I recently got an interview call from Google for TPM (Technical Program Manager). It’s for google cloud. 1. Will I have to write code? 2. What about system design? I have NO experience on highly scalable/available systems. I do know it’s a big thing for Amazon as I got rejected for lack of experience.
I interviewed for TPM intern position at Google. Had both Coding round and Sys Design round.
Expect a minimum of two technical rounds, one of which is likely to be a whiteboard coding interview. https://www.educative.io/collection/5668639101419520/5649050225344512 is a good resource to prepare for the system design interview. I'd highly recommend using the whiteboard even for non-coding questions. Be prepared to go deep into your previous experience, and specifically how your contributed to past projects.
Should one expect coding/technical questions during phone interview?
How is the bar for system design interviews when it comes to TPM It's pretty high for software engineeers at google
Do they require domain knowledge on google cloud? I have none so was thinking if I need to brush up.
Yes
If it is not explicitly stated in the job description, the answer is usually no, but check with your recruiter. It doesn't hurt to have experience in the domain though. In general, however, I'd strongly advise against claiming any expertise that you cannot back up in an interview. You should expect multiple follow-up questions. Given this, a more judicious use of your time is to review your resume, and be prepared with S-A-R type answers for questions you can anticipate during the interview.
I interviewed TPM at google last year. My phone screen they asked OOP and data structure (linked list). My onsite has one algo whiteboarding (medium leetcode) and system design.
Google Cloud TPM Interview Tips: https://www.rooftopslushie.com/request/Google-Cloud-TPM-Interview-Tips-86
Hi OP, can you share anything more about the process? Was there a coding interview? I am interviewing( just has a phone screen ) for a TPM role at google as well, so curious.
Did you get selected
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Please let us know how it goes, but TPMs should not be writing code nor even actually designing. TPMs should lead and manage the program where others do those tasks. TPMs really should not manage those people either. However, I have seen Program Management roles getting very mixed/confused in many companies.