting? A Mock Interview with a friend

Kate Smoliakova
6 min readNov 25, 2024

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Could you imagine starting out as colleagues, becoming friends, then switching companies together, and working at a new place side by side?

Sounds like a workplace romance, minus the drama. It’s one of those rare experiences where you’ve got each other’s backs, freely share fails and fears, and even gossip when things get tough — because, hey, a friendship at work is like a soft pillow on a long flight. It’s the comforting “safe space” we all need.

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Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Even now, after we’re no longer working together, we still support each other in every way we can. Now comes the most exciting part: job hunting after a sabbatical. Ah, the thrill of jumping back into the pool! Both of us are on the prowl for new opportunities.

Here’s where we’re at:

  • My friend’s in Berlin, hunting for a Product Manager role in healthcare.
  • I’m in Tallinn, on the lookout for a Project or Product Manager position, ideally in a fast-paced, startup environment (because who doesn’t love a bit of chaos with their coffee?).

I’ve got a little experience in mock interviews already. I did two rounds with an IT recruiter, which were eye-opening.

The interviews helped me make a big shift in focus — from…

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Kate Smoliakova
Kate Smoliakova

Written by Kate Smoliakova

Product Manager. I write about my experience as manager and writer, ADHD and my interests as running, travelling, art and food. https://smoliakova.me/

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