End of last year, I published some thoughts on how gen AI adoption is changing the jobs of PMs. As many of us will look to change jobs this year, it's time to think about how AI is changing hiring.
Breaking into the PM role will become tougher
Product owner and associate product manager were the entry roles most people got when they started in the product field. It was a legit way to get into Product even without the experience. Interviewing for those roles used to be about demonstrating an understanding of the basics: stages of the product lifecycle, discovery techniques, backlog management, tools mastery...etc. Now though, these might not be sufficient to pass an interview for even an entry PM role.
Generative AI changed the nature of the game for PM beginners. It's no longer enough to show you can write user stories or do basic data analysis. It's not enough because genAI can do that too. Instead, you need to show your problem-solving abilities, demonstrate you're a great communicator and most importantly, convince your future colleagues that you are open to feedback and coachable.
Yes, it also means soft skills matter more than hard skills when it comes to the entry PM roles. In a world where genAI costs 20 bucks a month and a new employee 60 grand a year - people will lean towards hiring folks they could enjoy spending time with and who can grow with them.
Senior PM interviews are all about the impact
When you interview for a senior IC role in Product - your experience used to be the key. It is still highly relevant, however, in the age of genAI it is not enough to just be an expert in a given industry - you need to highlight the impact you made not merely the steps you took.
The impact is much tougher to demonstrate as there are too many factors, most of them not in your control, that could affect the final outcomes. Acknowledging that fact and bringing relevant, thought-through examples can get you really far in the senior PM interview.
Avoid generalisations when describing your experience during an interview. GenAI is good at generalisations, it could come up with a case, describe logical, standard steps to solve it and then even "hallucinate" the outcomes. Instead, be extra specific when describing your impacts. Even under an NDA - you can demonstrate your skills without revealing any sensitive information. Be sure to highlight the challenges you faced and the way you navigated those. You can score serious extra points if you reveal some of your failures (we all had those) and what you've learned as a result.
Leadership PMs need to cultivate relationships
The toughest interviews out there are for product leaders. To successfully pass them you need to understand the context of the organisation you want to get into really well and build rapport with the key stakeholders.
Most companies out there hire PM leaders to help them achieve business goals. Some understand the importance of building strong, empowered teams that could achieve lasting business success. In each case, trust is the key ingredient for executives when hiring a product leader.
Yes, of course, your experience and the past impact you brought matters. And yet, on this level, your personal relationships with your peers at the C level matter more. That means being hired for a product leadership role starts way before the actual interview. It starts with networking, with getting to know each other outside work, with doing favours for each other to earn those tokens of trust. If you are good at cultivating relationships - you might be hired as a product leader without any interview.
Train for the interview with AI
Lately, I've been greatly impressed by the advanced voice mode of ChatGPT. It's such a massive step forward compared to all voice chatbots that were available before. Talking to ChatGPT now feels almost like talking to another person. I increasingly find myself using this mode to brainstorm and practice certain conversations.
You can use genAI to prepare for your PM interview. It could calm your nerves and give you more confidence. Remember that you can ask genAI to play a different persona and consider specific contexts for the conversation. You can also then ask it to provide feedback about your performance and even come up with tips on how to improve your answers.
GenAI could be a great help in preparing for interviews, however, please avoid this cardinal sin...
Don't try to cheat your way into the role
Last year I interviewed a PM candidate. They had a flashy CV and were answering my questions pretty confidently. However, something bothered me as I was recapping the interview. I realised the answers they provided were too generic and lacked key details that made me think the candidate might have sourced them from genAI.
Then some of my colleagues interviewed the candidate and had similar impressions. We decided not to hire them even though we weren't sure they were cheating by using genAI during our chats.
Afterwards, I tried to put myself in the shoes of this candidate and model a situation when the hiring team wouldn't notice me using genAI and ended up hiring me. Yes, it was a remote role that could allow me to keep using genAI on the job. However, it would have been just a matter of time until inevitably I'd be found out. And then my reputation will be forever stained and I will have trouble getting another job. So the risks here definitely outweigh the possible benefits. It's never a good idea to cheat yourself into a job.
Ever changing landscape of product management
GenAI already had a massive impact on the PM job. It forced organisations to rethink what they expect from PM candidates and how they will go about hiring.
As candidates, we should find our unique strengths and match them to the role we want to get. We could use genAI to be better prepared for our interviews and be more productive when we get the job. Best of luck to us in this new AI-powered year.