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👋🏼 Hi there! Manager meetings can be scary— I get it! You can head in not knowing what to talk about and feel like you could get your return-offer pulled out from you if you take the wrong step. Hopefully this guide can help you plan ahead and be confident going into your manager meetings and leave feeling like you gained something:)
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Questions & Discussion Points
- Lately, I’ve been working on [XYZ]. I just wanted to check in with you and make sure I’m on the right path.
- I’m blocked on [XYZ]. I’ve worked on it for the past day or two and I’ve asked [ABC person] for help. Do you have any suggestions on what to do moving forward?
- Do you have any advice for how I can improve or grow in the next few weeks/over the course of the internship?
- What do you need to see from me in order to get a return offer/full time offer/promotion?
- Do you have any resources to improve at [XYZ skill/your role]?
- I’m interested in [XYZ subject]. Is there anyone who you think could be a good mentor in this area or someone I could speak with?
- I’m interested in [XYZ subject]. Does our team/org do anything involved with [XYZ subject]? If not, do you know if there’s an area of Microsoft that focuses on this that I could look into?
Example Manager Meeting Timeline:
- Share your current status. Mention any road blocks/issues you’re having upfront. Let them know what you’ve tried and who you’ve talked to in order to solve the current problem. If there are no blocks, share what you’re working on and any 🔥W’s you’ve had throughout the week/month (I’ll be sharing a template for keeping track of your successes on a weekly basis in the next video👀).
- Ask if they need anything from you— this is your chance to get feedback. Ask if you can improve on anything and how they think you’re doing.
- Career talk. Use every manager conversation as an opportunity to talk about your goals (return offer, full-time offer, promotion, changing roles etc)and how to reach them. This can be a one minute conversation or 20 minutes.
Things to Keep in Mind:
Your manager wants you to succeed (99% of the time lol) and they’re there to help you grow in your career. Be honest with them, and use their knowledge and experience to your advantage. The best manager relationships I’ve had are when we see eye-to-eye and they understand what my career goals are, and they can help me achieve them.