{"id":77758,"date":"2022-02-18T13:42:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T13:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/?p=77758"},"modified":"2025-01-13T16:25:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:25:57","slug":"product-manager-interview-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/product-manager-interview-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Product Manager Interview Preparation For The Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How to prepare for a product manager interview can vary from business industry to vertical, from corporation to startup. But there are some essential things you can expect in an interview for a PM (product manager) role.<br><br>In this post, we\u2019ll cover what you can expect from the interview structure and process. As for product management interview prep, there are a few smart moves you should make to present yourself in the best light \u2013 and some key ways you can \u201creverse-interview\u201d the company to be sure it\u2019s a good fit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Demo-col6.svg\" alt=\"A Product Manager online interview\" class=\"wp-image-8064\" width=\"590\" height=\"295\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-product-management-interview-prep\">Product management interview prep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"callout content-dark\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\">\n<p>Great interview preparation for a product management role involves 4 steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Understand the structure of the interview process<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Evaluate the case study before you begin<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Understand the types of questions they\u2019ll ask and how to frame your experience<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Prepare questions for the hiring manager<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s go through each one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-to-expect-in-a-product-manager-interview\">What to expect in a product manager interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The typical structure of a PM recruitment process involves<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>An individual interview with the hiring manager<\/li><li>A group interview or secondary interviews with other potential colleagues<\/li><li>A case study, or case interview.<br><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These elements could come in any order. Typically the hiring manager would meet with you first to decide whether to move you forward to the colleague interview or case study stages. That said, some companies might ask for a case study assignment first to qualify you before taking up team members\u2019 time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-a-case-study-in-product-management\">What is a case study in product management?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A case study, also known as a case interview, is a sample work assignment that\u2019s designed to gauge your approach to product management and the processes you follow.<br><br>The hiring manager will give you a situation (sometimes hypothetical, sometimes a real issue the company is facing) and allow you to make recommendations or propose potential solutions.<br><br>Whether issued as a sort of homework assignment or taking place live during the interview, these case study \u201csimulations\u201d can be poorly framed. Don\u2019t be afraid to get whatever clarification you need! Ask questions before you start answering. In fact, that\u2019s a sign you\u2019d be a great PM.<br><br><strong>If a company asks you to whiteboard or build out a solution, watch out.<\/strong> This could mean one of two things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"callout content-dark\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\">\n<p><strong>1. It could be a trap.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t walk into \u201csolutioneering\u201d territory! There\u2019s no way you have enough information about their product or the problems they\u2019re facing to immediately build a solution. Maybe they actually want you to say, \u201cNo, I\u2019m a better product manager than that. I don\u2019t go directly to solutions, instead I ask questions.\u201d<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So, have some courage to ask more questions about the problem in the case study. Then you can walk them through how you\u2019d investigate and research this problem. You could also mention how you\u2019d help them step away from solutioneering in the Product team. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"callout content-dark\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\">\n<p><strong>2. It\u2019s a red flag.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other end of the spectrum, the company really wants you to build a straight-up solution to this problem \u2013 which could mean, once a member of the team, they just want you to shut up and build things. In which case, do not join this company! This is a severely limiting and even debilitating outlook on product management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the ideal scenario, you\u2019re paid for your time working on the case study. It&#8217;s okay to ask if time spent on any assignments is paid, and to ask to be paid for reasonable travel expenses to the interview itself. Plus the end-product is something you can include in your portfolio, regardless if you get this particular job. The work they have you do shouldn&#8217;t be direct work for the interviewer &#8211; eg. you shouldn&#8217;t be solving their problems for free, or unless you&#8217;ve specifically contracted with them for this purpose (which is usually not the case).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-product-manager-interview-questions\">Product manager interview questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Interview questions can be formulated in all sorts of ways. But no matter what, the questions will aim to understand how you would approach the following elements of the job:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Gathering and evaluating feedback (from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/features\/customer-feedback\/\">customers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/features\/productivity-and-collaboration\/team-collaboration\/\">teammates<\/a>)<\/li><li>Prioritizing problems and opportunities (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/features\/roadmaps\/\">roadmap management<\/a>)<\/li><li>Conducting experiments and testing solutions<\/li><li>Product design<\/li><li>Release planning and launches<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, of course, they\u2019ll want to hear about how you function in a team, how you communicate, how you handle stress when a system fails or plans change at the last minute, etc.<br><br><strong>But how do you know what to say?