PayPal Product Manager Interview Guide

The first phase in the process is normally an interview with a recruiter or hiring manager. The interviewer will ask you questions based on your resume and cover letter in a more casual setting. Expect to be questioned about your previous experiences as well as the actions you took in these positions. This interview will last up to 45 mins.

• Based on the job description, your expectations
• Your background and previous experiences
• Your willingness to adapt to the workplace culture

• The initial phone interview will follow a standard model, but you will be expected to do the majority of the talking. As a measure, keep your communication skills abreast.
• Although the recruiter will go through the job description and your qualifications, they are more interested in learning about you and where you see your career going. Discuss your current job, previous experiences, and what you're looking for in your next role. Preparing a two-minute elevator pitch summarizing your history, current, and future career trajectory could be beneficial.
• Make a strong case for why you want to work for PayPal and how you will contribute to the company's success.

• What are your current responsibilities and where do you work?
• Why do you think you'd be a good fit for the position of a product manager?
• Tell me about the latest product you're in charge of.
• What do you want to get out of your workplace and your coworkers?

The second phone screen places a greater emphasis on your skills. Most likely, the interviewer would be a PayPal hiring manager or a current team member. Technical phone screen questions are particularly prevalent. What's more important is to talk about concrete examples of your accomplishments and highlight  your distinct field of expertise. Discuss projects and challenges in your current or previous job, focusing on the process and outcomes.

It might take up to a week before you find out whether you've advanced to the onsite round.

Some points to keep in mind are:

• The focus of this round will be on behavioral and situational questions.
• It is likely that the interview will last up to 50 minutes.
• There could also be some technical and analytical questions.

• Your core PM skills (product ideation, brainstorming, prioritization, MVP thought, execution, metrics, and iteration skills) as well as your industry experience.
• Your ability to come up with ideas efficiently.
• Your potential to think analytically and critically.
• Your dedication to your work.

• You'll most certainly be tested on your technical skills, so be prepared to answer questions about product design and algorithms.
• There's a fair chance the interviewer will ask you about any of PayPal's and its competitors' recent developments, and you'll be asked for your opinion. Doing research and preparing a few points ahead of time, even before the interview, should come in very handy.
• The interviewer also might want to put your product sense to the test by asking you to design or suggest product ideas.

• Can you tell me about a time when you had to use your negotiating skills?
• Describe how you designed a product from start to finish.
• How do you deal with team members that are stressed?
• Which PayPal product is your top choice? What is the reason for this?
• What strategies do you use to negotiate with tough stakeholders?
• What is Slack's most critical metric, and why?
• How do you organize your product backlog?
• PayPal's revenue is generated in a variety of ways. Can you describe some?

At this stage, you will be invited to an on-site interview at the PayPal offices. Candidates invited to an onsite interview have already been considered technically eligible, so the organization is searching for a cultural match. However, you can expect to be asked both technological and behavioral questions. Note that:

• There will be a sequence of about 5 interviews.
• At least two technical interviews: one is a quiz-style interview in which you answer questions about marketing skills, estimation and interpretation, and the other is a whiteboard exercise in which you walk the interviewer through your solution while solving a problem.
• Each interview will last up to 45-50 mins.
• You'll be tested on PM fundamentals like product knowledge, analytical skills, and strategy questions, plus a handful of technical questions.

• Your comprehension of the organization.
• Your success rate and track record.
• Your understanding of different topics such as:

1. Decision making
2. Estimation and analysis
3. Technical problems
4. Marketing skills

• PayPal hiring managers want applicants to interview with them as well; otherwise, they risk hiring someone who isn't a good match for both sides. The interviewer is anticipating your questions. 

• PayPal emphasizes a candidate-friendly interviewing method. The company is pitching itself to you while you're selling yourself as an applicant. PayPal needs to make sure you understand the company's value proposition as an employer, so make sure to talk about how the job and company will help you advance professionally.
• The onsite process is a streamlined one that involves a tour of the campus and the opportunity to meet all of the team members with whom you may work. Make the most of the opportunity by interacting with the other participants.
• Interviewers are interested in seeing how you tackle a problem in effect. Discuss how you'll launch a product and how you'll deal with any problems that arise. Consider if you can re-engage customers who have given up on the product and aren't using it anymore.
• This stage evaluates the impact, execution, leadership, scope, and technical depth of your plan. Before you begin, make sure you have mastered all of your skills.

• You are the Facebook timeline's PM. What criteria can you use to assess retention?
• Determine one Facebook Marketplace metric that the entire team can monitor on a regular basis.
• What changes would you make to improve Uber?
• What should Google do to help consumers have a better grocery shopping experience?
• Customer turnover is caused by late deliveries. What data do we look at for a food delivery app to prove this hypothesis?
• What are the main metrics that a luxury goods eCommerce website's PM can monitor?
• What changes will you make to improve Twitter?
• Let's say there's a company named LinkedIn. Which three metrics can you look at first thing in the morning?
• What progress criteria will you use to assess the performance of a payment gateway?
• What criteria do you use to rank requirements?
• Do you have ideas on how to improve the Starbucks app?
• Tell me about a time when you persuaded engineering to implement a specific function.
• As a product manager, what is your superpower?
• How are you going to cut PayPal's operating costs by half?
• Your Engineering Manager requests that you work on a new feature, but you have no time. What would you do about it?
• Calculate the size of the Prime video market.
• What piques your interest in product management?
• Tell me about a time when you were a product manager who struggled.
• Tell me about a time when you and a teammate had a disagreement.
• What would you do if you had A) Infinite resources to solve a problem in the world right now? B) Who will be on your board? and C) What are your observable objectives for determining success?