Google is one of the most sought-after companies for software engineers. In addition to being the #1 search engine, Google offers many tools, products, and services, including Android, Gmail, Google Drive, Picasa, Google Maps, Google Play, and YouTube. Product managers play a key role in driving these products — building product strategies and implementing their marketing and sales plan, and so on.
If you are gunning for a job at Google and preparing for the tech interview, check out our interview questions page and salary negotiation ebook to get interview-ready! Also, read How Hard Is It to Get a Job at Google? and Google Product Manager Interview Questions for specific insights and guidance on Google tech interviews.
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In this article, we’ll cover the details of the Product Manager Interview at Google and some tips on how to prepare for it.
- What Is the Google Product Manager Interview Process Like?
- How to Prepare for the Google Product Manager Interview
- Google Product Manager Sample Interview Questions
- Google Product Manager Interview Tips
What Is the Google Product Manager Interview Process Like?
The Google interview for Product Managers lasts about three to four weeks. It consists of 3-4 rounds:
1. Initial Phone Screen: At the Product Manager Interview at Google, they usually try to understand how sound your reasoning is and how competent you are. The questions will be focused on your work experience and industry knowledge. They’ll also test your behavioral attributes, ideas, focus, genuineness, and other professional manners to see if you’re a cultural fit.
2. Technical Phone Screen: This round lasts for 45-50 minutes, where you face analytical tests and product design/planning discussions that test your software and technical knowledge. The round is much tougher for Senior Product Managers.
3. APM Round: This is specific to the Assistant Product Manager role, where you’ll get an assignment to complete within 2 hours. This round is focused on testing product management knowledge.
4. On-Site Interview: The final round has around 4 product or analytical rounds and one technical round. For the Senior Product Manager role, you’ll get more questions on managerial, leadership, product marketing strategies, etc. Make sure you prep thoroughly for this round for the Google Product Manager Interview, as the outcome of this round plays a huge role in the final decision.
Related read: Google Interview Guide
How to Prepare for the Google Product Manager Interview
Typically, the Google product manager interviews will:
- Test your design abilities
- Assess your decision-making ability related to the product
- Evaluate your personality with behavioral questions
- Test your ability to work with numbers, data, and technical skills concepts
You’ll have to showcase your knowledge of the industry, designing, planning and development, tech, as well as analytical, estimation, and reasoning power. If you want to make a solid impression, your preparation needs to be focused and consistent. You need to brush up on basic product management concepts such as:
- Customer experience
- User segmentation
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Feature adoption
- Feedback
- Road-mapping
Google Product Manager Sample Interview Questions
Here, we’ve covered a few sample questions you can expect at the Google Product Manager interview. You can plan your prep around these types of questions:
Google Non-Technical Product Manager Interview Questions
- Tell us about yourself — brief description, habits, thoughts, and ambitions.
- What will be your biggest failure as a product manager?
- How do you judge yourself as a candidate for this position?
- How can your experience help our company?
- What have you planned as your goals for the next 5-10 years?
Google Technical Product Manager Interview Questions
- Tell us the top 3 technology trends that can change the tech landscape.
- What do you like the most while navigating a website?
- How will you explain cloud computing to your grandfather?
- Design a product for the vehicles that you mostly see in the rush hour.
- Suggest a way of monetizing WhatsApp.
Check out Google Product Manager Interview Questions for more.
Google Product Manager Interview Tips
For your prep, ensure you cover the following topics:
- Computer science basics: Fundamentals of computer science, how the internet works, fundamentals of programming languages, etc.
- Data structure and algorithms: Arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, search algorithms, sorting algorithms, etc.
- Systems design: Redundancy, replication, load balancing, caching, etc.
- Product knowledge: Design, improvement, growth, launch, pricing, etc.
In addition, ensure that you:
- Study Extensively About the Product/Organization: It’s a no-brainer — to be able to crack a PM interview at Google, you need to be aware of the company and its products. It is best advised to do a good amount of homework before you go for the interview. Register yourself on various forums like Glassdoor and Quora to connect and interact with people having similar career goals. This will help you in finding the right answers to your questions.
- Work on Product Fundamentals: Entry-level candidates are advised to spend some time brushing up on the basics of product management concepts. Product management is not just about managing teams. Concepts such as customer experience, user segmentation, Net Promoter Score (NPS), feature adoption, feedback, road mapping, and product operations are key to product management.
- Practice Consistently: Practice makes perfect. Through your practice, you must come up with a clear, well-chalked-out plan for the interview. You must prepare yourself for different categories of questions. This will help you to build strong interview habits. These habits would ultimately reduce stress on the day of the interview for a great impression.
- Practice With Peers or Experienced PM Interviewers: Practicing with peers or experienced PM interviewers will give you an extra edge. You will find yourself more confident and focused, and it will help you correct your early mistakes. Practicing with experienced PM interviewers will give you a real insight into what goes on with a PM interview. You will have the most accurate bunch of information from them.
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Ready to Nail the Interview?
In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know to get your interview prep started. You will need a well-thought-out strategic prep plan to be able to cover all ground and get ready for the interview. Not to mention, you should also work on your resume, cover letter, communication skills, and other soft skills in addition to the core topics related to product management,
If you need help with your prep, join Interview Kickstart. At IK, we do not believe in hacking the interview process; instead, we have a comprehensive curriculum, unmatched teaching methods, FAANG+ instructors, and career coaching to upskill you and help you nail the interview.
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