How Should Product Managers Prepare for Interview Round?
Products are the company’s lifeline, and product managers play a critical role in transforming an idea into a physical entity (product). Hence, the role of product managers is no less than that of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a company. They are the chief who critically examine and transform a product from an idea into a thing that holds power to change the lives of their users.
The sudden technological boom might have outshone other professions, but not product managers. Their work, from monitoring the market to representing the user, analyzing product management strategies to communicating with stakeholders and customers, cannot be automated. In fact, the current complexity of businesses is creating a pool of opportunities for skilled product managers who can tackle business risks and challenging situations.
If you have extensive experience as a product manager, then now is your time to shine. And, for novice product managers, here’s how to become a successful product manager with the right preparation.
How to Become a Product Manager?
The first prerequisite of becoming a product manager is being fully aware of product management meaning. In addition to it, you must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in product management or a similar field. However, what triumphs the qualifications is the skills possessed by an aspiring candidate. You should have the following skills to become a product manager:
- Critical thinking
- Analytical skills
- Leadership and intuitiveness
- Flexibility
- Problem solving skills
Product managers should also have comprehensive knowledge of product management fundamentals because recruiters hardly get lured by their qualifications and skills. So, to become a product manager, you need to be well-prepared for the interview round. Preparing the product manager interview questions is the first step toward passing an interview. So, here are some product manager interview questions often asked by recruiters.
Top 7 Product Manager Interview Questions and Answers
Here are some commonly asked product manager interview questions.
Q. What are the qualities that make a product great?
Product management is the process of planning, developing, and distributing a product. And product managers play a vital role in the product management process. Hence, they need to be well-versed in the whole process – from ideation to the development of a final product. Interviewers ask this question to check your understanding of KPIs (Key Performing Indicators) and product management strategies. Therefore, while answering the question, include points like demand and product features.
Q. What will be your go-to-market strategy for our products?
Interviewers will test your practical knowledge with this product manager interview question. Therefore, it is highly plausible that you will be asked questions about market strategy, pricing strategy, and product management in the interview. A market strategy is a product launch plan that predicts the launch, a marketing plan after launch, and other related product timelines. Therefore, while answering the question, remember to include the following points:
- Key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Timelines related to product launch
- Marketing plan
- Marketing budgets
Q. How will you define a good user interface?
The advent of technology has transformed the way products are bought and sold. Therefore, a product manager needs to know about modern concepts like user interface, user experience, SEO practices, SEM, and others to integrate them into product management plans and market strategy.
Experts define a user interface as a tool to monitor how the audience and different computer systems interact. Thus, a good interface is intelligent, intuitive, and simple.
Q. How will you tackle a product failure?
Product managers should have some recouping systems to recover from the bruises of a product failure. Similarly, they should develop different ideas that will help their team tackle product failure. The interviewers want to test your communication, team building, and team managing skills with this question. So, while answering the question, include qualities that make you a good leader. You can also state examples of when your leadership skills were put to the test and how you overcame the ordeal.
Q. What is PLM, and how does it benefit a product manager?
PLC stands for the product life cycle. It is a product management process that traces the product’s journey from its launch to end. PLM helps product managers track product performance, improve the quality of the product, make products eco-friendly, and adopt new marketing strategies.
While answering this product manager interview question, talk about different product life cycle stages in detail.
Q. What is the kind of relationship shared by product managers and product engineers?
Product managers and engineers work together on a product from its very nascent stage. Therefore, they ought to develop a cordial relationship. Product managers lay the framework for the product, and engineers design the architecture and work on it to develop a final product. So, while answering the question, keep these points in mind.
Q. How do you track the performance of the product?
There are different methods of tracking the performance of a product. However, these four techniques are widely used by product managers.
- Product usage
- Product quality
- Product development
- Business performance
This question is commonly asked in product manager interviews to gauge the technical capabilities of aspirants. In addition, there are other questions regularly asked to understand the technical skills possessed by the aspirant. Below, we list some of the commonly asked interview questions to test the technical skills of a product manager.
Top Technical Product Manager Interview Questions
- What are your favourite software tools to manage the team and product management process?
- What is the difference between a good and a great product design?
- What are the points you keep in mind while formulating a product roadmap?
- How would you write a new algorithm?
- How would you explain machine learning to a kid?
Brushing up on basic concepts and technical skills, reading and memorizing common interview questions, and doing a mock-up interview round at home are ways an aspiring product manager can prepare for their interview round.
Product management can be a roller-coaster ride filled with successes and failures. While success can reinvigorate the fire to do the best, failure can deter you from the path of growth. However, what holds you still in times of adversity is your passion. So, in difficult times, try staying motivated and focused by taking up different training and development programmes and certification courses.
Emeritus India offers some of the best product management courses in India in collaboration with world-ranked universities. These courses help you learn new skills and hone your existing skills to make them relevant in the current day.
