A woman who interviewed over 100 people at Goldman Sachs says this was the most impressive question a job candidate ever asked her

Becca Brown

Interviews are a two-way street.

Any good hiring manager will turn the tables at the end of the conversation and invite the candidate to ask them questions – and any savvy interviewee will take advantage of this opportunity and ask smart, thoughtful questions. 

Business Insider recently spoke with Becca Brown, the cofounder of Solemates, a brand of women's shoe care products, who knows a thing or two about interviewing.

Before launching her own business, Brown, who has a bachelor's from Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia, spent a lot of time interviewing job candidates at Goldman, where she held various roles, including analyst, wealth adviser, and chief of staff. She was also part of the investment bank's Harvard recruiting team, she says.

"I interviewed anywhere from 20 to 30 job candidates a year, so in total, I interviewed over 100 people at Goldman Sachs," she tells Business Insider. She says there was one question a few candidates asked her over the years that she was particularly impressed by: "What's one of the most interesting projects or opportunities that you've worked on?"

When we asked Brown why she liked this query so much, she said:

I like this question because it gets me thinking about my own experiences, and my response changes depending on what I was or am working on (and in theory, should always be changing if I'm challenging myself and advancing).

This question asks for specifics, and by asking for a specific example, candidates can get a better understanding of what the job is all about and it gives them an awareness of how people function in certain roles. 

I always liked getting this question because it would make me reflect on what experiences I was excited about or proud of at the time, and it would make me want to create more of these types of opportunities and experiences. 

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