[Homer Simpson Edition] Spring Forward Your Career in 2016 /  by Lewis Lin

Spring is around the corner, and there's no better time of year to tune up your career. Read on for how you can supercharge your:

▪ Resume
▪ Cover letter
▪ Career plan
▪ Interview skills
▪ Networking abilities
▪ Negotiation prowess

Let's fulfill your career dreams in 2016!

Yours,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. And for those in the US, don't forget to change your clocks! Daylight savings is this Sunday, March 13 at 2 am.

Don't know what to do with your career?

Then build a career plan.

To-do List

▪ Fill out this career plan template

Having problems getting interviews?

Then upgrade your resume and cover letter.

To-do List

▪ Get inspired with this resume sample from the Kellogg School of Management
▪ Migrate your existing resume to this new resume template
▪ Use this resume bullet format
▪ Get inspired by these action verbs
▪ Ignore the debate on whether hiring managers read cover letters. Use thiscover letter template. It'll make an impression and take you just five minutes.

Trouble getting internal employees to refer you?

Then build you network. The most effective way to network your way to a job is an informational interview.

To-do List

▪ Read this Harvard Business Review article on informational interviews
▪ Build out your targets, using this networking template based on Steve Dalton's 2-Hour Job Search
▪ Save time and get responses by using this 5 Point Informational Interview Template, also from Dalton

No trouble getting interviews, but no offers?

Brush up your interviewing skills. Interviewers love stories. Storytelling works for Pixar, and it'll work at your interview.

To-do List

▪ Brainstorm at least 20 anticipated interview questions.
▪ Put together your interview stories, using the interview stories template.

Collecting offers, but not getting what you're worth?

Negotiate.

To-do List

▪ Negotiation can be super easy. Just use these 31+ killer salary negotiation scripts.

Photo credit: Skittlemermaid.tumblr.com

Black Friday Sale: 30% Off Lewis C. Lin Books /  by Lewis Lin

If you've been wanting to get a paperback copy of either one of my books, today would be a great day to do so. Amazon.com is offering a 30% off coupon.

Use promo code: HOLIDAY30. Ends November 29, 2015 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time zone. Paperback only. Promo code can only be used on one book.

Decode and Conquer: Answers to Product Management Interviews

Interview Math: Over 50 Problems and Solutions for Quant Case Interview Questions

Rise Above the Noise: How to Standout At the Marketing Interview

Five Minutes to a Higher Salary: Over 60 Brilliant Salary Negotiation Scripts for Getting More

Wishing you the best this holiday season,

Lewis C. Lin

DATES ADDED: Lewis C. Lin's 10-school fall tour /  by Lewis Lin

My fall workshop tour is underway, and I'm thrilled to lead students through marketing and product management best practices, based on my books.

FALL TOUR SCHEDULE 
Sep 10 Cornell University Tech New York, NY
Sep 21 UC Berkeley Haas MBA Berkeley, CA
Oct 03 Univ. of Washington Foster TMMBA Seattle, WA
Oct 20 Univ. of Washington’s Foster MBA Seattle, WA
Oct 23 Columbia GSB New York, NY
Oct 30 Cornell University MBA Ithaca, NY
Nov 14 Univ. of Chicago Booth MBA Chicago, IL
Nov 15 Northwestern's Kellogg MBA Evanston, IL
Dec 02 Duke's Fuqua MBA Durham, NC
Jan 14 Stanford GSB MBA Stanford, CA

If you're a student for one of these programs, I hope to see you in-person. We also have two events that are open to the public:

  • If you're in Seattle, visit me at Product Camp Seattle next Saturday, October 24. I'll be talking about my newly developed two week PM interview prep plan. This event is FREE and includes BREAKFAST and LUNCH. Tickets are limited, so register now!
  • If you're NOT in Seattle, you can register for this online seminar this Tuesday, October 20, where I'll be talking about product management and preparing for PM interviews.

See you soon,

Lewis C. Lin

 

There's something I forgot to tell you /  by Lewis Lin

So I forgot to tell you something.

That's right. I launched another book. It's called Interview Math. And I'm grateful that it's skyrocketed up to the top 1% of all books sold on Amazon.com.

(The Europeans love it a lot. Go figure.)

What is Interview Math?

Interview Math are those pesky quantitative case interview questions. Stuff like: 

  • Market Sizing: Estimate the total industry wide sales of lipstick in the U.S. 
  • Revenue Estimate: Estimate annual sales of Starbucks' retail stores in the United States. 
  • Price Elasticity: The price of a one-way ticket from Seattle to New York is $400. Should JetBlue raise the price to $450? 
  • Lifetime Value: What is the lifetime value of an AMEX card holder over the next three years
  • Profitability: A running shoe manufacturer sells shoes for $100 a pair. Their costs include $10 in materials and $5 in labor. They have $1 million dollars in monthly operating costs. If they sell 30,000 pairs a month, what is the monthly profit?

