Prior to attending UNC Kenan-Flagler, Andree Dean (UNC Kenan-Flagler, ‘20) worked in the Program & Events department at a museum in Wyoming. Combining her love for customer centricity and problem solving, Dean decided to pursue a product management internship during her first year. After successfully landing an internship, and ultimately full-time offer, Dean shares her experience and advice on: product management interviewing, lessons from her product management internship, and advice for MBA students interested in Product Management careers.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to recruit for Product Management?
Prior to business school I worked in the Programs & Events department at a national museum in Wyoming. I specialized in art auctions, community events, and fundraisers and also did occasional consulting work around this. Business school became an attractive choice when I decided to pivot into tech. A month into school, after one particular company presentation, I realized that the Product Management role was where I saw myself. My experience in Wyoming gave me the customer centric mindset that is so integral to the role. I love that it is really about problem solving for the customer while working with a diverse team.
MBASchooled: What was your recruiting process like? What were the types of interviews?
For the first two months of school I spent a considerable amount of time networking. I leveraged alumni, friends and their network, and LinkedIn. My goal was to better understand the PM role at different companies, expectations, etc. What stood out to me is that I found it easy to be myself in the tech recruiting process.
Kenan-Flagler is lucky to attract a lot of great tech companies I wanted to recruit with and so my efforts were focused mainly on-campus. In my experience, many companies are looking for a culture fit, in addition to a diverse background. They know MBA students are smart and driven, so the recruiting process becomes more than just who is the “smartest” person in the room.
There is more variation in the tech interview format relative to other industries. One of the companies had an automated pre-screening process, while another split the time between in person behavioral and case questions. Types of interview questions I experienced were: market size, designing a new product, bringing a new product to market, and competitive strategy. My recommendation is to always ask the recruiter what the interview style is if you are not sure. It can change year to year. Recruiters want you to be successful as well.
MBASchooled: What were some of the challenging aspects of the recruiting process?
Personally, I underestimated my own potential. Between academics, clubs, and recruiting, it was challenging to find time to work on personal development and I struggled with imposter syndrome, as so many people do. While prepping for interviews and writing cover letters, I leaned into an amazing group of friends who showed me I was as deserving as anyone to land the interview and ultimately the job. To those coming from a nonprofit background, all I have to say is, do not underestimate the unique transferable skills and diversity of background you bring to the table.
MBASchooled: How did you prepare for your interviews? What resources were most helpful?
I mock interviewed as much as possible. Recent interns are the best resource! Know the company, know the role. Networking is not just to network, it is to educate yourself. I used Lewis Lin’s books on Product Management interviews. This was much more focused on B2C but helpful nonetheless. I recommend the more recent editions.
There are great free resources online. This one, MBASchooled, covers information for your whole recruiting process and does a wonderful job of sharing other people’s stories. I haven’t found a website like this. Also, another Cisco PM intern from the summer, Sarthak Handa, wrote an article I have shared with our first years. It covers many of the case questions I saw in this process.
MBASchooled: What did you do during your summer, and what were some of the key learnings?
I was a Product Manager JRP Intern at Cisco. I worked on the DNA Spaces product at HQ in San Jose.
Some key learnings for me:
First, respect people’s time, their expertise, their willingness to share. I was always impressed with the access I was given to management at Cisco. I spent part of my internship meeting individuals from all over the company to learn about their role, their experience, and their career journey. Especially having never worked in a 70K+ person company, I wanted to truly understand both Cisco’s culture and where I fit in.
Make an effort to connect with someone full time who you admire professionally. I came across a few of these individuals, which also spoke highly of Cisco and the JRP program. They made such a difference in my experience and I felt comfortable asking them some of the harder questions.
Finally, do not be afraid to fail, which I know sounds ridiculous since you’re trying to get an offer. However, some of the failures I encountered led to a better project and better final recommendation. In most situations you are evaluated not just on your work but your ability to pivot, adapt, and incorporate feedback.
MBASchooled: What were some of the projects that you worked on?
My project focused on a software product. I worked to find new partnerships to expand use cases. I did this through primary research with possible manufacturing partners, industry research, and customer interviews. I created a use case leveraging one of the recommended partners and developed a model to demonstrate cost savings relative to the competition if the recommended partnership was implemented. It was everything I could have wanted out of an internship.
MBASchooled: During your second year, what activities, classes, or experiences are you doing to further your experience with Product Management?
I took on the role of EVP of Internal Experience for Carolina Women in Business. It was an opportunity to finesse my leadership skills and pay it forward in terms of helping other women in the program better understand their unique value.
I decided to take more data analytics and finance classes. At my internship those skills were flexed and I knew moving forward it will help make for a more successful, well rounded, PM.
MBASchooled: What should MBA students who are interested in Product Management do to put themselves in a good position to recruit for Product Management internships?
Leverage your network, your program’s alumni base, and own your unique perspective. Find time to meet with people either over the phone or over coffee. That time I spent networking gave me a better perspective of the role and understanding of the culture. If you are doing a major career switch, have confidence in yourself throughout the process, look for those transferable skills!