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This article takes product job search as the topic, and specifically shares the product manager’s career planning, product ability, job search process, interview skills and other content~

Editor’s note: This article is from WeChat public account “Everyone is a product manager” (ID: woshipm), author XinG Zhenyu.

Today’s turn, talk about product search. Why do you want to talk about this topic suddenly?

Several reasons:

• First of all, there are companies where friends have successfully switched to their favorite places. Thank you!

• Secondly, it is to guide several younger brothers and sisters to prepare for the autumn tricks, which is remarkable;

• At the end of the day, I met a lot of candidates as an interviewer. I really feel that I am looking for a job.

As a product manager, I regard myself as a very important product, so I pay great attention to the training and growth of professional ability. Every time I apply for a job, I can’t do it at will. This is a systematic project.

Career Planning

Talking about job hunting, the most fundamental thing is career planning.

In my opinion, the job rules are divided into two levels: motivation and execution. Motivation is fundamental, driving me to move forward; execution is practical, designing an executable plan based on my own needs and the state of the environment.

1.1 target

If you don’t have a clear, firm, and long-term goal, you can’t talk about it.

What is the goal of “I” in my career? This is the core thinking that must be answered as a professional. I ask myself to answer this question every day, because life needs to have goals. This is the original driving force to drive self-going.

At the same time, a good goal is to make the interviewer feel the candidate’s enthusiasm and determination for this position. If there is no support, who can hold the three positions of product manager?

Some candidates, and most of the freshmen, they have one thing in common, that is, there is no goal.

“I can’t get through development, so I switched products.”

“Feeling that the product is very interesting, I want to try it.”

……

These reasons are more real than the price of supermarket goods, but they feel that the motivation is not enough and the goal is not clear enough. A convincing goal must be a strong desire to start from the heart.

There was a candidate who told me

“I hope that one day my parents in my hometown will be able to improve my life with products I personally designed.”

I believe him, this goal will definitely support him to success. So think about why you want to be a product manager. This is the key.

1.2 Long-term planning

When we have a clear goal, the next step is to develop a long-term plan based on the current situation.

You can use the method I often say, push back.

First of all, starting from the goal, what is necessary to achieve the goal, and then step by step to the current stage, so that the outline of the entire plan comes out. Then, each stage goal is embodied and a clear growth milestone is formed.

The phased goal is an important factor in determining a job search. My advice is to try to complete one or more complete stages of growth in the same company. This is to reduce growth barriers caused by uncontrollable factors and to ensure quality and efficient personal growth.

1.3 Short-term specific arrangements

When the big goal is decomposed through planning, what we need to do is to make specific arrangements based on the current staged goals.

Each stage has a focus on growth, focusing on the project at hand and continuous self-improvement. The following is the corresponding stage of product capability and the needs of the post.

The reason for developing long-term and short-term plans is not only to prevent loss of control, but also to identify the position of individual professional ability. Anchoring is an auxiliary analysis tool for job hunting. When you clearly know the current stage of development, you will make reasonable job search arrangements.

Some of the candidates have worked for 1-2 years, but the resume is well packaged, and the offer price is very high, but they don’t know when they interview. It is possible to say that he is in troubled waters, but it is more likely that he does not know his position and will be confused by the high price on the market.

1.4 Environmental Change

Environment, this is a big factor that is beyond personal control.

Even if the product manager tries harder, it is impossible to compete with the times. The company suddenly closes down and the project is dissolved in place. Environmental change is the regulation loop in the job rules. According to the actual situation, the long-term and short-term plans are appropriately adjusted to keep their own growth active rather than passively regulated.

This is because I have experienced the adjusted story myself. At the time, my heart was really very dark and I couldn’t lift it. After a long period of wisdom, in the subsequent work, I also encountered dramatic changes, but I already mentionedGet ready early and embrace change with peace of mind.

Job search process

The job search process According to the above-mentioned job rules, normality occurs between the stages of long-term planning. In theory, it is necessary to have sufficient preparation to have an ideal offer.

As shown in the above figure, a complete job search process is divided into 4 links, each of which has a corresponding main job. If you want to find a satisfactory job, you have to work hard.

2.1 Plan Period

A lot of times, we will first realize that the current work or job development space is not satisfied with our own growth, so we are ready to enter the first part of the job search.