The world is getting more analytical and numbers-oriented. If you're interviewing at one of the highly sought after positions below, you'll need to master these Interview Math questions:

▪ Management Consulting: McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte
▪ General Management: Capital One, Taser
▪ Marketing: General Mills, Google, Hershey
▪ Software Engineering: Goldman Sachs, Microsoft
▪ Finance: American Airlines, Best Buy, JetBlue

Check out Interview Math for helpful frameworks to tackle these questions, including 50 sample answers and questions.

NEW On-Demand Interview Preparation Courses

I'm also excited to announce some new interview preparation courses, now available on Interview Steps:

Management Consulting

▪ McKinsey Interview Questions & Answers
▪ BCG Interview Questions & Answers
▪ Bain Interview Questions & Answers

Graduate School Admissions

▪ How to Ace the Medical School Interview
▪ How to Ace the Nursing School Interview

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

PS I have a limited FREE offer planned for Labor Day weekend. It's something you won't want to miss.

Photo credit: Reddit

Graduation Day Edition — plus 1 FREE event, 3 new courses, 9 killer articles /  by Lewis Lin

Welcome to the latest edition of my offbeat career newsletter!

Graduation Day is just around the corner for millions of folks around the world. I've carefully picked 9 AMAZING product management, marketing and negotiation articles below, focused on those who are about to enter or reenter the workforce.

I'm also excited to announce the release of three new interview prep courses, now available on Interview Steps:

▪ How to Ace the Uber Interview
▪ How to Ace the Facebook Product Manager Interview
▪ Technical Concepts For Non-Technical Product Management & Marketing Candidates
 

Let's go...

Cheers,

Lewis C. Lin

PS If you're in SEATTLE, I'd love to meet you in person! You can find me on May 28th, speaking about how YOU can be a great product manager. There will beFREE food and drinks. Spots are LIMITED, so sign up now. Thanks TUNE for hosting, and yes, they're hiring!

THREE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ARTICLES WORTH READING 
Hiring Your First Product Manager 
Are you angling to be the first product manager hire at a startup? Understand what CEOs are looking for in their first product manager hire.

What Really Matters: Focusing on Top Tasks 
If the key to stellar product design is process, then read this thoughtful article from Gerry McGovern on how to apply his innovative process to prioritizing product backlogs.

Product Management Trends 2015 
Based on a survey of 100+ product managers, this PDF offers insights on the day-in-the-life and top challenges for PMs in 2015.

THREE MARKETING ARTICLES WORTH READING 
The Many Ways of Growing Coffee 
Launching a new product? Kellogg professor, Eric Anderson, offers a handy three question checklist AND a brilliant analysis on how Keurig used its marketing prowess to increase the price of coffee makers from $35 to $90.

Inside the Advertising Industry: A Reading List 
Looking for some good marketing reads this Memorial Day weekend? Longreads recommends their six favorite long form articles on the advertising industry ranging from the creepiness of the Burger King king to Feminist Super Bowl Ads to an examination of Gap's "Dress Normal" ad.

Build Your Email List 
Looking to improve your email marketing skills? Campaign Monitor offers an excellent 6 chapter guide filled with tips and tactical best practices.

A NEGOTIATION ARTICLE WORTH READING 
Negotiating Salary at a Startup Versus a Corporation 
Startup pay packages might not be great, but if you get creative, it might pay off.

Photo credit: HelpsGood

Viewer's Guide to 2015 Super Bowl Ads /  by Lewis Lin

ViewersGuideToSuperBowlAds2015

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl! For those of you watching the game, studies say that 78% of you will be looking forward to the ads. To increase your viewing pleasure, I've penned a Viewer's Guide to the 2015 Super Bowl Ads.

Read on to impress your friends and critique ads like a marketing guru. And for those of you with an upcoming marketing interview, you can use the examples below to answer that dreaded marketing interview question, “Tell me your favorite (or least favorite) TV ad.”

EVALUATING AN AD 
I have a six-point checklist for critiquing ads. But beer, guacamole, and friends can impair memory. To make it easy to remember, I've shortened it to three and paired it with a football theme, just for the big game:

M EMORABLE 
O H, PRODUCT! 
B ENEFIT

MEMORABLE 
The ad has to grab attention. The viewer is making a choice of whether they’re going to stick around or grab a beer. And if they've stuck around, is the ad memorable enough for them to think, discuss, and tweet with their friends?

