This essay is based on a conversation with Sarra Bounouh, a product manager in Meta’s Seattle office. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her work history.
I grew up in Morocco and moved to France after graduating from high school.
I studied Applied Mathematics in college and had a few career options.
I decided to go into consulting because I wanted to explore different types of projects and problems, work in different industries, and discover what I was passionate about. I interned at Accenture and eventually moved into a full-time role.
Working on artificial intelligence projects piqued my interest in technology and I started taking some courses after work. It was hard to maintain a consulting schedule so I decided to go back to college to study Computer Science.
I moved to the US to pursue a Master’s degree at Texas A&M University and after graduating in 2020, I took a Product Manager role at Microsoft.
I worked at Microsoft for about three years before joining Snap, which I left to join Meta earlier this year.
A product manager application typically involves 5-8 interviews, with a combination of technical and behavioral sessions.
Here are four ways I prepare before an interview with a big tech company that matters.
Mock interview
There are multiple frameworks for product management, there is too much to learn, and with so many resources, it is very easy to get distracted and overwhelmed.
A strategy I always use is mock interviews: Schedule a practice interview with your mock interviewee a week before the big interview, and choose a few questions you want to work on each day before the interview.
Explore roles and companies
In the days leading up to the interview, I research the position: I reread the job description and think of examples of past experience that match the duties described.
If possible, I also research recent releases of the company and the team I’ll be joining so I can approach the interview with an overview of the company and its strategy so far.
Bounou joined Meta in 2024. Sarah Bounou
Prepare a list of questions
A key part of my interview strategy is preparing a list of questions to ask the interviewer. I separate my questions based on whether the interviewer is in a leadership position or a hiring manager.
For leaders:
What is the strategy for your team and your company? How do this team’s goals and key results fit into your company’s overall mission and strategy? What do you have in mind for your team in the next 6 and 12 months? What sets the talent for the role you’re hiring for apart?
For Hiring Managers:
Who will the person in this role be working closely with? What does success mean for this role? Tell us about a project your team has recently worked on and its impact.
This is one of my favorite questions because it helps me assess the scope of the team’s work and connect it to the role I’m hiring for. If I have multiple interviews, I make sure to ask this question of every hiring manager.
Switch gears 24 hours in advance
I tried two strategies the day before my interview and found one of them worked much better mentally.
Previously, I would continue preparing for technical product management questions even on the last day, and I felt that on the day of the interview, I would feel much more nervous and anxious, which affected my overall interview performance the next day.
These days, I try to relax and not do too much in the 24 hours before a big interview – just reflect on what I’ve learned so far and don’t tackle any new problems.
I found that it helps to stress less the day before the interview, and it’s also better to go into the interview confident that things aren’t going to change drastically in the last 24 hours and that you’ll look your best and be well prepared.
Do you have a story about your career journey you’d like to share? Get in touch with us at shubhangigoel@insider.com.
