Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology

How many pizzas are delivered in Manhattan? How do you design an alarm clock for the blind? What is your favorite piece of software and why? How would you launch a video rental service in India? This book will teach you how to answer these questions and more.

Cracking the PM Interview is a comprehensive book about landing a product management role in a startup or bigger tech company. Learn how the ambiguously-named "PM" (product manager / program manager) role varies across companies, what experience you need, how to make your existing experience translate, what a great PM resume and cover letter look like, and finally, how to master the interview: estimation questions, behavioral questions, case questions, product questions, technical questions, and the super important "pitch."

The Product Manager Role
What is a PM?
Functions of a PM
Top Myths about Product Management
Project Managers and Program Managers

Companies
How the PM Role Varies
Google
Microsoft
Apple
Facebook
Amazon
Yahoo
Twitter
Startups

Getting the Right Experience
New Grads
Making the Most of Career Fairs
Do you need an MBA?
Why Technical Experience Matters
Transitioning from Engineer to Product Manager
Transitioning from Designer to Product Manager
Transitioning from Other Roles
What Makes a Good Side Project?

Career Advancement
Tips and Tricks for Career Advancement
Q & A: Fernando Delgado, Sr. Director, Product Management at Yahoo
Q & A: Ashley Carroll, Senior Director of Product Management, DocuSign
Q & A: Brandon Bray, Principal Group Program Manager, Microsoft
Q & A: Thomas Arend, International Product Lead, Airbnb
Q & A: Johanna Wright, VP at Google
Q & A: Lisa Kostova Ogata, VP of Product at Bright.com

Behind the Interview Scenes
Google
Microsoft
Facebook
Apple
Amazon
Yahoo
Twitter
Dropbox

Resumes
The
Second Rule
The Rules
Attributes of a Good PM Resume
What to Include

Real Resumes: Before & After

Cover Letters
Elements of a Good PM Cover Letter
The Cover Letter Template
A Great Cover Letter

Company Research
The Product
The Strategy
The Culture
The Role
The Questions

Define Yourself
“Tell Me About Yourself” (The Pitch)
“Why do you want to work here?”
“Why should we hire you?”
“Why are you leaving your current job?”
“What do you like to do in your spare time?”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Sample Strengths and Weaknesses

Behavioral Questions
Why These Questions Are Asked
Preparation
Follow-Up Questions
Types of Behavioral Questions

Estimation Questions
Approach
Numbers Cheat Sheet
Tips and Tricks
Example Interview
Sample Questions

Product Questions
About the Product Question
Type 1: Designing a Product
Type 2: Improving a Product
Type 3: Favorite Product
Preparation
Tips and Tricks
Sample Questions

Case Questions
The Case Question: Consultants vs. PMs
What Interviewers Look For
Useful Frameworks
Product Metrics
Interview Questions

Coding Questions
Who Needs To Code
What You Need To Know
How You Are Evaluated
How To Approach
Developing an Algorithm
Additional Questions & Solutions

Appendix
Top 1% PMs vs. Top 10% PMs
Be a Great Product Leader
The Inputs to a Great Product Roadmap
How to Hire a Product Manager

Gayle McDowell is the founder / CEO of CareerCup.com and the author of two books: Cracking the Coding Interview, Amazon.com's #1 best-selling interview book, and The Google Resume. She has worked for Google, Microsoft, and Apple and served on Google's hiring committee. She holds a BSE and MSE in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School.

Jackie Bavaro is a product manager at Asana, a leading startup that builds productivity software used by companies like Dropbox, Airbnb, Uber, Foursquare, and Pinterest. Previously, she worked as a Product Manager at Google, where she joined as part of the elite Associate Product Manager program, and as a Program Manager at Microsoft. She holds a BA in Computer Science and a BA in Economics from Cornell University.