Why You (Screening Interview) - [Product Manager Interview]

Article Highlights

• Only 33% of applicants pass the screening interview, so it's crucial to make a strong impression.
• Knowing your Why You explains why you’re a perfect fit for the role.
• Knowing your Why Company explains why you chose this company.

Your initial interview is often a preliminary screening conducted by HR. Only one-third of applicants advance to the next stage, so it's crucial to make a strong impression. 'Why You' can help you demonstrate why you're the ideal candidate and how this position aligns with your career goals.

To highlight your suitability, consider three ways you fulfill the job requirements. Additionally, explain how this role will positively impact your professional growth by outlining three specific benefits."

A common tactic recruiters use to filter candidates is to assess their level of interest and compatibility with the role. A frequently asked question is, 'Why did you apply for [role/company]?' Your response must be concise and compelling.

There are two ways to answer this question and importantly get yourself to the next stage?—?the Why You and Why [company].

Why You

Any company wanting to hire you will wonder “What’s in it for us?” Why You answers this question by explaining why you’re a perfect fit for the role. Think about it from a recruiter’s standpoint?—?to advance you, they need to determine that you have the technical skills, you care about the company’s mission and you love what you do.

You should be able to demonstrate the following:

• How your previous experience meets the job requirements and duties
• Your empathy for the problem the role intends to solve, the company and/or its users
• Your Product Management passion for solving and building

You can do so by:

• Pick two or three requirements from the job description and explain how you have experience and success doing those things
• Think of a problem that the company is working on and mention your enthusiasm for solving it. An easy way to do this is to check out their Mission Statement or About Us.
• Describe your passion for product management?—?though it’s easy to understand it can be hard to articulate. It might help to define what PM is to you and use that in your interviews.

Tip: There are several definitions of what a Product Manager does so choose the one that resonates with you.

The Q&A:

Interviewer: So tell me, why are you a good fit for this role?

You: Good question. This role really caught my attention for three reasons. Looking at the job description I’m confident I meet the requirements, as an example, this role requires someone who is an effective communicator. At [company] I was able to work very well with cross-functional stakeholders sharing all the necessary project briefs and forecasts ahead of all meetings to uncover any objections and get feedback to ensure a more successful stakeholder meeting. Another thing is this role needs someone who makes data-informed decisions. At [company], I was able to drive increased retention for our mobile application by analyzing exit points and improving some of our mobile features.

Another reason why I think I’d be a great fit is just like your target users I too find budgeting apps really painful so I just don’t use them. Helping people save and invest more money is something I deeply care about?—?after all, people should achieve financial freedom.

And one more thing?—?I love being a product manager. To get to solve big problems and build useful products for people is what gets me out of bed. At my last [company] I heard from so many customers about how [product] helped them run their business. That’s inspiring!

Why [company]

Why [company] wants to understand what motivates you to apply for this role. Beyond financial compensation and employment, what specific benefits would you gain? To answer this effectively, consider why this position aligns with your career goals. Factors to consider include professional growth, a reputable culture, a talented team, a promising product, a positive employee experience as reflected on Glassdoor, and more."

The interviewer also wants to make sure this would be a good match for you as well. Don’t forget even though this question is about you, you’re still selling them on your candidacy. I recommend selecting three good reasons this is the role of a lifetime.

The Q&A:

Interviewer: What makes [company/role] interesting to you?

You: When I saw this role I just had to apply. Here’s why?—?firstly, this role represents a huge growth opportunity for me. Your [company] is one of the leading tech organizations and I know you have some of the best PMs working there. Getting to work with them will mean I’m going to learn a lot of good PM strategy and execution and that’ll mean by next year I’ll be an even better PM.

Another thing, [company] has such a bright future evidenced by your stock growth, product portfolio and growing user base. So many people I know use this product and love it. I want to be on the rocket ship. I’d love to build for scale and impact.

And, I’m also aligned with your company values which really speaks to your success. I just heard your CEO talking about how important it is to be focused on customer centricity to drive long-term profits. This really inspires me.