Dear job seeker,
I will keep this page short and to the point. Here’s what I have for you today:
In the eBook, you will find multiple great answers to each of the following questions:
- Can you please tell us something about yourself?
- Why do you want to work as a product analyst?
- How do you measure the success of a product launch?
- Tell us about the most successful analysis you’ve ever made.
- How do you ensure to get your message over to programmers, marketers, and other staff members from the product development team?
- What’s the most innovative idea that you have implemented?
- Describe your process of identifying KPI for the product.
- What criteria are important when you are deciding what data you will work with while analyzing the product?
- Tell me about a time you had to deal with ambiguity.
- Tell us about a time when you missed a deadline or productivity target.
- … and 15 other tough questions you may face in your interview for a job of a Product Analyst, including tricky scenario-based questions, and brain teasers.
Check the sample to see how this eBook can help you:
Sample from the eBook
Q: How do you ensure to get your message over to programmers, marketers, and other staff members from the product development team?
Hint: Ensure the interviewers that you do not mind stepping out of your comfort zone, explaining difficult things in a simple way. Say that you always try to adjust your language to the specialization and communication skills of your audience—be it another financial wizard, a marketing specialist, or a random worker from the product development department.
You can talk about demonstration, PowerPoint presentations, illustrated charts and whatever, while trying to get your message over and make things easier to understand for your audience. Because you know that your work is useless, unless your colleagues understand your words and suggestions.
Sample answers
– To be honest, this is something I have never struggled with. I can get over my ego, and instead of confusing my audience with a bunch of terminology, I prefer to simplify things and use practical examples, to make things easier to understand for everyone involved. Charts, practical examples, and comparisons are especially helpful in my opinion.
What’s more, I believe that I understand how to work with different personalities, and the way people in marketing, sales, production, or HR like to talk, and what interests them. I can adjust my message accordingly. The ability comes from years of experience in a corporate environment, and I am sure I will benefit from it as a Product Analyst.
– First of all, I want to assure you that I understand the importance of my communication with people from the entire product development team, and with people from outside of it. And though this is my first job application in this field, and many things will be new for me at work, I already have some ideas on how to get my message over.
I want to use illustrated charts and presentations, and most importantly, show them the real impact on the business this or that change would have—impact on their work.
And I consider myself patient and persistent while explaining things. If they do not get it after my first explanation, I will simply add more examples, or change the angle of my description, until they eventually get the point. I also plan to ask follow-up questions, to ensure that they really got the point, and do not nod their heads just because they want to be done with my explanation, and return to their work.
Q: Describe your process of identifying KPI (key performance indicators) for the product.
Hint: Mark the word “process” in the question. That’s exactly what they are interested in—to hear your thought process, because there aren’t necessarily any bad answers to this question. There’s only bad reasoning.
They may give you more details about the product, which makes it easier for you to answer the question. If they do not, however, you still have two options. First one is picking a model situation—a product and a market scenario, and explain your thought process on it.
Second alternative consists in talking about KPI in general, explaining criteria you consider while identifying them for each product. Let’s have a look at one sample answer for both scenarios.
Sample answers
– When deciding about KPI, I always try to follow the “SMART” criteria. My objective must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and we must have a clear Time frame for achieving the targets.
Let’s imagine that we are going to release a new mobile game. We have some historical data about out former releases of similar games, and I did a market research and evaluated the size of the opportunity. Based on the research, I may set following KPI:
- Total number of downloads in the first 24 hours, first week, first month and first three months. A desired number will be set for each time-frame.
- Number of in-app purchases in each 1000 downloads, which we can call conversion rate, for simplification of the process, and also making clear that it is our ultimate goal. Again, based on historical data, we may set the desired conversion rate on 3%. That’s an example of course.
We can set many more, this is just a brief example and simplification for the purpose of my answer.
What’s always important, however, is making sure that we have an action plan for each scenario. That means, for example, what we would do if the number of app downloads in the first 24 hours underperforms, if we do not meet our expectations, our objectives.
We may perhaps pour in more money into the early promotion, or intensify the campaign on our social media channels, and so on. Again, this is just an example, and what exactly we will do in each given scenario depends on the real market situation—something I will always try to analyze properly in my Product Analyst job…
– My process of identifying KPI is rather complex. First of all, I prefer to do my research, asking myself some important questions, such as:
- What is our desired outcome with this product?
