Facebook Product Manager Interview After Rejection Again

What I learned from failing my Facebook PM interview

Credit: Nathan Dumlao (Unsplash)

Rarely practise people write about their shortcomings or failure in existent time but, sometimes, those are the most instructive times for the states if nosotros're willing to acquire from them. In that spirit, I desire to write about a recent feel I had applying for a Facebook Production Director role.

For groundwork, I've been living and working in Kenya for virtually eight years at present, offset having started Sinapis, a organized religion-based business organization accelerator, then starting a fintech company, Caytree, focused on equipping small-scale businesses with the fiscal tools they need to help them access upper-case letter. This chapter is soon coming to an terminate as my family unit and I set up to move back to the US. Our move is taking u.s.a. close to family in the Bay Area, where I am looking for a job.

A short while ago, someone shared about a Facebook product direction function with me. It was a perfect fit because it was at the intersection of technology, emerging markets, and financial inclusion — 3 domains I'm passionate near. Through a series of events, I ended up meeting someone on the team I'd be working in. Subsequently, I went through two interviews — ane with a recruiter and i with a product director whose background I actually resonated with.

I didn't move on at the end of the procedure and of course, was deeply disappointed. However, with some distance, I felt that on the whole, it was a positive experience worth sharing. I've organized this reflection in three sections so skip to whichever might be most interesting:

1. What I learned about Facebook;
2. What I learned well-nigh the procedure;
3. What I learned most myself.

What I learned about Facebook

Before this function, I'd never actually considered working at Facebook. Yet, after meeting a few people at Facebook and getting into the interview pipeline, I began to exercise my research.

Facebook has a bang-up culture

Earlier this twelvemonth, I was going to write an open letter to Mark giving him some communication on how to fix Facebook related to privacy issues afterwards people shut to me began to complain virtually the tracking they were doing outside the app and how it was influencing ads they were seeing (broadly, they felt the tracking had gone to far invading their privacy). I never wrote the letter merely when the opportunity came up over again to examine the visitor more closely, I was curious about what I would find.

I was especially interested in Marking Zuckerbug as a leader and nigh what the employee civilization was like. My interviews were literally taking place during the Cambridge Analytica incident. What was the best manner to reconcile some very disquisitional exterior perspectives on Facebook, with one of the highest-ranking scores as a CEO on Glassdoor? And on a solar day-to-day basis, what would it actually be like to work at Facebook?

In summary, my experience with everyone at the company was nothing short of spectacular. The people I met on the recruiting and product management squad were not just smart and gracious each step of the style, just they were likewise incredibly nice. People say that employees don't go out companies, they get out managers and at least from an outsider's brief interaction, I felt that the overall company camaraderie was great.

And as for Mark, well, I never met him and I even so don't feel like I know plenty virtually him to brand a nuanced judgment but if I were to try, I'd say that Mark strikes me like whatever other human — complex, incredibly gifted at certain things, with shortcomings in others. Running a company since higher for ten years, creating a platform with over 2 billion people is no small feat and my guess is that most people at some betoken doing that volition take their challenges; Mark is simply going through his. That he is very well respected by employees too speaks volumes near his leadership.

On privacy

Someone asked me during this process how I reconciled the idea of working for a company with the privacy breaches it'southward had. On one level, I think that these challenges are inherent to whatsoever company that grows to the level of influence they take. In that respect, these challenges are not unique to Facebook. Microsoft had to struggle with monopoly bug. Exxon wrestles with environmental concerns. Airbnb has to face up its transformative impact on hospitality; Uber with transportation. It doesn't alibi these companies from having to tackle these issues, but if we recognize that companies, like people, aren't perfect, I think we tin can have a more than nuanced and counterbalanced view of them.

That said, Facebook is unique in that it's the largest global community with undeniable influence, which tin can be positive or negative. Its mission is to bring people closer together and the visitor should (and has begun) emphasize that this should largely be done to positive outcome. With great privilege comes great responsibility and to the degree Facebook'due south leadership tin can begin to exist more proactive in recognizing and carrying out their responsibilities, the more Facebook will be able to navigate the future as they continue to grow. History tells united states that at some point, they tin wait regulation in some form; how that happens tin can yet largely exist shaped by how the company conducts itself in the near futurity.

For my part, I was attracted to the opportunity to brand a meaningful difference to a meaning population of people in emerging markets who have traditionally been excluded from the financial sector and therefore have less favorable economic outcomes. This is the positive side of working for large organizations — the ability to contribute to meaningful impact at scale.

What I learned nigh the process

Preparation is never a waste

It's tempting to let the fact that I didn't get in lead to the conclusion that my preparation was worthless or somehow subpar but I feel differently. Afterward finding out I had an interview, I undertook an intensive process of preparation which involved talking with employees, researching FB online, and trying to understand the types of questions they'd enquire on both product and the specific specialization I would be working on. There were two aspects of my preparation that stood out as particularly useful.

Getting the inside scoop

The first was talking to current employees, which included people in the formal procedure as well equally friends. Talking with people who piece of work at a company e'er gives you a dissimilar perspective and tin can help to reinforce aspects of your story to highlight or point you lot to potential blind spots to avoid. When I reflect on past situations when I've practical to other jobs or schools (successfully), this component of getting the inside scoop has e'er been of import. In at least two situations, it was the critical cistron in my success.

