Wednesday, April 24, 2024

How To Crack Pm Interview

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Process And Timeline For Pm Interviews

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Product Manager roles are in great demand in FAANG and big tech companies. According to Levels.fyi, entry-level product manager roles pay anywhere between $160k-$217k at FAANG companies and do not necessarily require a technical background. You can learn about the roles and responsibilities of a product manager and more about product management onhow to land a product manager role.

PM interviews at most FAANG and big tech companies consist of 4-6 rounds. It all begins with an optimized resume to get shortlisted for interviews, followed by one/two phone screenings with the recruiter and on-site/online PM interviews with senior-level managers at the firm.

Similar to interviews for other roles, your interview prep must include product manager interview questions and also those related to the company and your position.

How Much Time To Invest

You could spend several months trying to perfect every nuance of your answers but in my opinion, after a while preparing for PM interviews tends to reach a point of diminishing returns. The fatigue is real and you might even get to a point that you stop making any real progress.

So in all, I spent ~10 weeks but that also involved juggling a full time job, family, life in the time of COVID among other things and towards the later part of my preparation, I noticed I was getting worn out and just done with repeating the same questions and answers over and over again.

Here were a few things that help me assess if I was ready to go into the interview battlefield:

  • No fear of doing mock interviews: In the initial days, I just ended up postponing my mock interviews because I felt absolutely uncomfortable but as I practiced more, it started becoming a fun exercise.
  • Can reasonably get to an MVP or a solution prep interviews: Again, nail the structure but also focus on the content.
  • When the feedback starts to get nit-picky: Towards the later half of my prep, both my peers and coaches started nit picking on my solutions and encouraged me to interview. and at that point I felt I could go ahead with the real interviews.
  • When you start getting bored: Trust me this can happen! Too much of everything is counter productive and that also holds true for interview preparation. Don’t over do it.

General Tips For Interviews

  • Stand up whenever possible: in between interviews and during interviews if appropriate. Studies show that standing up helps your body release endorphins and reduce cortisol, i.e. the stress hormone. This should improve your alertness and overall interview performance.
  • Use the whiteboard: if you have the option of using a whiteboard during a design exercise or an analytical question, do so by all means. There are a couple of benefits: one, you get to stand up and two, it allows you to articulate abstract ideas and apply structure to your answer in a more effective manner.
  • Be pumped/excited: if you are able to convey genuine excitement and passion, you will likely score more points in your interview. So listening to a song that gets you going or watching an inspirational video on YouTube right before you walk in is a great idea.
  • Try to connect beyond the interview: look for common ground with your interviewer whether its a town you both have lived in, a hobby you both practice, a type of restaurant you both enjoy, or an obscure band you both follow. Every interviewer is implicitly or explicitly judging whether youd be an interesting person to work with.
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    Examples For Google Estimation Questions:

    • What’s your favorite restaurant? How much would they make in a year?
    • Suppose you were to create an automated pizza delivery service. How would you estimate the number of bots you need to deliver pizzas within your locale?
    • How much is storage space required to host all the images of Google Street View?

    So Is It Worth A Read

    How to Crack your Product Management Career (with Jackie Bavaro, co ...

    While you shouldnt necessarily use Cracking the PM Interview as your product management bible, its definitely worth giving a try. Its real-world examples and strategies to solve interview questions will offer useful context for your recruitment process, especially if youve never done a product management interview before. On the other hand, if youre an experienced PM, you may need to temper your expectations a bit. But it can still be an interesting read and a useful resource, even if youre just checking it out to see what everyone else is talking about.

    The information provided herein is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice and should not be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security by Candor, its employees and affiliates, or any third-party. Any expressions of opinion or assumptions are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and the opinions presented herein should not be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Investing in securities involves risk. Loss of principal is possible.

    Also Check: What To Write In An Interview Thank You Note

    Examples For Amazon Pm Technical Questions:

    • Design a simple load balancer for Google.com. What data structures would you use?
    • Amazon is developing a machine-learning algorithm to better target shoppers who have saved items in their shopping carts. The algorithm will send an email to users to remind them about their shopping carts. What factors would you consider when designing this algorithm? What variables would you tweak to yield higher shopping cart purchase rates?
    • Explain ACID transactions.

    Although the weightage of each of these areas may differ depending on the company you’re interviewing for, preparing all of them is equally essential to excel in your interviews and land an offer.

    Preparing For Pm Interviews: How To Get There In 1520 Hours

    Ive conducted upwards of 400 PM interviews in the last 11 years, and currently coach individuals who want to improve their chances of getting the PM job of their dreams.

