Something that surprises me is how rarely folks send thank you emails after an interview. Personally, I think this is a simple way to leave a positive impression after an interview, and even if there’s no job offer, this can set the path up for networking and maintaining a connection with the interviewer.
I returned to the Bay Area after three months in Seattle. I was there for Indeed University, Indeed’s onboarding program for recent grads. New Indeedians join teams and build new products, which are pitched to senior leadership at the end of the summer.
When starting at a new company, I’ve found that taking a few initial steps can really help set up a new product manager for success. This advice is especially relevant for larger companies, where there are multiple products and it can be a challenge to get up to speed on all the products and processes.
I had a lovely interview about product management with Jess Ratcliff. Jess has been interviewing women in product management in her "Coffee With" series, to understand their path to product management, what makes for a great product manager, and more.
I spoke with Jess about my path from interest in a legal career, to teaching, to marketing, and finally, product management, as well as some books that are great for PMs.
Product management is a career that requires extensive empathy. A great product manager must understand the user’s challenges, needs and problems. If the product is in the B2B space, the PM needs to often grok the perspective of the user’s manager and the buyer, which are not always the same people. PMs work with multiple teams and stakeholders; who needs what? What motivates these different people? What do they want from you and your team? A successful product manager is able to empathize with these numerous and diverse groups of people, and synthesize these needs and desires into a coherent product strategy.
I'm excited to announce that I joined Indeed, the world's #1 job search site. I joined in March and it's been a whirlwind of learning, contributing, and growing. I'm working out of Indeed's downtown San Francisco office. We're hiring across the board in Austin, NYC, SF, and more. It is such a great fit; I love reviewing resumes and helping my friends get jobs. Now I am lucky enough to help millions around the world find their dream jobs.
I recently started using Slack in order to join a Women in Product group. Once I downloaded the mobile app and turned on notifications, I received this email, which really impressed me.
A product manager must be an expert on their product, as well as competitors’ products and industry news. Time is very much a limited resource, so I use a number of tools that allow me to find and consume changes with the competition efficiently. Here are a few of my favorite tools for staying up-to-date on the competition.
Next Tuesday, December 1st, is #GivingTuesday. After the gluttony of Thanksgiving and the splurging of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it's a relief to give back. It's the one day that nonprofits have to themselves and are finally getting a piece of the (pumpkin) pie.