<br><\/strong><br>Well, in addition to being honest, you can look up resources about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/steps-to-becoming-a-product-manager\/\">how to become a great product manager<\/a>. We have loads of further advice that we\u2019ll link throughout this article, plus a list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/best-product-management-books\/\">best product management books<\/a> if you have more time on your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-to-highlight-from-past-experience\">What to highlight from past experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Talk about the problems that you\u2019ve solved.<\/strong> Don\u2019t just list what your responsibilities are or what tools\/frameworks you can use. Actually name the specific outcomes you were a part of! For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI worked on this project which increased user growth from X to Y, \u201d<\/em> or&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI scoped and launched this feature which reduced customer churn by 1.5%.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep an ongoing log of your wins, accomplishments, and results.<\/strong> Use this log to update your LinkedIn and CV on an ongoing basis. It will be super helpful when it comes time to interview, because you won\u2019t have to wrack your brain for great anecdotes or concrete results!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-frame-any-lack-of-knowledge-or-experience\">How to frame any lack of knowledge or experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re coming into an interview without much product experience, don\u2019t sweat it. Product management is in high demand, and you don\u2019t need to have a certain degree or set of experiences to be qualified. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/product-manager-skills\/\">top skills for product managers<\/a> can come from all sorts of educational backgrounds and life experiences.<br><br>Most of all, be <em>eloquent <\/em>about how you\u2019ve identified what problem the company needs to solve \u2013 and be <em>specific <\/em>about how you can uniquely solve their problem! Make sure this messaging is consistent from the cover letter to how you\u2019re answering the interview questions. Highlight side interests, a hack project, or any unique angle you bring to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-show-off-side-projects\">Show off side projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have side projects, this is pretty self explanatory. Treat your hack projects as real PM experience, because it is!<br><br>If you don\u2019t have side projects yet, take on what you can. Start a little website or a simple app. It doesn&#8217;t need to be big. It doesn\u2019t need to be an end-to-end product with a full solution. Just something to show that you\u2019ve identified a problem in the world and have taken a crack at trying to solve it.<br><br>Personal projects will show your PM initiative! You don\u2019t need the past job title or any expensive certification to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-product-manager-interview-questions-for-the-company\">Product manager interview questions for the company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, part of any good PM interview prep is getting to know your potential employer. Here\u2019s what\u2019s important to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-research-the-company-and-its-product\">Research the company and its product<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Above all, you should understand the company\u2019s target user, the problem it&#8217;s trying to solve, and its product positioning in the market.<br><br>If you do have access to the company\u2019s product through a free trial, test it out and turn up with notes and an informed opinion about what it is and how it works.<br><br>If there\u2019s no free trial (i.e. you\u2019re asked to schedule a demo and they keep those for qualified leads only), don\u2019t worry about it. There\u2019s a reason you don\u2019t have access to the tool, and it\u2019s not that important to test it before an interview. But still do the best research you can! Maybe there are videos or pre-recorded demos, white papers, sales documents, etc.<br><br>Also \u2013 make sure you pronounce the company\u2019s name right!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ask-lots-of-questions-in-your-own-interest\">Ask lots of questions in your own interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Seriously, spend time interviewing the company as much as they\u2019re interviewing you. This is crucial to finding an employer that will not only be a great fit for you <em>now<\/em>, but will nurture your professional development moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"callout content-dark\" style=\"background-color:#ededed\">\n<p>Ask questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" id=\"block-a235400a-33f9-4b41-978f-b8ee99c59a50\"><li>What\u2019s it like to work there?<\/li><li>Why are they hiring a product manager? What happened to the last one?<\/li><li>Who will you be working with?&nbsp;<\/li><li>Where are you going to sit? With developers and designers? (Hopefully as close to the design and research side as possible.)<\/li><li>Who will you be reporting to?<\/li><li>When\u2019s the last time they promoted someone? What\u2019s the promotion track like?<\/li><li>Will you have access to customers?<\/li><li>Who owns the roadmap? Will you own the roadmap? What does it look like?<\/li><li>When\u2019s the last time they failed or rolled back? Tell me an example of a time when something went wrong and how the team handled it.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If they get turned off by these sorts of questions, then it might not be a safe environment. Or they\u2019ll be even more resistant later on when you try to push for what you need and deserve.<br><br>Besides, asking tons of questions is basically a product manager\u2019s #1 job! Don\u2019t feel embarrassed about displaying the right skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now go kick some ass!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Looking to interview a product manager? Try our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/how-to-run-a-product-manager-interview\/\">How to Run a Product Manager Interview<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to prepare for a product manager interview can vary from business industry to vertical, from corporation to startup. But there are some essential things you can expect in an&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"pp_uni_tag":[],"class_list":["post-77758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-product-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Product Manager Interview Preparation for the Win | ProdPad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to prepare for a product manager interview can vary, but there are essential things to expect in an interview for a PM role.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/product-manager-interview-preparation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Product Manager Interview Preparation For The Win | ProdPad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to prepare for a product manager interview can vary from business industry to vertical, from corporation to startup. 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