So, a product manager position you say? Okay, how about using artificial intelligence to prepare for your next product manager interview? Let’s see how.
Â
To ace your next product manager interview, you will need to take a practice mock interview and read through the best answers for real questions that get asked in real interviews.
In the first section of this article, you will find the best answers you need then at the end of this article, you can take a free AI-assisted product manager mock interview. You will get detailed interview feedback by artificial intelligence about your skills and personality, you can take the mock interview unlimited times for free.
Â
Recruiting a product manager is extremely important for an organization. The project heads are not only responsible for themselves but their teams as well. Their job is to lead their team and have a positive influence on their peers and subordinates.
Product managers come from diverse professional backgrounds and expertise. For acing an interview, you must practice a product manager mock interview.
A mock interview mimics an actual interview and helps you figure out where you stand and how much preparation you need.
You must go through the common product manager questions and answers thoroughly and get familiar with the format of the interview.
Common Product Manager Interview Questions
What are the responsibilities of a PM?
This question is asked to inquire how well the candidate understands the responsibilities of the role they are applying for. The job description of a product head varies in different organizations.
Mostly, it involves taking responsibility for a whole project and leading a whole team into the deliverance of that product.
Product managers must have the ability to judge the feasibility of a project, conduct meetings with various stakeholders, guide the team, and manage all the other activities going on during a project.
Â
How does this job fit into your career goals?
The purpose of asking this question is to figure out whether the applicant is looking for a long-term job opportunity or a short-term job.
The answer will determine the career-driven approach of the person and how committed they will be if they are selected.
Â
How would you react in a given situation?
Product managers are required to use certain metrics and strategies for winning the trust of the stakeholders. They must present the accurate facts and figures associated with a project to determine the success of the product.
The answer to this question will help the recruiters in judging whether the candidate has proactive thinking and can devise strategies for completing the project in the best possible manner.
Â
How do you figure out the needs and demands of customers?
The likes and dislikes of customers are vital while developing a product. The response to this question will give you an insight into how well the candidate connects with the customers.
The strategy of the applicant for gathering the feedback of valued customers and applying it in their products has a positive impact on the recruiters. They must also be well-aware of proficient methods for organizing and utilizing data collected from users.
The PM candidate must have the know-how of multiple strategies for collecting data from end-users and using it to make their products user-friendly.
Â
How would you overcome disagreements in your team?
Building a consensus among your team members is extremely important for the smooth completion of a project. You must conduct a team meeting and all your team members to raise any concerns so that they can be addressed and resolved.
The answer to this question will determine the applicant’s ability to resolve issues among team members through seamless communication.
Â
Prioritize the four issues in order of their priority
The project manager prioritizes the tasks and activities involved in a project. They must be clear about what must be done first.
Give them 2,3 items and ask them to set their priority based on urgency. For example, if the customer has requested to fix a GUI issue, resolve a functional bug, or add new functionality to a module, how would you prioritize these? Support your answer with reasons.
Â
How would you sell me this pen?
This universal question is asked to test the sales and marketing abilities of the interviewee. The answer to this question must be catchy, precise, and convincing to leave a good impression on the hiring team.
Â
Mention any of your favorite products and what would you change about them?
The question is asked for two purposes. One is to test the critical thinking abilities and approach of a person. The second is to figure out which factor the candidate prioritizes as most important.
The response to this question also includes what improvements and recommendations must be made to make the product better.
What was your biggest failure as a product manager?
This question is asked to judge how critical the other person is about their performance at work. The interviewee must tell about a situation that went bad and the reason behind it.
The response portrays how much a person owns their failures and what steps they perform to overcome them.
Â
What methods do you use to communicate your product strategy?
The product manager is responsible for guiding the whole team to the completion of the project and preparing the deliverables on time.
The correct project requirements and other details must be communicated to the team to get the product right.
The answer to this question must include the tools and methods a manager uses for sharing product details with team members and getting the job done according to the requirements and needs of the customers.
Â
What activities will you perform in the 90 days after getting hired in our company?
The answer to this question manifests how important it is for the candidate to get familiar with the processes, products, and culture of the organization.
Â
Types of Product Manager Interview Questions
The recruiters judge the technical, soft, and leadership skills of a person during the interview. The product manager must be a pro in several areas as the scope of their position involves a wide array of activities. They must possess strong technical and interpersonal skills to complete them on time.
