- Tell me about yourself. …
- Can you tell us about the last project you worked on? …
- Tell us about a time something went wrong in a project you were managing. …
- How do you prioritize tasks in a project? …
- What was your most successful project? …
- What’s your experience with budget management?
The purpose of a job interview is to determine if a role is the right fit for a candidate. Of course, there is a general vetting process to determine if a candidate has the necessary skills, experience, and personality traits to thrive. But there are some specific questions you can expect to be asked if you apply for the role of a product manager.
Product managers set the strategy and roadmap for a product and they define feature requirements that meet customer demands. So, the required skills for product managers span from strategic to tactical. The best product managers also share certain personality traits. They are committed, curious, and passionate. Leadership skills are needed to inspire others around a shared vision.
If you are interviewing for a product management position at a high-growth or innovation-focused company, expect a tough interview process. The hiring manager will ask questions that cover a broad range of topics — from learning who you are to gauging your technical knowledge, business sense, and decision-making abilities.
And remember — this is your chance to get to know the company, too. Companies should be at their best during this process as they are eager to hire qualified people. As the interviewee, observe how the company approaches the interview itself and any communication surrounding it. Use this as a valuable opportunity to evaluate whether this is somewhere you really want to work.
This guide includes some of the most common questions that product managers are asked during interviews plus a handful of questions for you to ask the interviewer. But you should also be prepared to answer some more unusual questions that are intended to see how well you respond to unexpected scenarios.
How to Get a Product Management Internship – Tips and Tricks
Example: “In my last internship, I worked with a client who was very demanding and often changed his mind about project details. This made it difficult for me to create accurate timelines and estimates for him. However, I used my active listening skills to understand what he wanted from our projects and found ways to accommodate his requests while still meeting deadlines. Eventually, he became much more organized and predictable, which allowed us to work together more effectively.”
Project managers often need to communicate with their team members and clients. Employers ask this question to make sure you can write clearly and concisely. Use your answer to show that you have strong communication skills. Explain how you use them in your daily life, such as by writing emails or making presentations.
Teamwork is an essential skill for project managers. Employers ask this question to learn more about your ability to work with others and collaborate on projects. In your answer, describe a time you worked in a team setting and what role you played. Explain how the experience helped you develop your teamwork skills.
This question can help the interviewer learn about your experience with using software to manage projects. If you have used project management software in a previous role, share what type of software it was and how you used it. If you haven’t had any experience using project management software, you can talk about other ways you’ve organized projects or tasks before.
Example: “Yes, I am familiar with the PMI and its standards. I took a course on project management last semester where we discussed the PMI and its standards. I also worked as a project manager at my internship last summer, so I was able to apply many of the standards outlined in the PMBOK.”
The 10 Most Important Product Manager Interview Questions
The types of questions you can expect to be asked in a Product Management interview are pretty vast and varied. But in general, you’ll probably be asked some of the following:
Questions will vary depending on the role, the company, and the industry, and the types of questions you’ll be asked will change as you move through the interview process.
That’s a lot of preparing to do! So here we’ve laid out every single type of question you could possibly be asking in a Product Management interview…
11 Revealing Product Manager Interview Questions
There’s no shortage of possible questions to ask a product management candidate. But to make sure you hit on the main points every interview should cover, these eleven product manager interview questions are the best for you to reveal your candidate’s values and intentions:
Why Are You Interested in This Internship/Company/Industry, and What Skills or Experiences Do You Hope to Gain?
As you might guess, this question is used to measure if your expectations and career goals align with the internship and what the company can offer you. The interviewer also wants to make sure you’re actually excited for this opportunity and want to work with them.
Show enthusiasm, do your research to come up with a thoughtful response for what drew you to the company or role, and get specific. The interviewer knows you’re looking for a learning opportunity—tell them what you want to learn from this internship in particular, and make sure it aligns with the organization and what you know about the role so far. You can also use this question as an opportunity to talk about your experience, passions, and values.
For example, if you’re interviewing for a marketing internship, you need to go beyond saying, “I’m really interested in getting marketing experience.” Instead try:
“I’ve always been really interested in mission-driven companies, and your commitment to community engagement really speaks to the values I’m looking for in a company. I’m really excited about this opportunity because I think it will give me exposure to thinking about messaging for many different audiences and through many channels. I was looking at your social media, and am really fascinated by how you craft posts for all of your different initiatives.”
(Read this article on explaining why you want the job for more advice on answering this question.)
FAQ
How should I prepare for my PM interview?
- 5–6 hours: read a book such as Cracking the PM interview or Decode & Conquer and pay particular attention to the frameworks/structure used in different types of questions.
- 2 hours: prepare a set of personal stories to answer behavioral questions. …
- 3–5 hours : study 6–7 different products deeply.
What questions should I ask in a PM interview?
- What is the strategic vision for this product?
- How do you develop your product roadmap?
- How does product management work with executive leadership?
- What type of customer research do you conduct and how often?
- What do your customers say they love most (and least) about the product?
Are pm internships competitive?
How can I introduce myself in PM interview?
