Re:Getting to the Product Manager interview stage
by ska on Thursday June 24, 2021 @01:05PM
(#27620585)
"senior" is such a loose category now in tech I find it almost useless, ranging from "no longer needs constant handholding" to "can run this show".
Assuming you are talking more to the latter part of that spectrum, this is what I would expect to see:
1) A rough timeline (say down to month or quarter resolution) of roles within that company (and others if you have them), with a concise role description focused on what you were responsible for; give me an idea of your day-to-day in that role.
2) Projects and achievements. "Shipped X" "Added Y capability" "Improved Q performance by U %" is much stronger than "Worked on Z subsystem". Be prepared to describe anything in here in great detail if asked. Group achievements are fine but call out what you did (e.g. "Part of X team, delivering 9mm in new revenue by adding [system]. My contribution was [describe]).
3) Strengths and skills. Be honest but blow your own horn a bit. Anything you claim here a good hiring manager will consider testing.
4) Maybe education & certs etc., depends on relevance and position
Hiring managers want to understand the impact you've had before, and what you may bring to their team. If you write yourself up as a fungible IC, that's how you'll be pigeonholed.
Formatting. No more than 2 pages for an engineering position. Making it stand out a bit isn't bad, but much more important to make it clear and easy to read.Personally I don't care too much about format unless it is hard to follow.
Two classic ways to do this are time-based (so all above is interleaved) or functionally (e.g. a short role timeline, but also a project area, etc.). They are both fine if written well, but concentrate on the story it tells.
Honestly people are more used to the first format (timeline) but be careful not to bury your strengths if you do. If you chose the second approach to more easily emphasize them, make it clear by formatting.
Finally - remember a resume should not be a mere logbook of your work, more of a highlight reel.
Assuming you are talking more to the latter part of that spectrum, this is what I would expect to see:
1) A rough timeline (say down to month or quarter resolution) of roles within that company (and others if you have them), with a concise role description focused on what you were responsible for; give me an idea of your day-to-day in that role.
2) Projects and achievements. "Shipped X" "Added Y capability" "Improved Q performance by U %" is much stronger than "Worked on Z subsystem". Be prepared to describe anything in here in great detail if asked. Group achievements are fine but call out what you did (e.g. "Part of X team, delivering 9mm in new revenue by adding [system]. My contribution was [describe]).
3) Strengths and skills. Be honest but blow your own horn a bit. Anything you claim here a good hiring manager will consider testing.
4) Maybe education & certs etc., depends on relevance and position
Hiring managers want to understand the impact you've had before, and what you may bring to their team. If you write yourself up as a fungible IC, that's how you'll be pigeonholed.
Formatting. No more than 2 pages for an engineering position. Making it stand out a bit isn't bad, but much more important to make it clear and easy to read.Personally I don't care too much about format unless it is hard to follow.
Two classic ways to do this are time-based (so all above is interleaved) or functionally (e.g. a short role timeline, but also a project area, etc.). They are both fine if written well, but concentrate on the story it tells.
Honestly people are more used to the first format (timeline) but be careful not to bury your strengths if you do. If you chose the second approach to more easily emphasize them, make it clear by formatting.
Finally - remember a resume should not be a mere logbook of your work, more of a highlight reel.