Reverse-Engineer The Role
Go study the person already doing the job before you interview for it.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 78%
Reverse-Engineer The Role is Javier's resourcefulness play for interview prep: instead of guessing what a role requires, go watch someone actually perform it. He used the prep questions the interviewer gave him and observed a real practitioner handling the core task, then replicated their approach in his own interview. The method extends to rapidly self-teaching required skills and the industry's lingo so you sound credible, on the belief that you can figure out the actual job along the way. Its power is that it costs no money — just creativity and initiative.
Origin
Interviewing for a Google Ads sales operations role, Javier was given some prep questions. Rather than just rehearse, he called Google Ads posing as a disgruntled small-business customer, recorded how the rep handled him, and studied the reaction to replicate it in his interview.
Core principles
- 01You can prepare for an interview by observing how someone currently in the role actually performs it.
- 02Resourcefulness and creativity beat spending money on prep.
- 03First-hand observation of the real work reveals exactly what interviewers want to see.
- 04You can figure out the job along the way — you just need to get up to speed fast and know the lingo.
How to run it
- 1
Gather what the role demands
Collect the prep questions and responsibilities the interviewer provides for the role.
- 2
Observe someone doing the job
Find a way to watch a current practitioner handle the exact task the role involves, under real conditions.
Pro tip Recording or taking detailed notes lets you review every part of how they react.
Watch out Keep any simulation honest and lawful — don't let a role-play cross into harmful deception.
- 3
Replicate their approach
In your interview, mirror the way the practitioner handled the situation.
- 4
Get up to speed fast
Rapidly learn any required tools and industry terminology so you sound like you know what you're talking about.
Pro tip Knowing the lingo lets you sound credible and then figure out the details on the job.
In the wild
Preparing for a Google Ads sales-operations interview, Javier called Google Ads pretending to be a disgruntled customer of his own fictional business, recorded how the rep responded, and studied every part of the reaction.
→ He replicated the rep's approach in his interview and passed the first rounds at Google.
When a Google role listed 'advanced Excel,' Javier bought a $5 Excel class on Groupon, took it, and could truthfully say he had Excel experience while learning the lingo.
→ He met the requirement and could speak credibly about the skill, then figure out the rest on the job.
Common mistakes
Guessing at what the role needs
Preparing off assumptions instead of observing real practice leaves you unprepared for what interviewers actually probe.
Thinking you must be a full expert first
You can learn along the way; refusing to apply until you're an expert costs you opportunities you could grow into.
Is it for you?
Best for
Resourceful candidates interviewing for roles where they can observe or simulate the real work beforehand.
Not ideal for
Situations requiring deception that could cross ethical or legal lines, or roles with no observable proxy.
From the transcript
“why don't i just take these questions and go ask the person who's in my role currently right now how they would react”
“you can figure it out along the way you don't have to be an expert ... you just have to be willing to learn”
From the episode
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