Your first manager is important because they help shape your future and, in turn, how you impact the world.

In fact, Meg Whitman, former CEO of HPE, emphasized during her talk on leadership on the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcast that your first manager will have the biggest impact on your ability to develop as a new professional.

“Your biggest influence as you leave school is going to be the person you work for. Do they share the same values? Do you think they're going to be a good mentor and help you learn? Your job in your first five years out of undergraduate school or graduate school is learning.”

Robert Sutton, professor of management science at Stanford University, reinforces the impact of poor managers in his book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best… and Learn from the Worst.

“Bosses shape how people spend their days and whether they experience joy or despair, perform well or badly, or are healthy or sick. Unfortunately, there are hoards of mediocre and downright rotten bosses out there, and big gaps between the best and the worst.” It’s likely that poor managers may have an even greater impact on recent graduates, who might not have the skills to navigate a “rotten boss.”

We realized a number of factors determined the quality of a manager. To discern those factors, new designers need to ask the right questions during manager interviews.

We’ll teach you how to ask about company values, work environment, and the manager’s expertise in user experience.