Preparing for interviews at AI-focused tech firms using foundational skills and active practice
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Deliberate practice | Story library | Outside feedback
Rapid growth AI firms are becoming a magnet for talent. Students from top undergrad and graduate programs have traditionally targeted consulting, tech, banking, and finance roles, and are now adding AI-specific tech firms to the set of the most desired roles post graduation.
There are two things to keep in mind as you prepare for interviews at AI-focused organizations. First is the foundational skills that firms across multiple industries have long looked for in candidates are still highly desired by AI firms. And second, while the target firms are new, effective interviewing practice remains the same. A focus on foundational skills, active and deliberate practice over time, and feedback on your performance are the keys to success throughout a multi-step interview process.
Read this case study for three sharp tactics that recently worked for an undergraduate student, Adam, targeting product roles at top AI firms. Adam’s approach led to him securing a spot at a leading AI organization in the US.
1. Practice deliberately over time (Top)
Adam spent 6 weeks total preparing for his interviews.. He set aside time each week to deliberately practice skills like case solving, communication, and storytelling that he knew would be tested during his interviews. Skill building like this is not a “hack”, and Adam wasn’t looking to trick these firms into thinking he had skills that weren’t there. Rather, through deliberate practice, Adam was able to improve his interview skills and demonstrate his abilities during the interview process.
💡 Tip: Our product management drills will help you build your foundational skills
2. Build your story library (Top)
As part of this practice, Adam invested significant time in building out his Story Library (subscription required for access). Rather than treating every behavioral interview question as a unique exploration into his past, Adam organized his academic and professional experience into a set of 10 stories, each one of which was well-practiced and illustrative of his skills in leadership, collaboration, and problem solving.
Holly Watson, RocketBlocks Expert and a senior Product Marketing Manager for Amazon’s AI and ML teams, defines your story library as follows:
“A Story Library is a bank of your own projects, experiences, achievements, failures, wins and losses told during your interview. These stories should highlight your best skills that demonstrate your expertise, leadership qualities, passion, and self-awareness. By building out your Story Library, you are strategically preparing yourself to answer any behavioral question thrown your way.”
3. Get outside feedback on your performance (Top)
Whether you connect with an Expert coach or a trusted peer, getting feedback on your interview answers in advance of a live session is a critical step on the path to success. As part of his practice, Adam had several sessions with Expert coach Holly Watson. These sessions included cycles on the common "Tell me about yourself" question and helped Adam to craft a structured response that highlighted his unique skills. As Watson notes, this question can really set the tone for the entire interview. The sessions with Watson also emphasized the importance of demonstrating a rigorous thought process in case interviews, as well as developing insightful questions for interviewers to show genuine interest in the firm and the role.
P.S. Are you preparing for PM interviews?
Real interview questions. Sample answers from PM leaders at Google, Amazon and Facebook. Plus study sheets on key concepts.
