This week, Product College hosted Tannu Jiwnani, Senior Product Supervisor at Microsoft, for a particular #AskMeAnything session. Tannu spoke about core PM traits, networking to interrupt into Product, and roadmapping at Microsoft.
Meet Tannu
Tannu Jiwnani is a Senior Product Supervisor with years of expertise engaged on laptop software program. She is presently working at Microsoft.
She began with the corporate in 2018 as a Enterprise Program Supervisor. Earlier than that, she was a Senior Knowledge Analyst at EY and GA Telesis. Tannu earned her Bachelor’s in Electronics and Telecommunications from the Bhilai Institute of Know-how, Durg. She later went on to attend the College of Florida for her Grasp’s in Data Techniques and Operations Administration. Not solely did she graduate within the prime of her class with the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society, however she additionally held varied positions on the college together with Operations Affiliate, GBCS Ambassador, and Knowledge Migration Analyst.
What are some core traits for a Product Supervisor?
I might emphasize smooth expertise. As a PM a lot of the occasions you’re engaged on merchandise/options which was not developed earlier than and require quite a lot of communication, battle/time/stakeholder administration. Additionally, it’s necessary to be pleased with ambiguity, and asking proper questions to ensure we’re heading in direction of some readability.
Learn subsequent: Traits of Distinctive Product Managers
I’m an engineering undergrad seeking to transfer into the PM area, what would you recommend I do for an excellent begin?
I might recommend taking some small tasks as a PM and begin exploring the realm, it’s one of the simplest ways to study one thing. Getting extra concerned with customer-facing engineering roles offers you the zest of the function, and make it easier to getting ready your story as a PM each time you have got dialog with you subsequent potential hiring supervisor.
How to put together for Product Design interview questions?
- Learn up on books and familiarize your self with all of the form of questions and respective approaches. I might suggest Fixing Product Design Workout routines, System Design Interview ( Alex Xu).
- There are bunch of YouTube sources obtainable too, they’re very useful as nicely.
- Practising questions together with your friends, that’s one of the simplest ways to get suggestions.
Take a look at: What Is Product Design?
What can I do to maximise my probabilities of getting my foot within the door and beginning my PM journey at corporations equivalent to Microsoft or Google?
IMO, Reaching out to people is probably the most impactful. Should you can attain out to hiring managers or recruiters with the precise job ID and what you’re searching for, it reduces their effort in addition to provides you a foot in or at the very least have your resume checked out.
What’s one of the simplest ways to interrupt into Product at Microsoft?
Utilizing LinkedIn posts as a useful resource is essential. If I as a recruiter or hiring supervisor am searching for a PM and the correct particular person reaches out to me on LinkedIn, I can’t clarify how simple my job turns into. Networking/Referrals are additionally a great way as a result of you’ll be able to ask all of the questions in regards to the function to your referrer, to determine if the function is best for you or not.
Learn to make higher connections: Networking for Product Managers
I’m making an attempt to interrupt into Product. Would it not be efficient for me to pivot into Undertaking Administration after which into Product Administration? Or ought to I goal Affiliate PM positions first?
If it’s within the PM function in identical area/business you’re in I might say Product/Program supervisor is a proper entry path as you already convey some area/business expertise to the desk. Nevertheless, if you’re concentrating on completely different business the place you don’t have any data of enterprise/business then concentrating on an affiliate can be a wise transfer. You possibly can at all times show your self and progress forward.
How does roadmap planning occur at Microsoft for client dealing with non-technical enterprise merchandise?
There are numerous components to contemplate whereas defining roadmap:
1. What’s the Product Technique (imaginative and prescient, objectives, and so forth)
2. What are the potential options mapping to that technique, what’s the function precedence?
3. Do now we have necessities outlined? Do now we have any exterior drivers for these function releases? As a PM its our job to contemplate the components and outline a roadmap ensuring you have got proper sources in place.
Any remaining suggestions?
I might suggest searching for alternatives in your present function and act as a PM, perhaps for a small challenge, function, or activity. That’s one of the simplest ways to study something. Additionally, it’s serving to you create these tales /experiences which you’ll converse to in your subsequent PM interview, making a case for why you have an interest within the function.
