How to get past Facebook PM resume screen

Sep 17, 2020 32 Comments

UPDATE 10.11
Changed my resume into a complete different format, applied to about 15 more jobs in 4-5 companies and got recruiters reach out from FB & AAPL regarding Growth, and PMM roles.
Thanks all for your help!

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ORIGINAL CONTENT:

I've been trying to break into Product Management at FB for almost 2 years.
FB is my ultimate dream company: I love their products, their dev tools (React), and its ability to bring impact due to reach and its penetration.

I've applied to FB PM roles many times with referrals even from FB managers, but I still was never able to get past the resume screen. I've completely rewritten it many times, following recommendations from books/online articles:
- tying in job description keywords,
- tailoring resume towards role,
- using numbers to show impact, and
- keeping points succinct

...but nothing seems to work, and I'm so at lost and honestly quite devastated.

I'm hoping that someone could provide some tips and/or experience on getting past the FB PM resume screen, perhaps even from a consulting industry perspective where we're not allowed to list client names on resumes due to NDA.

I promise I will pay the favor forward.

A little about me:
- Currently a PM Consultant at Accenture
- 2 yoe in mgmt consulting
- 2.5 yoe in tech consulting
- 1.5 yoe in engineering
- Software & Design background
- Experience in PM projects related to Design, Security, eCommerce
- Entrepreneur currently generating consistent profit

Thank you so much

#productmanager #product #pm #fb #fbpm

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TOP 32 Comments
  • Pretty tough to go from Tier 2 consulting to FB PM, I would think. Have you thought about going somewhere else first?
    Sep 17, 2020 7
    • Amazon
      vhfd

      Go to company page Amazon

      vhfd
      Amazon loves consultants turn PMs. Do a year or so PM at Amazon first then go to FB if that’s what you really want? Also does resume say stuff like: owned the strategy and roadmap for balh blah. launched xyz blah blah. Boost conversion/activation by abc blah blah blah? Cuz you need that stuff
      Sep 25, 2020
    • Hi vhfd, thanks a lot for the comments! My roommate works at Amazon so I have a few referrals out to Amazon for PM roles.
      I've actually advanced to the final round interview for a L6 TPM position at Amazon earlier this year, but unfortunately I totally bombed the technical and did not get an offer :(

      Your comments are super helpful! I'll be sure to tie those into my resume. Thanks again!!
      Sep 25, 2020
  • Wish
    cbaskin

    Go to company page Wish

    cbaskin
    congrats on hearing back. could you share the before and after or what you changed?
    Oct 26, 2020 2
    • Hi Wish,

      I chatted with a ex-FB Hiring Manager, and she gave me some interesting tips that changed my perspective on resumes completely.

      My resume before change:
      - Black and white
      - No formatting (bold, underlines, italics)
      - Optimized for ATS with bullets filled with keywords
      - Every bullet point has metrics
      - Contains only Experience, Education, Skills section

      Her comments:
      - After reading your resume, I still dont know who you are, what you do, and what you're good at.
      - You resume is crazy boring, nobody would want to read anything that looks like a metrics report
      - Way too wordy. In the end, I cant recall what I read and cant remember who you are.

      Her suggestions:
      - People often look down on "pretty" resumes, but companies such as FB/Amzn/Apple (especially with referrals) most likely have real people reviewing resumes. Make sure your keywords pop out to not just computers but to the human eyes too (use different colors, bolded words, etc). Pretty resumes can also be search-optimized.
      - Nobody likes to read long paragraphs. Keep bullets short, tell a story, and show the impact not just on a metrics level.
      - Highlight your skills, especially if you are technical (I had two recruiters point out that they loved my technical skills)
      - If you work in consulting and/or have jumped around different kinds of projects, summarize what you're good at because it's sometimes difficult to piece together your experiences. (I ended up writing that I am a Product Manager experienced in leading digital transformation projects for Fortune 500 clients in multiple industries with various technologies)

      My resume after change:
      - Used color to highlight eye-catching areas, bolded specific ones.
      - Reduced bullet numbers by 50%, increased white spaces
      - Not every bullet point is metrics driven, but showed impact and took the works to help reader understand what you accomplished
      - Added an Entrepreneurship section and a short Summary (three sentences)

      Using this resume I applied to FAANG+M, and currently in second round interviews with FB, AAPL, and MSFT.
      Nov 3, 2020
    • Wish
      cbaskin

      Go to company page Wish

      cbaskin
      i really appreciate the thoughtful response. Good luck in your interviews!
      Nov 3, 2020
  • ANCILE Solutions, Inc.
    eNBa60

    ANCILE Solutions, Inc.

    eNBa60
    The recruiters/managers likely think you’re not really a Product Manager in your day-to-day gig. You’d likely fail the phone interviews the hiring manager has with you which is why even with referrals you’re not getting any traction. You’d have to start junior with their RPM program. If you’ve applied to that already and got rejected then you should release a tech solution, preferably one that is consumer facing and on mobile. Otherwise apply for product lead or product operation roles at FB, get more experience, then internal apply.
    Sep 17, 2020 1
    • Thank you! I've actually applied to the RPM and have gotten an initial recruiter email with regards to that, but I wasn't open to relocation at the time to Menlo Park :(
      You bring a great point and I'll definitely apply for PM positions outside of my current firms, as well as other positions within FB.

      Thank you again!
      Sep 17, 2020
  • This comment was deleted by original commenter.

    • Thank you so so much for your insights. I'm definitely going to apply elsewhere in the meantime to gain some experience.
      That said, I've researched a lot of FB PM profiles on Linkedin to see how they got to their current roles, and there are quite a few examples of people who came straight from their respective fields (Engineering/Finance/Accounting) without PM experience.
      For example, I saw someone who went from Undergrad -> Finance Analyst w/ 4 yoe at FAANG -> FB PM. What are your thoughts on the possibilities here?
      Sep 17, 2020
    • Thanks alot!!!
      Sep 19, 2020
  • Hi, I would think perhaps apply for msft pm roles first and start from there.
    Sep 17, 2020 2