Congratulations on making it this far! You’ve done a lot of work, and I’m sure you are already a better PM as a result. This last lesson focuses on the interview process itself. Though the process will be different for every company, this section will give you an idea of what the hiring company is typically looking for in each stage of the process.
It is very difficult to measure Product Management expertise, and on paper, most PMs looks great. Because of this, the PM interview is usually designed to evaluate not only if you are a great PM, but if you are the right PM for that company at that moment in time. Notice that I emphasize “that moment in time”. Companies evolve and new opportunities open up all the time. Keeping close ties with your network will keep you on their radar for when the right opportunity arises.
As you go into the interview stage, your mindset must change. You are no longer asking for AIR. You are selling hard to close a deal!
Step 1: HR interview
This is the beginning of the funnel. After reviewing many resumes, an HR representative or recruiter contacts the candidates who stood out. Their goal is to get some basic information about the candidate’s experience, interest in the company, and overall fit for the role. They are looking to filter out many candidates that looked good on paper but aren’t really a good fit for the position.
Usually, HR professionals are not PM professionals, so they won’t be able to gauge your hard skills as well as the hiring manager can. Their focus is to figure out how your experience matches the requirements given to them by the hiring manager. They are also looking at your overall communication skills and passion. Yes, passion. If you show you are really passionate about the opportunity, the Product Management profession, and the company, then you’ll have a much better chance at making it through this step.
It is very likely the recruiter will ask you about your salary requirements. They are not looking to box you into a number. They only want to ensure that your expectations fit within the budget they’ve been given. If the candidate is outside the range, then there’s no point in continuing the conversations.
You’ve done your homework, so you know how much these roles pay. Feel free to tell the recruiter your expectations. If the salary range the company is offering is extremely different than what you need, then don’t waste your time (or theirs). Move on to the next opportunity. No big deal. Just take the time to learn from this experience and fine tune your process to make sure you are targeting the companies/roles that meet your salary expectations.
If you need to do some research about salary, then Salary.com and Glassdoor.com are good places to start. Keep in mind that every company is different and salaries vary widely by industry, location, and level of experience. These websites can give you a ballpark estimate.
As always, your best bet for finding real answers about salary ranges is to ask for AIR from connections (see Lesson 9). HR folks or people that used to work at those companies might be able to give you more accurate ranges. Additionally, Pragmatic Marketing creates this report every year. It’s a good resource for familiarizing yourself with the PM landscape.
Step 2: Hiring manager conversation
Once HR finds a candidate who might be a good fit and whose salary is within budget, they will probably schedule a call between you and the hiring manager. In this short (20-30 minute) conversation, the hiring manager will evaluate if you have the right experience and personality to join the team. They’ll also gauge your soft skills, specifically your communication skills. The hiring manager needs to be confident that you can talk to customers, engineers, and executives from day one.
This interview gives you an opportunity to understand what the hiring manager is looking for. Probe to understand their pains and explain how you can help them. This is similar to doing customer development interviews with potential customers. Remember that this should be a two-way evaluation. They are evaluating you, but you are also evaluating them.
Here are some common questions you can expect during this interview:
- Please walk me through your resume.
- Describe some of your biggest accomplishments.
- Why are you interested in a career in Product Management?
- Where do you want to take your career, and how will this position help you get there?
- Why do you want to work for our company?
- Knowing what you know of our company and the role, what can you bring to the table?
Note: For more tactical interview questions, see the additional resources section at the end of this lesson.
As a word of caution, stay away from harmful analogies like “CEO of the Product”. They can backfire very quickly.
The hiring manager has a strong need to hire somebody quickly. But at the same time, they have a reputation to maintain. They know that bringing a candidate onsite means asking their collegues to take time out of their busy schedules to interview you. They don’t want to waste people’s time or tarnish their reputation as a good hiring manager. Therefore, you need to convince the hiring manager that you can do the job, but also make them look good in front of their peers.
Also, be sure to prepare a list of questions to ask. You’ll be evaluated on those as well. Candidates that have no questions are usually a big disappointment. It shows lack of interest and lack of preparation. They also make me wonder if this candidate can successfully do customer development or get voice of customer. The moment the hiring manager has doubts, you are done. So be well prepared for the interview, you won’t regret it.
Here are some good questions to ask a hiring manager. I encourage you to come up with your own set of questions and make sure you get as much information as possible as part of the interview.
- What are the key attributes you look for in a PM?
