4 ways a meta product manager prepares for an important interview

I decided to go into consulting because I wanted to explore different types of projects and different types of problems, work with different industries and find out what I’m passionate about. I interned at Accenture and eventually turned into a full-time job.

Working on AI projects increased my interest in technology and I started taking some classes after work. I had a hard time keeping up with my consulting schedule and decided to go back to college to study computer science.

I moved to the US to pursue a master’s degree from Texas A&M and landed a product manager role at Microsoft after graduation in 2020.

I worked at Microsoft for about three years before moving to Snap. I made the switch from Snap to Meta earlier this year.

Product manager applications typically involve five to eight rounds of interviews and include a mix of technical and behavioral sessions.

Here are four ways I prepare before an important Big Tech interview:

Mock interviews

Product management has multiple frameworks and there are too many things to learn. There are also way too many resources and it’s very easy to get distracted and overwhelmed.

My favorite strategy was mock interviews. A week before an important interview, I schedule practice interviews with mock partners and select a few questions that I want to work on each day before the interview.

Research the role and the company

In the days leading up to the interview, I do some research about the role. I re-read the job description and think of situations from my past experiences that match the responsibilities listed.

I also look at the company and research the latest releases from the company or even the team I plan to join if possible. I like to go into the interview with an overview of the company and what their strategy is so far.

Prepare a list of questions

An important part of my interview strategy is to prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. I separate my questions based on whether it is someone in a leadership position or hiring manager.

For a leader:

• What is the team and company strategy? How do this team’s goals and key deliverables fit into the company’s overall mission and strategy?
• What do you have in mind for the team over the next six months and the next 12 months?
• What would make the person in the role you are hiring for stand out?

For a hiring manager:

• Who are the people someone in this role will work closely with?
• What does success mean for this role?
• Tell me about a project the team worked on recently and the impact it had?

This is one of my favorite questions. I really like it because it helps me assess the scope of work the team has and then connect it to the role they are hiring for. I make sure to ask all hiring managers this question if there are multiple interviews.

Change gears 24 hours in advance

I tried two strategies the day before the interview and found one that worked much better for me mentally.

In the past, I continued to work on preparing for product management technical questions even on the last day. I noticed that I was much more nervous and anxious on the day of the interview and felt that this affected my overall interview performance the next day.

More recently, I’ve decided to relax and not do too much 24 hours before a big interview. I’m just trying to reflect on what I’ve learned so far and not work on new problems.

I find it helps me feel less stressed the day before the interview. I also realized that the last 24 hours can’t change much and it’s better to go in confident that you’ve done your best and that you’re ready.

Do you have a story to share about your career journey? Please get in touch [email protected].