2.1.1 Summary experience

At this time, the first thing is not to find a job immediately, but to measure whether your current state and ability are suitable for going out to find a job. Make sure you are ready, ok, you can do it.

If you haven’t already, then start with your project review and experience summary, and you need to do both macro and detail. After finishing the experience, it will become the content of the resume and the content of the interview, so it should not be sloppy.

To sum up the experience, many teachers and sisters have asked a question. The work they are arranged is very screwy, scattered and disorderly.

At this time, I would advise them to think more about the meaning of this work, including

1 The context of the workflow, there must be a whole idea of ​​the work

The value of 2 jobs, what value does it bring to follow-up work

3 Optimized space, whether there is an optimal arrangement for reproducing similar situations

The best summary is to come up with a methodology that will come up with a solution to the problem of the same type in the future. It’s not just about things, there’s no flexibility, and old ones are often difficult to solve new problems.

2.1.2 Writing a basic resume

The basic resume is a version v1.0.0 produced based on experience. In the subsequent job search process, the basic resume will be adjusted according to the actual situation, which means a little version management.

Writing resumes should be concise, and content that has nothing to do with work or job ability should not be piled up, and only the overall value of the entire CV will be reduced. There is also project experience, using the STAR rule, the work is described in terms of logic that can be read once, and try not to lack content.

2.1.3 Know the situation in advance

The situation I am talking about here refers to the match between the job search target and the market demand gap. In the end, job hunting is a process of symmetry of information, in which itself and the market supply each other.

If the candidate is a big cow, there is no cold winter at all; if not, please exercise and prepare carefully and decide carefully. To be clear about your shining point, you can get a good job in the next step.

2.2 delivery period

Speaking of the delivery process, there are two ways of thinking.

First, find the company you like, and then use the connections to find out if the current job is suitable for you, then fine-tune your resume and push it. Interpolation is the most rewarding way to get an interview, because the recommended person has already completed a value endorsement for the candidate, and HR will focus on it.

Second, the public resume is published through the recruitment platform, and then HR or headhunter can find a suitable industry or company to try the interview.

The core goal of the delivery period is to get an interview opportunity, so you can fine-tune the basic resume according to different JD needs, but you must tell the truth, otherwise you will only taste the consequences.

2.3 Interview period

When we enter the interview period, we must be mentally prepared and accept questions and answers.

Before interviewing a position, it is recommended to first understand the current situation of the company’s business and the products it belongs to, which is very helpful for getting the initiative during the interview.

In order to get yourself into the state, you can actually find 2-3 companies for interviews. It is easier to find that feeling only if you are in a real scene. Of course, this may also get a good offer, who knows?

ps. After asking to say this method, HR don’t pull me black.

In the course of the interview, there will definitely be cases where the performance is not good or the questions cannot be answered. At this time, you should not be discouraged and do a good job to prevent the same type of problem from reappearing. As for the skills of the interview, the following will also be said, you can see it slowly.

Finally, unless the offer is really the best of its class, never give up.

2.4 trial period

Yes, after entering the new company, the trial period is actually the last part of the job search. Only through real work can you quickly verify your match with your work.

If it is not a question of value or company survival, I would recommend sticking to it again, because many shortcomings and shortcomings cannot be discovered immediately.

But if the match is not good, then go back to the delivery or interview period as soon as possible. The cost of silence is not the cost, the future time is the biggest cost, don’t waste your precious time by the unworthy place.

When the new company can give you a feeling of a future, congratulations, work with peace of mind.

At this point, it is considered to complete a job search.

Product Capabilities

After finishing the job and process, then we will talk about the product capability rating model.

Why should you have a ability model? Because this is the standard, don’t let the soap opera go to the brain. I think the interviewer will help you to sweep the other interviewers and HR and hire you because of a flash of light.

Because I only interviewed the three stages of assistant, manager and senior, I only talked about my ability model for 0-6 years.

Red Bull Bold Warning, this is my scoring model as an interviewer, for reference only!

3.1 Capability Model

3.1.1 Product Thinking

Product thinking is the core competence of the product manager’s job evaluation. If this is not the case, then it is really impossible to save the gods. Often said product thinking includes but is not limited to

• User understanding: Accurately locate user groups, clearly understand the user’s mind, and analyze reasonable user needs

• Business Logic: Know the positioning and value of the product, and deeply understand the business process, which can be adjusted according to the actual situation

• Causality: A reasonable and structured analysis of the causal relationship between things

• The overall situation: to understand and generally grasp the development process, current situation and future direction of things

In fact, more is the momentum and the way I have said before, here to help you review.

