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132. A CS Hiring Manager Who Interviewed 3,000 CSMs Tells You What Gets You Hired (with Michael Boyd)
Episode 1325th August 2026 • Customer Success Career Coach, Career Tips and Proven Job Interview Strategies For Every Customer Success Manager (CSM) • Carly Agar | Customer Success Career Coach
00:00:00 00:41:19

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When you've interviewed more than 3,000 CSMs, you start to see exactly what separates the candidates who get hired from the ones who don't.

In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Michael Boyd, a three time VP of Customer Success who has hired more than 100 CSMs, to unpack what hiring managers are really looking for in today's market. We talk about how to stand out in technical interviews even if you're not highly technical, the two out of three rule he uses when evaluating candidates, and what AI fluency actually looks like now that it has become an expectation instead of a bonus.

By the end of this conversation, you'll know what hiring managers are actually paying attention to, where candidates often miss the mark, and how to position yourself as the kind of CSM companies want to hire. If you are ready to stop guessing what hiring managers want and start interviewing with more confidence, hit play and let's dive in.

And if you're tired of knowing you're qualified but not getting the offer, apply for coaching HERE and let's help you land your next Customer Success job.

02:30 – What hiring managers actually want before they hire

06:40 – The interview red flags that should make you think twice

11:15 – What technical interviews are really testing

17:15 – The two out of three rule for landing stretch roles

21:20 – Why the best CSMs are becoming more consultative in the age of AI

32:31 – What AI fluency really looks like in an interview

FREEBIES & RESOURCES:

🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE

🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume

🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself

🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral

CONNECT WITH ME:

❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/

💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at [email protected]

HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode132

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Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.

New episodes drop every Wednesday!

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