Transitioning from Engineering to Product Management

Transitioning from Engineering ->
Product Management
Gayle Laakmann McDowell

My Background
• Engineer @ Google, Microsoft & Apple
– 3 Years on Google Hiring Committee
– Interviewed 150+ candidates
• Founder of CareerCup.com
• Author
– Cracking the Coding Interview
– The Google Resume
– Cracking the PM Interview [Product Management]
• Interview coach for acquisitions & acquihires
McDowell | CareerCup.com

slides
Technologywoman.com
-> Speaking engagements
-> ctrl-F for “master”

What PM jobs are open to you?
Product Manager (“PM”)
==
“Associate Product Manager”
(Google, Yahoo, Facebook, etc.)
==
“Program Manager”
(Microsoft)

The Perfect PM
Technical Skills + Product Skills
+
Industry Expertise + Business Expertise
New PMs have some
but not ALL of these
skills.

Smart Gets Things Done
Strategy &
Vision
Leadership
Customer
Focus
Product
Design
Analysis &
Synthesis
Action
Oriented
Prioritization
Project
Management
Technical Skills
Communication

Strategy &
Vision
Leadership
Customer
Focus
Product
Design
Analysis &
Synthesis
Action
Oriented
Prioritization
Project
Management
Technical Skills
Communication
ENGINEER

Acquiring Skills
• At your company?
– Help out a PM
• Outside of work?
– Design your own app
• Formal education
– Coursera, General Assembly
– Books
• Show initiative, leadership, & design

Should you get an MBA?
• VERY mixed opinions in SV
• Gives you “business” knowledge
– Marketing, accounting, pricing, etc.
• Effective way to career hop
– … at the top schools & local schools
• But it’s a very expensive way to do that…

Getting the Opportunity

A PM-Focused Resume
• That cool algorithm isn’t that useful
• Focus on:
– Leadership
– Design
– Initiative
• ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Landing the Opportunity
• Hard to jump companies & roles
• Leverage your expertise
– Dev tools PM?
– Got industry expertise?
• Blog & be active online
• Network, network, network

The Interview

What to Expect in the Interview
• Behavioral Questions
• Product Design
• Estimation Questions
• Business Questions
• Technical Questions
• Gets things done
• Problem Solving
• Communication
• User-Focused
Thinking
• Relevant Skills

So, tell me about
yourself…

Your Two-Minute Pitch
• I am a … at …
• In college, I studied …
• Then I worked for …
• Then …
• Now I’m …
• Outside of work, I …
• Sprinkle in highlights
• Show the WHY
• Connect yourself

Preparing for Behavioral Qs
Job 1 Job 2
Leadership/Influence
Mistakes/Failures
Challenges
Successes
Teamwork
 Select 5 Key Stories. What do they say about you?

Structure 1: Nugget First
• Lead with your “thesis” / nugget
– Grabs the listener’s attention
– Gives them context for where you’re going.
A: I’m most proud of my leading
my company’s pivot. Last year, …
Q: What accomplishment are you
most proud of?

Structure 2: S.A.R.
ituation
ction
esult
S
A
R
What was the issue?
What did you do about it?
What was the impact?

Product Design Questions
How would you design an
calculator for the blind?
Design an elevator for a building.
Pick a Google product.
How would you improve it?

Product Design Questions: Why?
• Communication & Structured Thinking
• Ability to understand the user
• Creativity
• Business instincts / skills

Product Design Qs: Approach
1. Ask questions to resolve ambiguity
2. Understand the user & use cases.
3. Structure the problem
4. Solve piece by piece
Put the user first.

Follow Me Online:
Facebook.com/Gayle
Twitter.com/Gayle
Quora.com
TechnologyWoman.com

Transitioning from Engineering to Product Management

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