The type of questions covered during a product manager mock interview include the following:
Â
Product questions
These include questions about products you have worked on during your career, your favorite products, improvements, issues, concerns, and recommendations associated with the products.
Â
Product manager interview technical questions
Questions related to technical abilities, skillset, and expertise of the applicant.
Â
Analytical questions
Questions to test your critical thinking abilities and problem-solving skills.
Â
Product management questions
Questions about how you would handle all the activities involved in managing the team members and the completion of the product.
Â
Product manager interview behavioral questions
These include queries about how you would react in certain situations at work.
Â
Communication questions
Queries about communicating tasks and responsibilities to the team members and other stakeholders involved.
Â
Product manager interview questions leadership questions
Questions about how you would lead your team through crucial situations or bottlenecks.
Â
Personal and basic questions
Questions about your personality, educational background, etc.
Â
General questions
Generalized questions are asked in every interview like introduce yourself, why should we hire you, etc.
Â
Remote PM questions
Nowadays, remote jobs are getting more common and questions about how a product manager will handle all the activities over the internet are also asked.
Â
How to Conduct a Face-to-Face PM Mock Interview
Mock interviews are extremely helpful in perfecting your interview skills before the actual interview. It helps you in determining how much you need to prepare and which areas you need to focus on for increasing your chances of success. After taking this free AI-assisted product manager mock interview, get your interview report then test yourself in a face-to-face mock interview, here are the steps to find one:
Â
Step 1: Identify a vacant product manager position
The first step is to identify an available job post in a company of your choice. You must search on the official website of your dream company or search on recruiting websites.
If there is a product manager job open, go through the job requirements and other details to determine whether it’s a good fit for you or not.
Â
Step 2: Find a person to conduct a mock interview
The most appropriate person for conducting a mock product manager interview would be a person already working at this post at a company. You can also consult a product specialist or a friend working in the same area.
Send an email to the person and discuss why you need to conduct a mock interview and how the other person can help you in performing well at the interview.
Â
Step 3: Schedule the interview
After asking about a free slot from the interviewer you must choose a date, time, or location for the mock interview. You can also practice on a video interview.
Step 4: Search for material
After the interview is scheduled, start preparing for the interview. Search for materials on the internet. Go through all the requirements mentioned in the job description, search for common interview questions for a product manager, and their best answers.
Â
Step 5: Prepare for the mock interview
Prepare for the interview with the same hard work and efficiency as you would for an actual interview. Go through all the collected interviews in detail and keep the best answers in mind.
You can also prepare by looking at a few mock interviews for the same position for getting a clearer view of what your interview will look like.
Â
Step 6: Perform the interview and ask for the interviewer’s feedback
On the scheduled day and time, appear for the interview on time. Get dressed up accordingly and be enthusiastic about it. After completing the mock interview, ask the interviewer to provide you with detailed feedback.
Ask them to highlight your strengths and weaknesses and identify areas on which you need to focus on.
Â
Step 7: Send a thank you note
After the interview, write a thank you note and send it to the interviewer for taking out their time and conducting the mock interview.
Step 8: Focus on the weak areas identified in the feedback
After receiving the interviewer’s feedback, you must focus on things they have pointed out in the feedback email.
Spend the remaining time between the scheduled interview to improve in areas you lacked during the mock interview.
Â
Why Are Mock Interviews Important?
Mock interviews for product managers help you in getting familiar with the interview format and questions for this job role. The benefits of these interviews include the following:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Confidence boost up
- Receive constructive feedback
- Prepare for behavioral questions
- Get to know about your strengths and weaknesses
- Elevate your chances of getting hired
Â
Final Thoughts
Product management roles are very significant for a company’s progress. The interviews for this job post are relatively difficult and comprehensive. Participating in a product manager mock interview helps you in preparing well for your interview and elevating your chances of success.
Sam Najar, MBA
MBA from the Australian Institute of business. Over a decade working for IBM Australia and Oracle Europe and the Middle East. Worked on Artificial Intelligence technology for many years and believes that technology can help everyone better understand his/her personality and find the job they deserve.
EN 
DE 
ES 
FR 
PT 
JA