_{Want to skip the appetizer and jump into the meal? Scroll down to the steps.}

Let’s set the scene:

You have lost your job, it’s been weeks, even months. Nothing. Tens, maybe hundreds of applications. Nothing. Endless days and nights of posting on LinkedIn. Nothing. Roughly a zillion networking events, both online and in person. Nothing. But, one day you log into your email, or LinkedIn. THERE IT IS. A message, a beautiful message. Definitely not a scam, or someone trying to sell you something. Someone wants to talk to you. Wait, I have been putting so much energy into all of the things mentioned above and SO, SO, many countless other things. Volunteering, reworking resume, providing support to your network, finding a mentor, putting in a ton of energy into a personal project, and working as a consultant (for free) to gain experience – these are just a few I can think of for myself. I didn’t even prepare for a conversation or a primary interview. Well, my friend, you have landed in a spot that I hope will be valuable to you.

Let’s first start by saying that when I use the word ‘nothing’ above – I just mean no interviews. And just that. You have been doing so much in a job market that is extremely rough. Start by telling yourself you are worth it. You can do this. All of your life experiences can be used to answer the questions below and amount to so much that you can leverage to help yourself as well as others.

Alright, getting back to it. You asked someone for a call, a recruiter reached out, or a hiring manager wants to talk to you. How do you make the most of your time to prep for that interview?

Step 1 – Keep reading
Step 2 – Try to group some questions together that might have the same/similar answer
Step 3 – Figure out who you are as a nervous person (I’m a rambler)
Step 4 – Utilize this list and write down other questions you might ask if you were hiring
Step 5, 6, 7 – Tell yourself you can do it, because you absolutely can. I know you can!

The following questions are broken down by recruiter/connection that you want to speak to regarding the company then hiring manager. Most of these questions are geared towards a Product or Product Owner position, but use your imagination or other resources out on the internet to come up with your own!

Recruiter might ask:

• Tell me your experience/about yourself:
• How did you find this posting?
• Why would you be a good fit for this position?
• What are you looking for in your next role?
• What is your salary expectation?

Questions to ask a recruiter:

• How did you come upon my resume?
• Why did you decide to interview me?
• What happens if you don’t fill the role? (this shows impact of your role)
• What would you see as a strength on my application?
• Something that I can improve on?
• Can you tell me a bit about the benefits?
• Do you feel like there is work life balance? How so?
• What is the company culture like?
• Is the team distributed? Across different time zone or countries?
• What is communication like between teams?
• What does the interview process look like?
• Can you give me a reason why I cannot proceed to the next stage of the hiring process?

Hiring manager might ask:

• Tell me about yourself when you have taken a product from ideation to a product:
• Tell me about a time that you have been creative.
• Tell me about a time where you failed or didn’t do well on a project
• How would you define value?
• What would you accomplish as a PO first week / first month?
• A time that you have had to say no and why?
• What is your product superpower?
• Tell me about a time when you had to course correct?
• Hardest thing you had to do professionally?
• What do you like about Product Owner? Dislike?
• What is your favorite product?
• Tell me about the hardest piece of feedback you had to receive and the hardest you had to give?
• What is your knowledge of product owner on an agile team?
• What methodology would you use as a product owner to prioritize back log?

Questions to ask a Hiring Manager:

• What do you expect to see within 30 and 90 days for a successful hire?
• What does the team structure look like?
• Will I have access to all internal and external stakeholders?
• Do I have the power to make decisions?
• How often will I get to meet with you?
• Do you have goal setting on your team?
• What does growth look like in this team?
• What does growth look like in the company?
• How can I voice my concerns/thoughts/ideas?
• How do you measure success of the team, of the product?
• Is this role open because of growth or other reason, like previous person left organization, moved to a different department/role within the company?
• Am I able to further my knowledge while working, and how?
• What do next steps look like?

As with anything on this website – think about it as getting early and iterative feedback. Do you have questions you think belong on here? Send them on over to me, I’d love to hear them and am sure that others would benefit as well.

Huge shout out to Om Patel – my mentor, the amazing people at Lean Beer Tampa (if you haven’t been to an event, check them out), the wonderful group I met through Never Search Alone’s Product group, Mahjooba Bianchi, and my brother Amit Patel. Without all of these people, this would have been quite a difficult task.