Product managers in the technology sector need to have mastery over a variety of skills. These include technical knowledge, an understanding of user experience (UX) principles, a keen eye for design, and sound people skills. Landing a product manager position in the tech industry requires candidates to highlight their skills in a manner that makes sense for the hiring manager and the company’s goals. Pathrise is a company that helps product managers find new fulfilling jobs through training, mentorship, and invaluable advice.
Pathrise suggests candidates prepare for product management interviews by thinking beyond their direct applicable experience, key projects, and results. They should understand the latest product development trends, study the industry leaders, and develop passionate explanations for why they want to join this specific company.
Hiring managers and department heads want product managers with strong opinions that are supported by facts and data. They might ask candidates to describe a common product (iPhone, software, tool, etc.) and detail what they would change about the product’s design, UI, or other attributes. Another common question is to ask about what products excite the candidate, which forces them to quantify the attributes they prioritize during development.
Product managers should prepare for operational and strategic questions that showcase the applicant’s thought processes. For example, if they disagree with the developers and engineers about a product build, how would they proceed to solve this problem? Other lines of questioning might include talking about industry trends, for example, the candidate’s thoughts on storage management, cloud services, IoT, or other similar topics. Trend questions probe the prospect’s knowledge base and ability to relate trends to the company’s products and mission.
Pathrise says successful product manager interviewees need to be confident. They should ask smart clarifying questions, provide contextual background information, and use context statements that support their reasoning. They also need to know when to ask the interviewer collaborative questions to help clarify and strengthen their answers.
Product manager candidates need to show metrics from previous positions when talking about their past experiences. These could include how frequently they implemented user feedback or what data they used to measure success. This is because the interviewer is looking for the candidate to quantify the success of various scenarios, such as new software features, a revamped UI, or a product redesign. Hiring managers and leadership always want product managers that produce results. Candidates that land quality product manager jobs understand how to present their past results and the steps they’d take to create results in the future. When these candidates understand what motivates and inspires hiring managers, they can adjust their answers accordingly and improve their odds of landing a new dream job.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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