Preparing for a Mid-Level Management Job Interview
Release Date: 04/15/2025
Why You're Not Getting Promoted
The Mental Offload Podcast
You’ve been angling for a promotion. And it should be yours. You’ve got strong results. Good performance reviews. You get along with your colleagues. And yet…that promotion still hasn’t come. What’s going on here? Is it bias? A boss who’s not advocating for you? Some hidden secret handshake you haven’t mastered? Let me be clear: You’re probably not imagining it. Vague, coded feedback like “be more strategic” or “your communication could be sharper” is all too common. And yes — bias exists. So do clueless (or overwhelmed) managers who don’t champion you. But,...
info_outline
Offense and Defense at Work
The Mental Offload Podcast
You’re presenting your big recommendation. You’ve prepped. You’ve practiced. You’ve got the room’s attention. And then… Someone pushes back. Challenges your approach. Questions your recommendation. Suddenly, you find yourself on the back foot. Nervous. Stammering. Feeling defensive. But unable to defend yourself well. I see this same pattern with so many brilliant women. They’re strong on offense: those moments when they’re in control of the narrative. They’ve mastered the prep, the pitch, the polish. But when the unexpected happens? When someone else takes the...
info_outline
5 Key Times to Rethink your Personal Brand and Executive Presence
The Mental Offload Podcast
Even the most capable leaders fall into this trap: You evolve professionally—get promoted, shift roles, step into a new organization—but keep showing up the same way you always have. You end up trusted for execution. Valued for your solid judgment. Respected for your work ethic. But still, something’s off. You’re not quite getting the traction you expected. You’re recommendations are getting overlooked. You’re still getting treated as a “junior”, even when your title is “senior”. It’s so frustrating—because you think you’re doing all the right things, but they’re...
info_outline
Part-Time Pitfalls
The Mental Offload Podcast
There’s no sugar-coating it. Most jobs are relentless. Even greedy. You’re not imagining it. It’s very real. (In fact, Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her work highlighting the impact of demanding jobs on the careers and earnings of women.) One potential solution: going part-time. For many women, this is the holy grail of work arrangements. A little less pressure at work, a little more space to breathe at home. It sounds so reasonable. And when you're running on fumes, it's hard not to dream about a schedule that doesn’t have...
info_outline
Power Moms with Joann Lublin
The Mental Offload Podcast
If you’re a working mother with a demanding job, you’ve probably asked yourself: Is this sustainable? Am I doing enough? How do successful moms make this all work? One journalist has some answers to share. This week, I’m joined by Joann Lublin, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Wall Street Journal contributor, and author of Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life. Joann has been studying working mothers for decades. She’s seen firsthand how the expectations, demands, and even the guilt have evolved across generations. She’s lived it, too. In fact,...
info_outline
Noble Excuses with Elizabeth Sherman
The Mental Offload Podcast
As kids finish off the school year, I’m looking back in awe how much they’ve grown and accomplished this year. And then, the proud reverie is interrupted. It’s like a split screen where I see my own stalled progress. And feel a giant ugh in the pit of my stomach. I see the goals I meant to prioritize this year — consistent exercise, healthier meals, getting to bed by 10pm. On some of them, I’m doing great. On others…it’s not pretty. When life is going at full speed — school breaks, work travel, a sudden realization that no one is available for pickup on Thursday —...
info_outline
How to Beat Burnout as a Working Mom with Lori Oberbroeckling
The Mental Offload Podcast
From the outside, it probably looks like you’re doing it all—and doing it well. You’ve checked all the boxes: crushing it at work, holding things down at home, maybe even taking on a volunteer project or two. But on the inside? You might be asking yourself: How much longer can I keep going like this? In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I sit down with Lori Oberbroeckling—senior corporate leader, mom of four, author of Secrets of Supermom, and someone who’s lived through the very burnout she now helps other women recover from. We’re talking about that dangerous...
info_outline
Running Behind
The Mental Offload Podcast
Go getters always manage to get it done. But for some of you, it’s often “just in the nick of time”. Are you jumping from one last-minute push to the next late-night sprint? Have you convinced yourself that this is simply the cost of being successful, high-achieving, and in demand? I know, I know. You want to focus on the result: you’re meeting deadlines. Getting s*** done. I used to tell myself I “worked best under deadline”. But, then I realized my processes were keeping the stakes high and the stress higher. “Cutting it close” isn’t a productivity strategy....
info_outline
Nervous System Regulation (Part 2), with Jane Pilger
The Mental Offload Podcast
If you've ever found yourself trying to stay calm in a heated meeting—or keeping your cool with a tantruming child—you know: try harder is not the answer. In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I continue my powerful conversation with nervous system expert Jane Pilger. We dive deep into how you can regulate your nervous system—and help others regulate, too—even in the midst of difficult conversations. We explore the real reason emotional spirals happen, even when we think we’re "fine." More importantly, you'll learn how to work with your body’s built-in systems to stay...
info_outline
Nervous System Regulation (Part 1), with Jane Pilger
The Mental Offload Podcast
As working mothers and high achievers, we are trained to keep pushing through—no matter the cost. On top of that, you’ve probably been told at some point that the best way to be taken seriously as a woman in leadership is not to show any emotion. That can lead you to keep pushing down your emotions. But those pesky emotions often refuse to be silenced. That’s why I recently sat down with nervous system expert Jane Pilger to demystify a topic you’ve heard about but may not fully get: nervous system regulation. No doubt, you’ve heard about the benefits of nervous system...
info_outlineWhen’s the last time you interviewed for a job?
Maybe it’s been a few years. Or even a few promotions ago.
If so, you need to know that the interview game evolves as your career evolves.
At the mid-to-senior level, interviews are no longer about proving you’re a go-getter who can do anything.
As you get more senior, interviews are about something different:
Showing up as the leader who can drive results, influence outcomes, and represent your employer with authority.
That shift requires a completely different approach.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m breaking down what it really takes to nail your next job interview—from how to tell your story, to the questions you should be asking (and avoiding), to how to walk into that conversation truly knowing you’re a catch.
Because it’s less about knowing the ‘right’ answers, and more about showing that you’re a high-impact leader.
If you’re even thinking about a job change in the next 6–12 months, this episode is required listening.
What You'll Learn:
-
How to prep for mid-career interviews (especially when it’s been years since your last interview)
-
The mindset shift that separates the loyal (junior) team player from the confident (senior) leader
-
Crafting smart questions that position you like a strategic peer, not a hopeful applicant
- The four examples every woman should have ready to go (including how to structure them for maximum impact)
Whether you’re actively interviewing or just want to be ready when the right opportunity comes knocking, this episode will help you bring your A-game to your next job interview.
For more information, visit The Mental Offload.