problem solving

Informational Interviews with Foursquare Employees – The Problem Solvers

Foursquare Progress Chart
~ Nicole Monahan ~ Leave a comment

Foursquare Progress Chart

Best piece of advice: Talk to as many people as you can and often. 

It occurred to me that over the past year I’ve conducted 16 informational interviews with wonderfully talented people from Birchbox, Bit.ly, Warby Parker, Buzzfeed, Flavorpill, Eventbrite, Foursquare, and MKG. What also occurred to me was the fact that I haven’t been sharing the advice I received from so many great people. This really clicked for when I had an informational interview last week at the Foursquare headquarters. Besides fangirling over their fancy offices and meeting Dennis Crowley in person, when I sat down with Anna Frenkel, Head of Consumer Marketing at Foursquare I realized she was giving similar advice that Talisa Chang, Product Marketing, at Foursquare did months earlier…

Become a problem solver.

Here’s some highlights from both interviews:

Talisa:

  • In your cover letter you should list how you’re going to solve their problems. List details, be specific. Provide challenging examples.
  • Get into the company’s mind. What are you going to bring to the table? How can you improve their company? 
  • Seek out competitors. Ask yourself, what would you do differently? 
  • Have an active mind.
  • And finally my personal favorite quote from Miss Talisa. “Go where there’s momentum. Go where there’s energy.” 

Anna:

Began at Foursquare in customer service and community management and started looking for pain points that they were facing and presented a solution for them. 

On Prioritizing: Ask yourself, where can I make the biggest impact?

On figuring yourself out, start thinking about:

  • What is it about a company or job that really interests you? Do you love building Facebook Pages? Content on Twitter? Narrow it down and be specific.
  • What is it about these social media platforms that I wish I would have done? What problem was (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, etc) trying to solve?

I’ve learned two important things from these interviews. Not only does Foursquare like problem solvers, but what these interviews made me realize was how so few companies look or ask for these things. It seems to become more about your resume, what you’ve done, and who you know and less about why this company in the first place or what problems still need to be solved.

Another thing I’ve realized was that I’m clueless in what is it about working in my industry that really interests me. In this economy and more specifically my industry of tech and startups, you’re expected to wear all hats. Even now I do a little bit of everything from event planning, to social media, to marketing and promoting, to community management. Honestly, I was completely thrown off by this question from Anna — How can anyone narrow it down, when you’re expected to do it all? Yet, I understand the importance behind the question. It really forces you to find what you love. And for me, I enjoy being a community manager. I love connecting and interacting with fans of a brand. I love story telling. I think that’s why I like conducting these informational interviews, it’s about learning from everyday people. I must say I’m also pretty obsessed with research, finding what works and what doesn’t with brands, identifying opportunities, and finding what new trends are out there. Above all though, I really would love to Instagram all day. 😉

“We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” – Albert Einstein

Pick Yourself.

Florida coast from an airplane
~ Nicole Monahan ~ Leave a comment

Florida coast from an airplane

Just before take off I hear “you can always come back home” on the radio station. Right before the Jetblue TV’s cut off to the flight attendants giving their instructions. I’m grateful for these signs, leaving Florida and my dad is always the hardest part of any trip. On the one hand Florida is safe and familiar – it’s what I’ve always known. And then there’s New York – stressful, difficult, uncomfortable.

Reflecting on the future, as many do this time of year. I remembered when I first moved here. I remember being picked up by the Guggenheim because of my laid back attitude, my confidence. I need to get back to that place. I need to stop worrying and start thinking positive, and more importantly not let my surroundings beat out the person I am. Realistically, NY is always going to be a pain in the ass. It’s never going to change, so I shouldn’t let it change me.

Of my many resolutions for the new year. It is clear to those that know me that I want to find my dream job. To come to work everyday and know I’m doing work that matters. I had an interesting conversation with my dad before I left, about how we’ve started to hire few and hire those that will do more for less. In turn quality ultimately gets compromised.

As another resolution of mine (to read more, at least a half hour a day and/or on my commute) I’m currently reading Seth Godin’s new book The Icarus Deception. Just recently reading this:

Our cultural instinct is to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission, authority, and safety that comes from a publisher or talk-show host or even a blogger who says, “I pick you.”

Once you reject the impulse and realized that no one is going to select you – then you can actually get to work. 

Once you understand that there are problems waiting to be solved, once you realize that you have all the tools and all the permission you need, then opportunities to contribute abound. The opportunity is not to have your resume picked from a pile but to lead. 

When we take responsibility and eagerly give credit, doors open. When we grab a microphone and speak up, we’re a speak closer to doing the work we’re able to do.

No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself. 

Last year I was waiting to get picked. This year I’m picking myself.