Also be prepared for behavioral questions in this initial conversation. Be well-versed in the experience and projects on your resume, as you may be asked to elaborate on your work. If there is a good fit, they will reach out and get to know you via phone call. The interview process for all APM programs is relatively similar.įirst, a recruiter will review your resume. Many APM programs also assign mentors to the new hires, whose advice can pay dividends down the road. Google APMs complete 2 one-year rotations while Facebook rotational product managers (RPM) complete 3 six-month rotations. Many APM roles also include a rotational portion to the program, where you'd get the chance to try out different teams and get exposed to many more challenges while expanding your network. This is an opportunity to learn about how the company does product management, and may even include a trip to learn about the tech industry in various markets! Why APMĪ hallmark of many APM programs is the training the company provides. As you can imagine, APM roles are very competitive (arguably even more competitive than experienced product manager roles). Many thousands of applicants apply each year.
Since then, other companies have adopted their own APM programs similar to Google's. Google chairman Eric Schmidt has even expressed his opinion that one of Google's APM alumni will be CEO of the company one day. Other notable alumni include Bret Taylor, co-creator of Google Maps, and Justin Rosenstein, who founded Asana. Brian Rakowski, the first APM, is now Google's VP for Chrome. Marissa would recruit a handful of young college grads, and help train them into what Google thinks a product manager should be. At the time, Google needed some way to recruit raw talent it couldn't obtain from industry hires. The original APM program was developed in the early 2000s by then-Google product manager Marissa Mayer.
What is APMĪssociate product manager roles provide new grads and early-career professionals the chance to break into product management. This guide will provide an explanation of the APM role and an overview of some of the most popular APM programs. Thus, companies have developed entry-level product management roles, known commonly as Associate Product Management (APM) roles. This challenge is especially augmented for those just graduating from college with minimal exposure to product management. Product Management is notoriously difficult to get into.