- Why are you hiring for this role now? (What’s going on in the company?)
- Is this a new position or did somebody leave? (Try to get to the why on both questions.)
- What are the biggest challenges of the PM team?
- How are decisions made in the organization, and what’s the level of influence of the PM team?
- How would you describe your management style?
- What is the relationship like between PM and Engineering? (or any other department)
- Can you tell me about the company strategy and how this role will support it?
Last but not least, the hiring manager will want to understand your domain knowledge. This is a very hard part of the interview for many PMs since we often jump from industry to industry. If you are looking for your dream job, then you probably have developed a good amount of expertise in your desired domain, so this part might not be an issue.
If you don’t have the domain knowledge yet, you’ll have an additional hurdle to jump. You’ll need to convince the hiring manager that what you bring to the table regarding the other three pillars (soft skills, business acumen, and technical skills) outweighs your lack of domain knowledge. If this is the case, let the hiring manager know all the work you’ve done to learn the domain (books, training classes, industry journals, meetups, etc). This shows that you care and that you are serious about this role or industry.
Keep in mind that not having domain knowledge means more work for the hiring manager, since you’ll need more coaching and training. You might not be disqualified immediately, but it might result in a lower salary or a lower title than what you were hoping for.
Step 3: Team interview
You made it to this step. Great job! Team interviews are usually onsite, so that means the hiring manager sees enough potential in you to bring you in and introduce you to the team.
During this step, you will meet with representatives of the key areas you’d be working with, including:
- Product Management
- Engineering
- Product Marketing
- UX
If you are applying for an executive position (Director or above), you’ll likely meet with heads of other departments like Sales, Business Development, Customer Service, and Finance. And depending on the size of the company, you might meet directly with people from the C-Suite.
The team interview is also a great opportunity for you to learn about the company culture and what the working environment is like. As you meet with the various groups, I encourage you to understand what the day-to-day looks like and how the rest of the company interacts with Product Management.
Before the interview, make sure you get a list of the people you’ll be talking to. For every interviewer, use LinkedIn to research their background. For example:
- What is their role in the organization?
- What is their background?
- What companies and roles were they in before?
- Do you have something in common? (connections, companies, hobbies, etc)
Then craft some questions in advance that are specific to each interviewer.
During each of the interviews, make sure you answer their questions in a way that it is relevant to them. Read between the lines of why they are asking you that question. Each of the teams will want to know your level of experience with their area. For example:
- Engineering might want to know your experience with Agile or writing stories.
- Marketing might probe into your business sense and how you work with Sales and customers.
- UX might want to know your understanding of the UX process and how you work with designers.
- Your PM peers will be interested in your knowledge of Product Management as a whole.
- Executives will be interested in your leadership skills, your strategic thinking, and your ability to relate products to the bottom line.
Regardless of the department they belong to, all interviewers will evaluate you on these areas:
- Your overall communication skills
- Culture fit (meaning, can I work with this person?)
- Domain knowledge
During this round of interviews, you’ll probably meet again with the hiring manager. At this point, they’ll go deeper into your experience and what you bring to the table. Usually they’ll perform a behavioral interview, so be prepared for these types of questions. See the resources section at the end of this lesson for more information.
Step 4: Case presentation
More and more companies are asking candidates to give a presentation. Although this will require work on your part, it’s a great opportunity for you to showcase the full range of your skills.
The goal of the presentation is to evaluate your overall knowledge, attention to detail, presentation skills, and how you work under pressure. The topic will vary at each company. It could be anything from improving an existing product, driving a planning session, analyzing some internal situation, etc. For more information about case presentations, check out the additional resources at the end of this lesson.
The presentation usually takes place onsite, in front of several representatives from several departments. Your presentation and communication skills are as important as the content you are presenting. Just like in previous interviews, make sure you understand who your audience is and be ready to answer any questions they throw your way. Also be sure to prepare additional questions for you to ask them. You have a captive audience, so this is a good opportunity to show you’ve done your research and to learn more about the company and the role.
Additional resources:
- The Ultimate Guide to Product Manager Interview Questions
- Manager Tools: Interview Series
- Book: Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology
Congratulations!
You’ve made it to the end. I hope you found this guide useful, and that you are well on your way to finding your dream job! I would love to hear your thoughts on this guide. Was it helpful? Which parts were most useful? Which parts could be improved for the future? Should anything be added or removed? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts, or drop me a line through my contact page.