People spend hours scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, partaking in numerous activities. These platforms have managed to garner an unrivaled stature in the market.
Countless job seekers list companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook on top of their list of most-desired ventures to join. So, it is only viable for you to want to become a part of such organizations. The companies being MNCs propose numerous job opportunities, and a product manager is one of them.
A product manager’s role has been gaining momentum in recent years as more organizations are aiming to garner a global audience. A product manager handles the work of the product management team and ensures that the end-product meets the functionality and usability standards.
The role is a vital one; thus, the companies take the hiring process seriously. If you want to become a product manager in an organization like Facebook, then there are a few things to know beforehand. The Facebook product manager role might differ significantly from your notions, and there is much evidence hinting towards it.
Being a Senior product manager at Facebook can be an unconventional yet magnificent journey. In case you are trying to get an idea on how the life of a product manager at Facebook may look like, then here is everything you should know:
The Role of a Product Manager at Facebook
A PM’s Role Differs within Groups
A product manager’s role differs vastly when it comes to site integrity, on growth, and on timeline.
For example, a product manager on-site tries to remove fake accounts and users to encourage the app’s appropriate usage. The same is done by preparing and managing robust internal systems to identify and track malicious behavior.
A product manager focused on growth tries to attract as many users as possible and stays active for a long time. This is attained through sheer trial and error method.
Some product managers have to be design-oriented, while some have to adopt a data-driven approach. Similarly, a product manager on the Ads team has to possess in-depth knowledge of the online ads market.
A PM’s Role Differs within Project Stages
The role is not clearly defined in the initial stages, as you have to focus on numerous different decisions. These decisions can include questions like:
- Whether the standard design should be used for the pages, or should you try to reinvent something new?
- What is more critical, Post Targeting, or Post Scheduling options?
Asking such questions and getting an answer for them is pivotal as it saves a hefty amount of time in the future. Once your project is aptly defined, your focus shifts to project management. Now, questions like the given ones arise:
- What would be the release timeline?
- What teams should we coordinate with?
After that, the focus changes to Quality Assurance and Product Launch. This raises questions like:
- What quality is acceptable for the product to be launched?
- When and how should the product be launched?
A PM Interacts with Several Roles
The Product Team at companies like Facebook contain different roles like:
- Product Manager
- Engineers
- Engineer Manager
- Designer
- Product Specialist
- Product Marketing Manager
- Analyst
In case the team lacks a position, then a product manager needs to fill-in for the same. A product manager routinely prepares designs, collects data, writes codes, tests the product, and hires new members. They more or less do everything in their capability to ensure that the team generates an esteemed product.
Here is how all the roles pan out:
Engineers
The engineers’ task is simple; build the product. The entire project team depends on the engineers to prepare a quality product that can be further optimized.
Engineering Manager
They are accountable for allocating resources, recruiting engineers, handling the team, and checking the codes. Both engineering and product manager works closely, so they need to get along well for satisfactory product delivery.
Designers
Designers play a vital role, and more or less keep the organization in check. A product manager assesses the progress while a designer decides how it will pan out. However, this is not a one-person show, thus requiring their collaboration.
Product Marketing Manager
A product marketing manager goes out and researches the market before the product is prepared. They take care of inbound and outbound marketing while also routinely interacting with the sales department.
A product marketing manager also works closely with a product manager to ensure that a desirable product hits the market.
Product Specialist
The role of a product specialist is continuously changing shape, and their work is similar to that of a Quality Assurance department. They check every bug and take care of every issue before the product is released.
The position requires you to possess in-depth knowledge of the product and its market. Their subtle decisions ensure that the product does not fail on the market.
Analyst
The analysts compute and maintain the stats for the project. They know how well the campaign went or how much the company suffered due to it.
Conclusion
This is how the role hierarchy works at Facebook, but the post of a product manager might pose some troubles for you. The liberty one gets as a product manager is massive.
There is no top-down imposed environment, and it can hinder people with no entrepreneurial skills. Limitless opportunity is a desirable concept on the paper, but when you receive such freedom in an organization this big, you are bound to feel a little pressure.
Other than this, one more thing to know is the review process for big projects. The organization does not have any review process other than the designers and engineers.
Product managers are given substantial authority in most scenarios; however, if the project is large, it would most likely be reviewed by Mark Zuckerburg or your product division’s head.
The blog has prepared a useful outline for you to get an idea of the product manager’s role at Facebook. You can use the provided information in your interview with the company and land the ideal job. Do proper research and hone your skills.