Key Skills to Succeed in Ops

Without realizing it, Cassie Holekamp was slowly building a foundation for her career in operations. As an Executive Lead at Target, she experienced a mix of recruiting and operations firsthand. A natural people-person and self-proclaimed “could talk to a wall,” full-time recruiting felt like the right next move. After several years recruiting in logistics—the epitome of operations—Cassie knew it was time to dive fully into an operations role. Now, four months in as Director of Operations, Cassie shares insights on accelerating your operations career and nailing your next Ops interview. Read the full article here!

What are some common misconceptions people have about operations roles?

Some see operations as less strategic than other departments. However, it actually plays a central role within a company. Many people think it’s purely technical and highly repetitive, but solving operational challenges often requires innovative thinking—it’s never just “by the book.” Contrary to the belief that operations is straightforward and completely technical, it actually demands a lot of creativity.

What qualities or skills make someone well-suited for long-term success in operations leadership?

The two most essential soft skills for operations are adaptability and resilience. Operations environments can be highly unpredictable, so you need to handle change with agility while staying aligned with company goals. Resilience is crucial to maintaining focus amid setbacks and high-pressure situations.

Another key skill for operations is curiosity and a constant desire to learn. Whether you’ve been in the industry for five years or five months, staying curious is essential. Operations is not a clear-cut role; it’s always evolving. To keep up in this constantly changing field, you need to commit to continuous learning.

How would you explain the operations career path to someone in their undergrad trying to determine the career they want to pursue?

The core of operations is all about ensuring that the business is running smoothly, effectively, and efficiently. In my experience, you’re always identifying areas of improvement. You’re trying to find the problem before it becomes a problem. And, if you have that meticulous mindset, and can really dig into those workflows and processes, you can craft a very rewarding and impactful career in operations.

What are some of the most common challenges you’ve faced in your various roles, and how have you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges in operations is translating high-level strategies into actionable steps. It’s not easy to ensure that everything is executed smoothly while managing pressure and staying focused. For me, it all comes down to prioritizing. I’ve learned to overcome these challenges by networking and keeping mentors close. Connecting with others in similar roles helps me stay resilient and curious. You’re going to hit roadblocks, but there’s always a way around them if you stay adaptable and keep learning.

If you had 5 minutes to prep someone for an operations role interview, what would you say? Are there any questions that stuck out to you from your interview process?

Do your research on the company and dig deeper than surface level. You don’t want to just know what the company is and what they do, but you also want to know how they became a company and more.?

As you’re answering questions, be sure to share examples of how you’ve managed pressure and how you prioritize projects. This is key for someone looking at interviewing for a role like this. Your interviewers will want to know how you approach prioritization and how you will organize your time to help their company. Being able to speak to these issues will make you stand out as a candidate.

?A question that stood out to me in my interview process was, ‘You’re at a crossroads. You’ve been told to go right, but you feel you need to go left. How would you handle that?’ Operations often involves navigating those crossroads and deciding when to stay the course or adapt. So, be ready to share how you would approach that situation and think of real-life examples of how you’ve done that in the past.

Thanks for sharing, Cassie!