    Prior to becoming a coach, I spent 5+ years at Google as a Product Manager and 3 years at Yahoo as a Sr Director of Product Management. I have been featured in Cracking the PM interview and have launched products to hundreds of millions of users.

    One thing Ive learned is that landing your dream product management job is no easy task, even for top-performers. Just because youre a successful Product Manager in your day-to-day job doesnt mean you can automatically ace an interview. Look no further than the NBA Slam Dunk Contest to understand why.

    Recommended Reading: Amazon Software Development Manager Interview

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    CrackingthePMInterviewCrackingthe Tech Career Page 2/28. Download File PDF Ing The Coding Interview 6th Edition Noworkore Qualitative Research from Start to Finish, First … crackingthe coding interview 6th edition pdf 100% download Crackingthe Coding Interview What’s the best Python coding.

    Cracking the PM Interview is a comprehensive book on landing a product management role in startups or bigger tech companies. Learn how the ambiguously-named PM role varies between companies, what experiences you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover. Online PDF Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology, Download PDF Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology, Full PDF Cracking.

    Answer : I would also +1 the idea of getting as much practice responding to product questions: * Ask co-workers or friends to interview you * Consider product questions at your own or other companies * Practice with random questions and time your responses at The PM Interview. * Chec.

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    Practice With Experienced Pm Ex

    CS50 and Quora Present: Prep and Practice for Tech Interviews

    Finally, you should also try to practice with experienced PM interviewers, because theyll be able to give you much more accurate feedback than friends or peers who donât have first-hand experience with the PM interview process.

    If you know a Product Manager who can help you, thatâs fantastic! But for most of us, itâs tough to find the right connections to make this happen. And it might also be difficult to practice multiple hours with that person unless you know them really well.

    Hereâs the good news. Weâve already made the connections for you. Weve created a coaching service where you can practice 1-on-1 with ex-interviewers from Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other leading tech companies. Learn more and start scheduling sessions today.

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    Recommended Reading: What Questions They Ask In A Job Interview

    How To Crack The Product Management Interview By Valentine Aseyo

    Its often said that looking for a job can be a full-time job! Interviewing can be particularly tough, especially when youre transitioning into product from a different industry. Our guest writer, a superstar PM, has seen it all though and hes here to help read on for his 10 pro tips to set you up for success!

    Valentine Cem Aseyo is the SVP of Product @ Bandsintown, the #1 concert discovery platform that connects 40 million fans with 450 thousand musicians. Before Bandsintown, he spent 8 years working at in Ireland, India, and US spanning many roles from User Experience to Product, as well as Advertising, Marketing, and Sales. Prior to that, he worked at IBM and Colgate & Palmolive. This unique background covering multiple geographies and departments made him an expert in all cycles of Product Management.

    Valentine is also an Olympic recruiter he interviewed over 2,000 candidates throughout his career and loves sharing his tips & tricks on how to score your dream job in Product Management.

    Interviewing for a job is never a piece of cake. It takes courage, spectacular communication skills, and extensive prep. When I had my first interview 15 years ago, I wish someone gave me these golden rules that took me a decade to learn. If you follow them religiously, you can get any job you apply for.

    Slam Dunk Contests And The Nba

    Since 1984, during each years All-Star Weekend, the NBA hosts a Slam Dunk Contest. The rules of the competition vary slightly every year, but typically consist of multiple rounds, subjectively scored by a panel of 5 celebrity judges. From 20082014 they allowed fan-voting via text messaging to pick the final winner. In 2015, they went back to the traditional judge panel.

    As of 2018, out of the 33 Slam Dunk Champions, only 3 of them have won an NBA championship . Other than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Julius Erving, most competitors are considered dunkers only. LeBron James has famously avoided competing altogether.

    In a critical manner, Slam Dunk Contests are to the NBA league what job interviews are to Product Management they require similar but not fully-overlapping skills. The best NBA players are not necessarily good at Slam Dunk Contests in the same way that the best PMs are not automatically good an interviewing. I have personally witnessed really strong PMs get rejected from companies they thought they could easily get offers from, because they underestimated the effort needed to land a new job. The good news is that there is a systematic way to prepare yourself for PM interviews, even if you already are a top performing Product Manager.

    Recommended Reading: How To Do Good In A Job Interview

    Are You Looking To Get Pmp Certified

    At GreyCampus, we offer high impact-proven PMP course covering the concepts required to clear the PMP certification exam. The vast experience of our instructors, simulated exams, video sessions, flashcards and other tools ensure that you do not fall short of any known learning required for the exam.