3.1.2 Product Management

This assessment dimension involves the actual output of the work. In the development process of a product, there are many possibilities and corresponding decisions, which need to be managed.

I usually evaluate candidates with core product features to see if he has real work experience, including requirements mining and analysis, functional design decisions, version management, user usage results, future Development, whether there are negative effects, function-related operations, the relationship between other functions in the product and core functions.

Of course, I am not a devil, I will adjust the problem according to the actual situation, especially the product newcomer.More is guidance than question and answer.

3.1.3 Data Driven

The ability that product managers need is data driven, not just data analysis. Because the analysis only finds the correlation between the two factors, but the product manager is to find the causality between things to make effective decisions.

Similarly, I will ask questions about the candidate’s data work experience and ability based on core functions. Recently, I gradually felt that with the end of the first half of the Internet, the status of the head product is relatively stable, and the position of the product manager is gradually becoming saturated. In the later development, the head products will be based on the reduction of mistakes, so the recruitment of most positions may be the ability to refine the operation of the products, then the data drive becomes an important competitiveness.

3.1.4 Learning ability

Scholasticity is an underlying ability that means how much a person’s development prospects can be. Many abilities can be learned quickly based on academic ability, but scholastic ability needs to be continuously cultivated and maintained.

So during the interview, I really like to ask what fatal problems I have encountered. How to overcome them at the time, these can reflect one’s academic ability and anti-business. At the same time, let the candidate talk about career planning, or what changes have been made to himself at a certain stage, which can be used to seduce one’s academic ability.

3.1.5 Communication skills

The last dimension is communication, this is an important survival skill.

Don’t think that you are Joe’s lord. When you are in his position, decide whether to refuse communication. The level of communication skills actually has a subjective feeling during the interview process. The specific performance I call the sense of rhythm.

If a product can make a conversation go according to its own plan and rhythm, then the output of the information results is a real probability. It is the senior ability of the product manager to let others express the true feelings and information useful to the product.

3.2 Product Phase

Next, let me talk about my understanding of each stage and the model score.

3.2.1 Scoring Criteria

First explain the evaluation of the ability and the corresponding scoring criteria, respectively:

Understanding (1 point): I have heard of a noun or theory of corresponding ability, but it has never actually been contacted or actually used.

Understanding (2 points): Knowing and understanding the meaning of the corresponding ability for products and positions, there are attempts to contact or use, but more unfamiliar.

Proficiency (3 points): Understand and understand the methodology of the corresponding abilities and use the product work consciously.

Mastery (4 points): Use the abilities very skillfully and begin to form your own methodology.

Mastery (5 points): Has formed his own methodology and can apply to workAmong them, excellent results have been achieved.

3.2.2 Product Assistant (0-2 years)

For most of the product students who have 0-2 years of experience, I call it the product assistant stage (there are always excellent students, and I am right now).

Because the product work at this stage will be fragmented and the purpose is not clear, many times you need to have a senior to complete the work. Therefore, at this stage, I have the most important learning ability. Product thinking has requirements for user understanding and business logic. Product management has corresponding experience in the function development process.

Being able to know that you don’t know, and then making yourself more excellent through continuous efforts to replenish is the most valuable performance at this stage.

3.2.3 Product Manager (2-5 years)

Into the product manager stage, the requirements for product capabilities are improved in all aspects and all need to be proficient.

The job of a product manager is often responsible for the complete product function within a large product or a small, beautiful product, so the requirements for product capabilities are comprehensive and skilled. At the same time, there is a clear need for data-driven capabilities, starting with data to understand users and iterative products.

This stage can show that there is a very strong product thinking is extra points, such a product manager can give the product a strong vitality.

3.2.4 Senior Product Manager (4-6 years)

The requirements of the senior product manager are very strict, and basically the product ability must reach the proficient level to meet the requirements.

For advanced, his daily work is product control and exploration, which requires him to have a deep understanding of the products he is responsible for and already have his ownMature product methodology. Being able to accurately grasp product development in a rapidly changing market is the best performance of comprehensive capabilities.

