So you've gotten a first round interview for product management! Congrats on achieving the first step towards landing a PM role.

Many people have the misconception that interviews are a one way street where it is all about trying to please the interviewers, getting them to like you and telling them what they want to hear. While that is certainly the case, the reverse is also true. Interviews are a valuable opportunity for you to get a better understanding of what you might be potentially walking into and more importantly, gather intel that could prove useful as you move forward in the interview process.

Therefore it is vital that as you do your first round interview, whether it be with the recruiter or anyone else, you make sure you get key information from that person. You can do this by asking two simple questions:

1) What is it about my resume that stood out to you such that you wanted to give me an interview?

The point of this question to quickly uncover what specific parts of your background and experience the company is interested in as that might be an advantage you can use in later interviews. For example, let's say the interviewer responds with "We really like the fact you've built and worked with mobile apps before" and explains that the company is looking to build a brand new important mobile app. This means you need to highlight your mobile app experience in future interviews and position yourself as someone who can really help them bring this new app to life. You can sell yourself better as someone that help the company solve its problems.

1) Is this position new and how come you are hiring for this position now?

The point of this question is to understand what the situation is like at the company and whether or not it might be a good fit for you. If the recruiter says that they are looking to hire for this role because the previous product manager suddenly quit, that could be good news because it means that they are probably looking to fill the position as soon as possible. Likewise, if the recruiter says the role is a new one because business is booming and they need more PMs to keep up with the demand, that is also good news. Companies that are doing well tend to not have as many layoffs and provide much better stability. However, keep in mind that some recruiters and hiring managers may not be fully transparent so you may have to take what they say at face value. Unfortunately mind reading isn't a thing yet so there is no foolproof way to know ahead of time.

So the next time you go on a first round interview, be sure to ask the two questions above so that you can get valuable information early on that will allow you to make better informed decisions as you go progress through the different interview rounds.

If you are interested in learning how to have the best product management resume or want to break into product management, please schedule a free call via the Contact page. We would love to chat and see how Product Manager Dojo can help.