    To know more visit

    Is A Cs Background Necessary

    Everything You Need to Know About Cracking the PM Interview

    Companies use technical expertise as a proxy for specific skills. If you dont have a CS background, find ways to develop and demonstrate three skills:

  • Ability to form a working relationship with engineers. PMs have to work closely with engineers, understand their mindset and appreciate the complexity of their work.

  • A good understanding of how long engineering work takes. PMs need to make informed tradeoffs between time spent and the value of the work to the customer.

  • Hands-on and self-sufficient. PMs must be able to make minor product changes and gather data independently.

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    Importance Of Data And Innovation

    The reason that the product you want to build is cool is not good enough. The argument needs to be supported by data and you need to mention this fact in the interview.

    Every hiring manager values innovation. What they want to know is what you are bringing into the company and to the team. When asked what you would want to build for their company all you need is one good idea. Randys advise is not to be afraid of getting up and using the white board for brainstorming and innovating on site. The person interviewing you might even join you for brainstorming!

    Also Check: How To Prepare For A Podcast Interview

    Where Can I Find It

    While Cracking the PM Interview is available at many book and retail stores, the books website suggests buying it on . Although it typically sells at a list price of $39.95, right now you can buy it for a discounted price of $17.99, or you can purchase the ebook for $9.99. Its customer reviews average an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars, and its currently rated as the #3 title in product management.

    Recommended Reading: How To Interview With A Ceo

    Examples For Amazon Analysis Questions:

    • Around 40% of reviews on Amazon are fake. As a PM in Amazon, how will you tackle the problem? Break your answer into three parts: 1. How will you identify a review is fake? 2. What action will you take? 3. If the number of fake reviews is decreased, what will be the impact?
    • You are a PM for an e-commerce company. Due to some mistakes, the data team lost all key metrics. What metrics will you track as PM?
    • You are the PM for Amazon’s cart page. How would you build a dashboard to measure success?

    How To Prepare For Netflix Product Manager Interview Questions

    CS50 and Quora Present: Preparation and Practice for Technical Interviews 2017

    Just like Apple, Netflixâs product manager interview questions are aimed at finding out if youâll be a cultural fit and whether you have the required knowledge of the products they provide to their users. Netflix values candidates who do their research on the company.

    âCandidates should prepare themselves with an understanding of Netflixâs values and any relevant news about the company.â â Patty McCord, a talent manager at Netflix

    âEach candidate should be a Netflix subscriber and be familiar with the product from the user perspective. Everyone at Netflix is passionate about the product, and they own it from day one.â â Christophe Jouin, Device Engineer

    Read Also: What Questions Are You Asked In An Interview

    What Do Companies Look For In A New Product Manager

    Before we dive into questions, its important to get inside your interviewers head. What are they looking for?

    Aside from intellect, smarts, the power to adapt, think and act on their feet? They want a person who is motivated to do the job, can work with different teams and has the ability to prioritize features that they already know users are looking for. A Product Manager has to be resilient, strategic and insightful. Which means the hiring company will ask a multitude of questions to figure out if you are the one.

    Here is the ultimate list of questions you can expect to be asked in a Product Management interview. Get ready to nail the interview!

    Its Not As Helpful For Established Pms

    While many readers find that this book can be useful to established PMs by refreshing their skills or even teaching them new techniques, others were disappointed to find a lot of information that they already knew. And since Cracking the PM Interview is mainly geared toward beginner PMs or anyone transitioning into the role, you can expect it to cover a lot of basic content.

    One Amazon reviewer found that its more useful for those without industry experience:

    Decent book, but recommended only if you are in undergrad or have close to zero experience in tech. If you are an experienced professional looking for a transition this is not the book for you.

    Another Amazon reviewer agreed:

    This book is definitely not for seasoned product managers trying to secure their next great role. Its meant for fresh out of school or individuals transitioning to Product Management from another career path…I would say if you have never had a Product role, its probably useful to a decent extent, but if youre more seasoned, look elsewhere, it wont provide too much meaningful information that you dont already know.

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    What Does A Product Manager Mostly Do

    Product Managers act as a link between various functions in an organization.

  • When talking to Finance, a Product Manager needs to understand basic financial terminology and concepts
  • While dealing with engineering, a Product Manager needs to understand the complexities involved in programming
  • When dealing with leadership, a Product Manager should be well adept at creating and delivering presentations
  • However, every product manager need not do all these things and not all organizations need all attributes.

    Thus this becomes important to interview a candidate for things that are integral part of the work in their organization.

    Also, this poses a big challenge for candidates as they have to work on many areas for their interview. The are never sure on how to prepare for the same.

    I take a lot of Product Management interviews

    • For my organization,
    • For some product universities and
    • Some candidates of IIM Bangalore.

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