Understanding the role

Another big role of my preparation was taking time to understand the part, and honestly, I spent far also much time thinking virtually product management in generic terms and less time really diving into what the potential role might wait like on a solar day to mean solar day basis. While this training was useful and helped me to be get a better handle on that aspect of the job, I probably focused as well much on that to my detriment. On the brilliant side, I feel much improve equipped to interview for production managing director roles and I take the mental infinite adjacent fourth dimension to focus on the specific context of a potential PM function.

When interviewing, relax!

Information technology's fair to say that leading up to my interviews, during, and peradventure even later on, I was a bundle of nerves which is odd considering I don't consider myself prone to feet. It'south not to say I don't get broken-hearted, but generally speaking, I don't tighten upward. Nonetheless, during both interviews, my nerves got the best of me. As a issue, I was too focused on giving the "right" answer, which is e'er the wrong approach. Certainly in any interview situation, at that place's a meliorate reply and there'southward a worse answer and we are generally in a spectrum in between just nerves can tip our answers to the negative end of that spectrum. The old adage to relax is true — and when we do, I think that our authentic selves shine through which enables a more accurate assessment of fit.

What I learned most myself

Every bit adept as information technology was to acquire about Facebook or become reminders on preparing and interviewing for a chore, the virtually useful part of this feel is what I learned about myself. Specifically, I learned the importance of owning my ain story, and how to properly frame a "ding".

Pursue your passions

Having examined Facebook's culture and getting a sense of the team I would work with, I was reminded about the importance of pursuing your passions and working with people you like and respect. A lot of people don't have the luxury of doing the jobs they were called to practice — life sometimes gets in the way. Career transitions offering a natural point to step dorsum and ask yourself if you're doing what yous really desire to be doing.

I'g fortunate to have worked on a lot of interesting things in my career, broadly in areas of my passion. Equally I brainstorm looking for jobs and considering next steps, I don't want to lose sight of continuing to pursue my goals. This might mean that I stay at the intersection of financial inclusion, applied science, and emerging markets — or it might mean focusing on my love of production, or maybe even pursuing a more than creative career. A lot of people employ to "safety jobs" or "safety schools" which I completely understand. But at that place's something to be said for people who go all out to pursue their passions and to the extent that's possible, that's what I'm going to practise.

Own your story

After living and working abroad for most 8 years, making a career transition back to the US can be understandably tough. How do y'all accept your experience starting and edifice two organizations and interpret it dorsum in ways people can chronicle to? What was the best way to give language to my experiences?

Every bit I explained before, having worn multiple hats as an entrepreneur, I tin potentially translate these experiences into a multifariousness of roles. I spent a lot of time every bit a consequence mapping out my story, trying to figure out how to best explain it in the context of product management. This was fine merely what I never did was step back and encounter how it all fit together, and, crucially, to give it the proper emotional validation it needed. Before you can explain your story to someone, yous need to starting time exist comfortable with it, whatever information technology is.

By the time my interview rolled around, I had washed the intellectual analysis effectually my story for the role, but I hadn't validated information technology emotionally. Had I been successful working abroad? Why? What was I proud of? Why? What would I accept improved? Why? I knew the answers to these questions intuitively, but because I hadn't intentionally fleshed them out, I spent my interview trying to make my experience "fit the function" as opposed to explaining my time away comfortably, naturally. Interviewers sense this and it makes them wary.

Getting dinged doesn't make you a failure

Antisocial rejection in any context is human nature. I remember the fourth dimension an erstwhile dearest involvement dedicated, "Hit the road Jack" to me. Information technology sucked, though in retrospect, a bit funny. Getting rejected obviously conjures up feelings of failure because, well, a ding is a small failure no matter how else we might frame it. Just at that place'southward a large difference between declining at something and being a failure. Being a failure implies a wasted life where the sum total of everything we take washed means we accept failed every bit a human being and I just don't call up that'due south ever a healthy style to always look at things. No matter how much we might fail or screw up, as long as we're alive, at that place's always hope, however dim.

When it comes to professional person pursuits, failure sometimes points us to the notion that perchance we weren't supposed to be there at that time, or that we need to acquire more to be ready, or that there's a fundamentally better opportunity on the horizon (similar this astonishing story of Anthony Anderson getting fired from Chipotle). I have no idea why I got dinged and whether or non I'll ultimately cease upwards at Facebook just understanding I failed at an objective, is far more useful than using this feel to serve every bit some kind of proxy, for example, on my story or the quality of my life.

Rejection as well reminds united states of america that when one door closes, some other opens. Although it has the potential to suspension us, it can also build us up, make us more introspective, assistance u.s.a. push through and clarify our priorities. Getting the ding reminded me how much I really wanted this role and more importantly, it showed that fifty-fifty though I failed at this specific role, there's room for me to accept the bear on I desire to have — somewhere, somehow. Allow's also confront it: I would non have had any of these realizations in the same style if I'd gotten the chore.

Thankfully, this is non my start setback in life which likewise means it won't be my final. Things will be okay; I'll discover the right role, at the right company. Information technology'southward just a matter of time. I'll utilize the sum total of this experience — what I learned most Facebook, what I was reminded about the process, and what I discovered almost the importance of owning my story, to state the next gig.

From that perspective, maybe the best manner to look at this feel is equally a stepping stone — to whatever new horizons look.

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Source: https://medium.com/@knyaggah/what-i-learned-from-failing-my-facebook-pm-interview-3647fb56ec92

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