- How are we going to measure the progress as we try to reach the desired outcome?
- How can different people in the product development team influence the eventual outcome?
- How often it makes sense to review our progress, and consider changing our plans?
These questions help me identify KPI for each product and situation, but I still like to have a one on one meeting with each key member of the product development team, understanding their point of view, before deciding about the KPI.
In my opinion, we should stick to individual approach to each new product launch, instead of blindly adopting some industry-recognized KPI, because they may not make sense in the given situation… This is a brief description of course, please tell me if you’d like me to elaborate on any point from the process.
End of the sample
These were just two questions. You will find 25 in the eBook, including difficult scenario-based questions and brain teasers. But that’s not all.
To ensure you will get the job, I included in the book six principles you need to understand in order to ace your interview for a job of a Product Analyst.
Without talking too much about them, let me show you another short sample from the eBook:
Sample no. 2
Principle no. 4: Show your willingness to learn and adapt
Maybe you are the brightest analyst in the city. You have your own way of doing things, and are ready to take their product development department to the next level with your work. You are brimming with ideas, and cannot wait to put them to the test in the corporate environment.
However, this is not how it works in a corporate sphere—especially not in big corporations. You will receive an extensive training before being allowed to do anything at all—and the training can sometimes take up to six months!
They will teach you everything, explain you their processes in product development, and your supposed role in the process.
And you should obey, because their strategies have been proven by time, their sales and data analysis methods have been bringing money to the company for years on end, and perhaps also helped them to become the big company they are today…
Certainly they do not represent the pinnacle, the culminating point you can reach in your career, in whatever field. And once you have some successes and experience, and are in the company for some time, you may come up with your own strategies and methods, and beat the results they achieve with their existing concepts.
But that’s not something you should talk about in an interview. Anytime they ask you about your attitude to work, attitude to training and mentoring, you should show humility.
You know that better managers, communicators, and analysts work in the company, and you want to learn from them. You have your skills, experience, and certain understanding for the business and their field. But you are eager to learn, and to apply their most successful strategies to your work.
You may add a simple twist here and there, present a unique idea in a team meeting (that’s definitely expected), or point out an interesting concept once in a while. But that’s it for the beginning. And you should………………….
End of the sample
And that’s it. I do not want to waste your time with lengthy sales pages, or imaginary discounts and fake reviews, just like most people do on their websites, while trying to sell you their digital products.
You have read the samples, you know what the eBook is about, and surely you can tell whether it will help you or not.
I sincerely believe it will. And you can read it easily in two to four hours, it’s 18,000 words. Only things that truly matter, no secondary content.
Plus, of course, like with everything else we sell here on InterviewPenguin.com, you have a risk free sixty days money back guarantee. If you don’t like this eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know (email me at matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com) within 60 days, and we will give you a full refund.
Quick Summary
- Brilliant answers to twenty five difficult questions you may get in your interview for a job of a Product Analyst.
- Several sample answers to each question, so you can choose one that reflects your values and experience.
- Six principles of acing the interview, things you simply need to know in order to make the right impression on the hiring managers.
- Instant download, .PDF format (you can read it on any device (mobile, kindle, PC), and you can easily print it).
- Secure and simple checkout with PayPal, you can pay with your credit/debit card, or with your PayPal account.
- Price: $24.95, one time payment, no hidden fees or upsell. 60 days risk free money back guarantee . Sold exclusively on InterviewPenguin.com.
- Click the checkout button below to proceed to the payment.
(After the payment you will be directed back to our website, to a protected page, to download your eBook. You will also receive a download link and instructions to your email, just to ensure that you will get the book without waiting, even if the redirect fails.)
That’s it. Your interview for a job of a Product Analyst does not have to be stressful, or difficult. You can interview with confidence, and give brilliant answers to all tough questions. Download the guide today, and succeed in your interview.
Sincerely,
Matthew Chulaw,
Your personal job interview coach
P.S. Send me a message if you have any additional questions. I try my best to answer all emails within twelve hours (matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com). Thank you!