Of course, seniors often need help and guidance from assistants and product managers. This is actually a test of product capabilities.

3.3 Product Types

The next step is to talk about the additional requirements for product segmentation.

As the mobile Internet layout is gradually taking shape and the product architecture is mature, the recruitment requirements of product managers for the product managers begin to emphasize the situation of subdividing majors. The requirements for specified skills and experience are clearly defined in JD. In fact, it is a comprehensive product with one person and many angles. I chose a few popular job types to talk about.

3.3.1 Growth Product Manager

This position is actually a bit of a traditional product and the feeling of operating crossfire. Through a deep understanding of users, business and products, find the growth space of products and design corresponding products and operation plans

Growing PM not only requires product methodology, but also requires operational experience and capabilities to bring considerable growth in actual data to the product. The product and operational capabilities are interoperable at the bottom, but in terms of user reach, you need to have a more flexible thinking and plan an active user.

3.3.2 Data Product Manager

DPM is the collective name for two types of work, the first is the product manager of the data product, and the second is the data product manager.

The former is the PM responsible for data products. It has high requirements for product data flow management capabilities, and ensuring data quality is a core task. The latter is a PM that can solve problem-solving or iterative optimization through data analysis of the current state of product operation. Such DPM requires very high data sensitivity.

However, the requirements for DPM on the market today are usually a combination of the two.

3.3.3 Intermediate Product Manager

The work capacity requirements of the PM in the middle of the station will focus on the overall thinking and business empowerment.

Because the mid-size PM majority of companies in multiple scenarios in the same business need to integrate and abstract various services, and transform from customized product functions to universal product capability interfaces. Secondly, it is necessary to empower business scenarios, not only to decentralize, but also to understand how to provide capabilities for user products.

3.4 Summary

Speaking so much, in fact, I hope that the product students can find their own positioning and development direction, and then complete the relevant capacity reserve according to the needs of the position, which can be hit at the time of job hunting.

Interview skills

Last talk about interview skills, I know that many of the officials actually want to see this.

4.1 Prepare

This I have repeatedly stressed that being prepared is the biggest skill for an interview.

Prepare the packageIncluding personal experiences of products and projects, their own development experience, job seekers or products, their industry, competing products, etc. The biggest benefit of being prepared is that you are confident, you can calmly answer, and sometimes you can even take the initiative in the interview, turning the interview into a chat instead of a simple question and answer.

As for the state, I also said above, first practice.

4.2 calm and calm

The interview is not a rush, so don’t worry about giving the answer, especially the product interview.

Be sure to listen to the problem clearly. If you don’t understand the problem for the first time, you can ask the interviewer carefully if you don’t know. Don’t be afraid. Before answering the question, stop and stop, and sort out the framework of the answer in the mind. The logical and structured answer can ensure the complete transmission of the information to the greatest extent possible.

4.3 Deliberate training

Don’t wait until the interview is started before you start training yourself. You should consciously ask questions and answer questions. There are many situations that are taken for granted in life. In fact, there are all kinds of business logic and truth behind, and we need to actively explore. As I said in the Just AtalK series, try to look at the world with product thinking.

4.4 answer frame

Simplify a few practical answer frames, but they must be accompanied by deliberate training.

• Causal Logic: The guiding ideology to be emphasized first, all answers must have causal support to convince the interviewer

• Architectural thinking: Secondly, it is able to answer questions in a hierarchical structure. For example, STAR answers the project experience questions. There are many experiences on the Internet, so I won’t go into details here

• Formula Thinking: Applying problems in the operations and quantification classes, dissolving a problem through business logic into various links, and then thinking about the corresponding links

As a candidate, I will bring a pen paper at the interview. Some of the questions with a slightly larger range will be directly drawn and explained. The whole effect will be easier to understand and more convincing than pure face-to-face.

4.5 Grasp the opportunity

To demonstrate your abilities and hiring skills as much as possible during the interview process, and strive to impress the interviewer. If some questions are not answered well in the process, you can re-answer the last “question interviewer” link to get points.

Finally, if you feel that this interview is really for GG, then you can consult the interviewer about what is wrong with him. You can go back and sum up, and don’t make the same mistake again next time.

Last

Having said so much, I hope that my experience can help you to look for a job.Lee, successfully get your favorite offer~

The title map is from Unsplash