OH, PRODUCT! 
Creative types tend to produce tear-jerking, Oscar-worthy ads. But this is the Super Bowl, not Sundance. The point of an ad is to pitch products. It has to provide the viewer an idea of what’s being promoted as well as a clear brand association.

Tablet commercials are my biggest pet peeve. All of them feel similar: inspirational soundtrack and images of a person using a tablet – filled with hope and potential. Heck would I know if it’s promoting an iPad, a Nexus, a Galaxy Tab, or Kindle Fire. Commercials that don’t clarify what’s been promoted won’t drive sales.

BENEFIT 
Lastly, the ad has to explain the product benefit AND produce evidence why they can back up that claim. It’s not enough to say that you've got an ad for Coca-Cola, Camry, or Charmin. An ad should tell consumers why they should choose their brand over the competition.

Take Volvo for example. You buy a Volvo because their cars are safer than others. They invented the seat belt and reinforce their car with the strongest steel possible. If you’re in the market for a safe, family car, it’s Volvo all the way.

ADS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR 
I've scoured the web for 2015 Super Bowl commercials. Keep your eye out for these three ads:

FAN FAVORITE: BUDWEISER’S "LOST DOG" (AKA "PUPPY LOVE 2.0") 
Budweiser's Super Bowl ad commercial last year, "Puppy Love," was the champ with a whopping 56 million views on YouTube. For 2015, Budwesier decided to build on Puppy Love's success with its new ad, "Lost Dog," which features the familiar friendship story between a puppy and a Clydesdale.

"Lost Dog" will be just as popular as last year's ad, driving strong brand awareness. However, it's unlikely the ad will drive incremental sales as the connection between the ad and the beer product is too subtle and vague.

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: A- 
Oh! Product: F 
Benefit: D

View the Ad

BEST CELEBRITY PARODY: T-MOBILE’S "SAVE THE DATA" 
Kim Kardashian pokes fun of herself, selfies, and public service announcement ads with T-Mobile's 2015 30 second spot on the Super Bowl.

The ad is unforgettable. And the product offering, T-Mobile's new Data Stash feature, and benefit is clear.

Lastly, T-Mobile's use of celebrity parody is particularly on-target, fitting the anti-establishment brand image that T-Mobile began in 2012 with its Uncarrier marketing campaign. Marketers take note: brand and message consistency matters!

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: B+ 
Oh! Product: B 
Benefit: A-

View the Ad

MOST EFFECTIVE SUPER BOWL AD OF 2015: WIX.COM’S "IT'S THAT EASY" 
Wix.com is not a popular brand name. However, they win my award for most effective Super Bowl Ad of 2015. In the ad, the product is clearly defined: use Wix.com to build a website. And Wix.com's primary benefit, ease of use, is reinforced throughout. Lastly, the product's target audience is easily inferred: small business owners.

Wix.com's ad masterfully uses several football celebrities, including Brett Favre and Terrell Owens, to enhance ad recall and to mitigate Wix.com's obscure brand. And the players' retired status fits the entrepreneurial (life-after-football) narrative well.

Lewis’ Scorecard 
Memorable: A- 
Oh! Product: A 
Benefit: A

View the Ad

Enjoy the Super Bowl -- and keep an eye out for the ads,

Lewis C. Lin

PS One more thing: 2015 is the highest ever average price for 30 second Super Bowl ad at $4.5 million. Also, it's most new advertisers since 2000.

SuperBowlCostsAndAdvertisers

Lewis C. Lin's New Book Now Available — Five Minutes to a Higher Salary /  by Lewis Lin

It's okay to lose that occasional game of Monopoly or Call of Duty.

But there’s one game you should NOT lose: the salary negotiation game. The average salary increase during a negotiation is $7,000. Stanford professor, Margaret Neale, points out that a missed $7,000 increase is really worth $100,000, when compounded with interest over 30 years.

To help you get what you deserve, I’m excited to announce my new salary negotiation book: Five Minutes to a Higher Salary. Other negotiation books are fantastic for academic theory, but they leave you to figure out what to say and how to say it.

You are too busy to figure it out. And the stakes are too high for trial and error.

Five Minutes to a Higher Salary provides proven email and phone negotiation scripts for over 60 scenarios. You'll use the right words, the right phrases -- the first time, all the time.

The book includes special scripts and tips for raises too.

Purchase the book and email me the receipt by February 14, 2015, and I'll invite you to my exclusive salary negotiation talk. It's a $20 value, and seats are limited.

All it takes is five minutes,

Lewis C. Lin

P.S. Check out our 1 page salary negotiation cheat sheet.