Recruiting for Associate Product Manager jobs: What I would tell my former self before applying

Recruiting is hard. But I don’t have to tell you that because if you’re recruiting for one of the coveted Associate Product Manager (APM) spots- you already know that.

If you don’t know what an APM is, it’s essentially a junior position where you’ll likely work on products at the feature level to support the success of a particular product's initiatives. APM positions are far and few between. APM programs are even more exclusive. These are special programs specifically designed for new graduates; you will typically work in a cohort and receive training to eventually become a fully-fledged product manager at the end of the program.

As someone who has recently gone through the process, I wanted my first Medium article to be a sort of “passing the torch” to the new generation of APM prospects.

So, without further ado, here are my 4 tips on how to prepare yourself for APM recruiting season.

1. Follow the “APM List”

There’s this person. Their name is Ryan. And they are excellent. Ryan kindly put together a website (apmlist.com) that lists the top APM programs, whether they are currently recruiting, and how many positions they are hiring for. This is certainly not an exhaustive list and, in my experience, it’s not always up to date. However, this is a great place to start thinking about the potential companies you want to apply to. Personally, I copied the names of each company into an Excel sheet and (with some super-sleuthing skills) found the approximate application open date so I could track my progress as the application dates opened. In my experience, the application window is usually only 1–2 weeks, so stay on top of it!

2. Track your progress with Excel

Building on top of my first tip: utilize Excel. You wrote it down as a hard skill, so you better put it to good use. And if you want to stick it to the man and use Google Sheets instead, that’s a fine alternative. You will want to track your progress in Excel for two reasons: 1. It’s a great way to organize lots of information into one simple view. 2. It’s a great motivator because you can check off when you apply/get an interview/or get an offer.

Personally, my Excel sheet was extensive, but I would recommend the following columns to get started:

1. The company’s name
2. The job title
3. The job location
4. A link to the job or a short description
5. An application date
6. Salary estimate
7. Recruiter name (if known)
8. Referral name (if any)
9. Number of interviews

3. Study the Product Management interview

There is a certain art to the product management interview. If you’re a new graduate you likely don’t know much about product management. And that’s not your fault! There is no “product management” major. It’s a relatively new job title that is still figuring itself out. But since the internet exists, it’s unfortunately not an excuse to not have some product knowledge going into the interview.

Interviews will vary from company to company, but in general, there are 5 types of product management interviews.

1. Product Design
2. Product Strategy
3. Product Execution
4. Behavioral/Leadership
5. Estimation/Analytics

For a single company, you will likely do 2–3 of the aforementioned interviews. There are frameworks for how to answer each one. Understand the framework, but don’t blindly follow it! Remember, you can safely assume that 90% of APM candidates probably studied these exact frameworks, so if you want to stand out, try not to just “go through the motions.” Instead, demonstrate your problem-solving ability by thinking creatively. You own the framework, the framework doesn’t own you.

Bonus tip: The interview is not about your final answer- it’s about your process to get to the final answer.

4. Understand the company

You will likely get asked the dreaded “why do you want to work here” question at every single company you interview at so try to have something thoughtful to say.

Do you use this company’s product? Is the company expanding into a new market that you’re interested in? Has the company recently done anything to help a social cause?

In order to answer this question well, you should probably do some research into the company beyond just reading what’s on the first page of their website.

Bonus tip: Try reading customer reviews, news articles, tweets, competitors' websites, and company blogs!

Conclusion

Interviewing for an associate product manager role will be an uphill battle. The good news is that interviewing is a skill, and like any skill, you can get better at it! It will take a lot of practice (and honestly, a little luck), but with each and every failed interview- you’ll be one step closer to your goal.

Rapid-Fire Tips

If you’ve made it this far- congrats! You are taking important steps to best position yourself for success. I’m proud of you! As a reward, here are some additional “rapid-fire” tips to help you on your journey.

1. Read product management books. Personally, I read “Decode and Conquer” and “The Lean Startup”, which were recommended to me by one of my interviewers after I bombed a product design round (yikes). I’ve also read “Cracking the PM Interview”- this one is especially helpful if you’re just starting to learn about product management.
2. Referrals- do not underestimate them. In my experience, over 500 people apply to each APM job listing. Try your best to find a person who can refer you to boost your chances. If you don’t know anyone at that company, try cold-emailing current employees. And if you haven’t had success cold-emailing this may be the perfect opportunity to brush up on the art. (I used to work in sales. It’s not easy- trust me, I know).
3. Find a mentor. Reach out to alumni, colleagues, friends, or even strangers and ask them about their experience as a product manager. Yes, you can read every product management book there is, but (if the opportunity exists) why not learn straight from the source?
4. Not all APM jobs/programs are created equal. Depending on the industry, the responsibilities of a product manager can vary substantially. Do your research beforehand.
5. Your success is largely a function of your effort. Read that again.