Time was when the go-to career choices for top graduates and high-fliers would be something- investment banking or management consulting – the likes of Goldman Sachs or McKinsey. The stereotype was something in New York or London wearing a dark suit and working in industries and indeed companies that might pre-date the motor car.
Things have changed rapidly in the past decade, though. Just as they have impacted almost every other aspect of our lives, so the tech giants – the likes of Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and others – have also shaken up the job market and the aspirations of the best and brightest. Increasingly, those seeking the best careers are eschewing Wall St and the City of London and heading for the sunnier climes of California.
This isn’t just about the comparable salaries available at tech firms for better working conditions (though that is part of it, for good reason), but also the fact that it is the tech giants who have been shaping our world and who have been at the cutting edge of innovation across seemingly all sectors in recent years – with no signs of slowing down.
Most prized amongst jobs in this new world are those of product managers. These are the individuals charged with actually creating a launching the innovations which have so completely re-shaped life since the turn of the century and which have seen the tech giants disrupt sector after sector in the course of their explosive growth.
Sitting at the nexus of engineers, marketing, suppliers, executives, and everyone else required to take an idea from inception to functioning product and then to iterate better and better versions to maintain and build a market position.
Here, we will take a brief look at the process of becoming a product manager at a top-flight tech firm, so that you can take the first steps to become one of these creators in the engine room of the modern world.
Of course, you might not quite be ready to immediately submit your application, but understanding the selection process and what is required will let you figure out your best course of action and create career plans to help you move towards your eventual goal
Research, Skill Building, and Networking
Whilst the most often neglected, this first stage is arguably the most important of all. Simply submitting a speculative application with no preparation at all is a recipe for rejection. Rather, your first task is to learn everything you can about your favored role and company.
In the process, you might find you need to refresh or build some of the required skills. For example, if you are applying for a more technical role like that of Product Manager – Technical and Amazon, then you might need to work on your coding.
Alternatively, you might already know the technical material, but need to brush up on topics like strategy or marketing.
You should also do your best to network with current staff members in the same company and ideally in the same location. This is best reserved for the point where you are starting to understand at least the basics, so you can avoid asking silly questions or coming off as inept or uninformed.
Application and Screening
Networking will help you both put together a better application and help ensure it gets looked at once you send it in. You should certainly avoid simply firing off a generic resume you have on file for a high-end PM role.
Instead, you need to spend some serious time figuring out how your profile matches up with all the demands of the job and how you can most efficiently demonstrate this.
The screening process might also involve some questioning via email from HR and might be given at-home essays or questions to complete and submit. You will also quite likely have at least one screening telephone conversation before being invited to in-person interviews.
Interviews
The specific demands of each PM role will differ according to the company and the nature of the products you will be working on. However, the bulk of interviews will focus on some combination of the following:
Leadership and Management Skills
You will need to show that you can effectively manage and motivate a diverse team of different specialist staff, whilst also liaising with executives, different departments, and external suppliers, distributors, etc. Expect to have to recount stories of when you fulfilled similar leadership functions in previous jobs or other activities.
Technical Knowledge and Experience
Depending on the specific role, you will require a varying degree of technical know-how. Questions will generally focus on making sure you have enough knowledge to communicate with engineers rather than to do the engineering work yourself.
Problem Solving and Analytic Ability
Product managers must constantly solve problems across all the aspects of their work, from giving engineers input on technical issues to prioritizing a limited budget or making decisions about marketing based on research data. Expect to get brainteasers and even mini case studies to test your problem-solving abilities.
Personality and Culture Fit
The demands of PM roles, especially the need to constantly productively interact with others, will mean that having a suitable character is a prerequisite. Beyond that, tech companies will often have quite strong, distinct internal cultures and will wish to hire individuals conforming to those norms. It is worth reading about the particular qualities your target company look for in staff for this reason.
Your Turn
This article has hopefully given you some idea as to what you are up against and what you need to get done. Of course, this brief piece cannot and should not be your only resource and it is now your turn to start the initial research stage outlined above, finding out everything you can about your specific target job.
Whether you are hoping to apply in a fortnight or a couple of years after you finish a degree or gain experience in another role, we wish you the very best of luck!
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
