BJ Hillabush’s Post

A couple of cases surprised and delighted me in the last two days. First, one of my coaches told me he spoke to a product manager who contacted us because of a client interview. But it was a client interview. This client—who did a YouTube video with us—got the exact role that that product manager had interviewed for and then lost out on. It can be argued that, on paper, he was better qualified for the role than our client based on years of product experience. (But that is NOT the only criterion that matters) Second, one of the coaches in our program had a personal friend who they had recommended for a job at their company. They believed this friend was a sure-shot fit. Yet, they were shocked when a student in our program - unknown to them - managed to beat out this friend. Hearing cases like these gives me great satisfaction, not because I'm interested in beating out other product managers. It's because there is a massive gap between people who do great work and those who can sell themselves. Positioning and telling a compelling story is more important than ever. The hiring process is not an objective one. You HAVE to be willing to do things that make a difference. I repeatedly see people with the qualifications to tell a story who cannot explain why that story is so unique or why they are so amazing. They're not able to engage their interviews unless they have done the work that we make them do: write compelling stories, practice, practice, and make all the subtle changes and language that ultimately land them their next role. They network relentlessly and use the kind of language that gets them noticed. They turn strangers into advocates using compelling language. They use learnings from sales and marketing to sell themselves. They stand out and don't fit in. It's not just what you did that matters, it's what you did, what you learned, and how you positioned yourself. --- P.S. If this resonates with you, and you: - Are a product manager - You love to take action - You are committed to career growth But if you need help landing that ideal next role, DM me "dream role" and I will send you details. We only work with selected folks and have started to limit how many people we accept every month.

SOMETHING TO READ BEFORE THE HOLIDAY BREAK 🤔 In this article, I share my recent #jobinterview experience: https://lnkd.in/gJggbxXK After enduring four rounds of interviews and delivering a well-received presentation with two proposals, I received vague feedback about "project alignment" for not being selected. This experience highlights the frustration many of us face with unclear rejections after investing hours of unpaid labor. I took this as an opportunity to shed light on the importance of constructive feedback for career growth and to showcase my expertise. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! #CareerDevelopment #CreativeLeadership #HireMe

I get to do an upcoming panel interview for a product manager role and the role would help me get out of Omaha. Any tips, resources, etc would be awesome. Keep on trying your best everyone. Your time is coming. 🙏 #productmanagement  #careers  #technology  #interview

❌ 9 times out of 10, you will fail a PM interview if you don’t do these 3 essential things: 1. Demonstrate your experience in the specific area that the product management role requires—whether it’s a specific part of the product life cycle or a product domain area, or industry focus. 2. Show how you’ve leveraged data to make informed decisions. Everyone is asked to do more with less in today’s climate, and working off a hunch, while never a good idea, won’t cut it. 3. Pause before diving into features and solutions. Take a step back to think about the user, the problem space, and the business goals and success metrics. 🤸🏾♂️ Be comfortable with ambiguity. Drive clarity from chaos. 😎 Always ask clarifying questions to the interviewer, or better yet, make logical assumptions to “lead” the interview forward! 💪🏾 Don’t forget… success in a PM interview is about showcasing not just your skills, but also... 👀 Your approach to problem-solving, 🤔 Your understanding of the user’s needs, and ⚖ 📊 Your ability to balance user/customer needs and pain points with business goals and success metrics! 🙌🏾 Prepare wisely, and you’ll stand out from the crowd. 👍🏾 Good luck! 🚀 #ProductManagement #InterviewTips #CareerGrowth #JobSearch

The main question I have been asked in interviewing recently is ‘what does it take to be successful here?’ And the answer is not a big exciting top secret, it’s actually quite boring- just do the basics well and do them consistently! There are 18 years between the below 2 photos! Success doesn’t come over night! And a lot of the time the end product is a result of the work and discipline put in at the very start 🌟 (P.S - We are hiring! So if you want to find out more about how you can start your career to set yourself up for success - Then drop me a message 💖)

Topic wise breakdown of plan I followed while preparing for Product Manager Interview📝 There are majorly 5 types of product specific topics that you need to study for cracking the role. Here’s a week-over-week plan of how I managed covering them all: Week 1: Target topic: Product sense/design Day 1: Study about the topic and framework Day 2 and 3: Watch a few mock interviews and practice simultaneously Day 4 and 5: Practice 2 cases a day Day 6: Give a mock interview Day 7: Taking in feedback from mock, more practice Week 2: Target topic : Product improvement and favourite product Week 3: Target topic : Root Cause Analysis Week 4: Target topic : Guesstimates Week 5: Target topic : Product strategy Same day-wise plan I would follow for all the topics. Just an additional thing, I would make sure to practice previous week’s topic, atleast 2 cases, to not forget. Following the above, just by devoting 2-3 hours a day I was able to get interview ready in a span of 5 weeks. So it’s not about the time you have, but the way you plan in advance and schedule that matters. You can connect with me : Mudra Surana #productmanager #interviewguide #jobhunt #jobs #schedule #strategy #jobmarket #planning #resource

Product Managers, I have been reviewing resumes lately and have noticed a disturbing trend: a complete lack of metrics that show your impact. Don't bother applying if you leave that out. You are wasting opportunities and losing out on interviews if you don't add them. Each position is getting dozens if not hundreds of applicants. Stand out by adding how you have impacted your customers and businesses.

I have been asked... and I have asked these too... Few common interview questions asked during entry-level product management roles: 1. Can you tell us about a product you admire and why? 2. How do you prioritize features in a product backlog? 3. Describe a time when you had to work with cross-functional teams to achieve a common goal. 4. What steps would you take to gather customer feedback for a new product? 5. How do you handle conflicting priorities from different stakeholders? 6. Can you walk us through your process for creating a product roadmap? 7. Give an example of a successful product you've managed or contributed to, and explain why it was successful. 8. How do you measure the success of a product? 9. Describe a time when you faced a challenging decision during a product development cycle and how you resolved it. 10. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the product management industry today? Preparing thoughtful responses to these questions can help you stand out during your interview. #productmanagement #interviewquestions

Hello everyone! 😎 I have some exciting news I’d like to share with you. From this March onward, I’ll be offering ten one-on-one 60-minute consultations per month for those who’d like to get personalized recommendations on getting into your first or next role in Product. Depending on your request, here are some examples of the topics we can work on during the session: * Preparing case studies & presentations for your interview process. * Mock interviews to help you prep & rehearse (situational & behavioral questions, skill-based PM questions, culture fit questions). * Free-form conversation around the PM interview process (e.g., how to prep, how to calm your nerves, how to overcome imposter syndrome). * How to negotiate compensation packages. * How to stand out and find a PM job in a foreign job market. * Brainstorm on your transferable skills and the best strategies for you to transition to product. Here is an example of feedback from past students who attended sessions with me: "The conversation was very insightful and has impacted my thoughts towards success in the PM career. Thank you, Anna." Looking forward to seeing you in one of the sessions! (registration link is below) 👇 👇 👇

If your superpowers are business savvy, change maker and talent developer like me, it's important to recognize that, and to find ways to communicate that value with examples and numbers so that it resonates with hiring managers. 🤝 Example: ✅ I implemented an organization-wide system to ensure that information was funneled to the product team so that we could focus on the most impactful problems in the market. ✅ I estimate we saved at least $ in cost and X in time. 🥇 💡 The interview process is about communicating your value and connecting with the interviewer on a human level. 💡 Find out what is important to them, then position yourself with specific examples and numbers. Wishing you best of luck in landing the job of your dreams in 2024!