Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology PDF
Preview Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology
CRACKING THE PM INTERVIEW How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology Also by Gayle Laakmann McDowell Cracking the Coding Interview 150 Programming Questions and Solutions The Google Resume How to Prepare for a Career and Land a Job at Apple, Microsoft, Google, or any Top Tech Company CRACKING THE PM INTERVIEW How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology GAYLE LAAKMANN MCDOWELL Founder and CEO, CareerCup.com JACKIE BAVARO Product Manager, Asana CareerCup, LLC Palo Alto, CA CRACKING THE PM INTERVIEW Copyright © 2014 by CareerCup, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Published by CareerCup, LLC, Palo Alto, CA. Version 1.01391280371759. For more information, contact [email protected]. 978-0984782819 (ISBN 13) To my little buddy, Davis. ~ Gayle To Tim, who supports me in all my adventures. ~ Jackie Table of Contents 1. Introduction Why does this matter? Who are we? What now? 2. The Product Manager Role What is a PM? Functions of a PM Top Myths about Product Management Project Managers and Program Managers 3. Companies How the PM Role Varies Google Microsoft Apple Facebook Amazon Yahoo Twitter Startups 4. Getting the Right Experience New Grads Making the Most of Career Fairs Do you need an MBA? Why Technical Experience Matters Transitioning from Engineer to Product Manager Transitioning from Designer to Product Manager Transitioning from Other Roles What Makes a Good Side Project? 5. Career Advancement Tips and Tricks for Career Advancement Q & A: Fernando Delgado, Sr. Director, Product Management at Yahoo Q & A: Ashley Carroll, Senior Director of Product Management, DocuSign Q & A: Brandon Bray, Principal Group Program Manager, Microsoft Q & A: Thomas Arend, International Product Lead, Airbnb Q & A: Johanna Wright, VP at Google Q & A: Lisa Kostova Ogata, VP of Product at Bright.com 6. Behind the Interview Scenes Google Microsoft Facebook Apple Amazon Yahoo Twitter Dropbox 7. Resumes The 15 Second Rule The Rules Attributes of a Good PM Resume What to Include 8. Real Resumes: Before & After Richard Wang (Anonymized) Paul Unterberg Amit Agarwal (Anonymized) Adam Kazwell 9. Cover Letters Elements of a Good PM Cover Letter The Cover Letter Template A Great Cover Letter 10. Company Research The Product The Strategy The Culture The Role The Questions 11. Define Yourself “Tell Me About Yourself” (The Pitch) “Why do you want to work here?” “Why should we hire you?” “Why are you leaving your current job?” “What do you like to do in your spare time?” “Where do you see yourself in five years?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Sample Strengths Sample Weaknesses 12. Behavioral Questions Why These Questions Are Asked Preparation Follow-Up Questions Types of Behavioral Questions 13. Estimation Questions Approach Numbers Cheat Sheet Tips and Tricks Example Interview Sample Questions 14. Product Questions About the Product Question Type 1: Designing a Product Type 2: Improving a Product Type 3: Favorite Product Preparation Tips and Tricks Sample Questions 15. Case Questions The Case Question: Consultants vs. PMs What Interviewers Look For Useful Frameworks Product Metrics Interview Questions 16. Coding Questions Who Needs To Code What You Need To Know How You Are Evaluated How To Approach Developing an Algorithm Additional Questions Solutions 17. Appendix Ian McAllister: Top 1% PMs vs. Top 10% PMs Adam Nash: Be a Great Product Leader Sachin Rekhi: The Inputs to a Great Product Roadmap Ken Norton: How to Hire a Product Manager Amazon Leadership Principles 18. Acknowledgements Gayle Laakmann McDowell Jackie Bavaro Please join us at CrackingThePMInterview.com for additional resources and information, or to discuss questions with fellow PMs. Introduction Chapter 1 Product management is a strange role. For many roles, getting from point A to point B is pretty obvious. If you want to get a programming job, you learn how to program. So you go to college for computer science or you learn to write code on your own. Ditto for being an accountant, lawyer, doctor, etc. If you want to be a product manager, what do you do? There are no schools for product management. There’s no formal training. It’s also not a role you typically get promoted into, exactly. How, then, does one land a product manager job? That’s what this book is here to teach you. Jackie and I have worked with countless current and aspiring product managers to help them learn how to get the right experience, how to position themselves appropriately, how to prepare for interviews, and how to ace them. This book translates these many hours of coaching sessions and conversations into written form. Why does this matter? Product management shouldn’t be this elusive role, accessible only to those who are lucky (and connected) enough to have someone explain what PMing is all about. Greater accessibility is a good thing for candidates and employers alike. You, the candidate, are better able to position yourself for a job when you know what to expect. It’s not about faking anything; you can actually acquire the experience you need once you know you need it. When it comes time for interviews, you’ll able to prepare for their questions more effectively. You will learn how to describe your unique experiences and most important accomplishments. You’ll learn how to tackle problem-solving
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