I started my journey with PayU as a Product Management Intern. I transitioned from research into the product, and ever since I got a flavour of product management, I knew that it was something that I wanted to pursue. Hence, despite having an on-campus consultancy offer, I kept pursuing product management roles. One of the biggest challenges I faced while applying for product roles off-campus was the lack of hands-on experience in products. All my internships had been in Research & Development (R&D), and product management was an altogether different ball game for me. Nevertheless, I was determined and passionate enough to start, no matter how late I was.

I decided to apply for internships and get an insight into the DNA of the role before applying for full-time positions. In just three months, I ended up landing two product management internships and a full-time product analyst offer.

How I ended up being an Associate Product Manager at PayU is a story worth sharing. PayU started hiring product interns for the first time, and I was lucky to get that opportunity. I knew that the problems and the scale that I’d get to work on at PayU would be immense, and this is when I knew that I had to seize this opportunity.

The hiring process was pretty organized. I saw a post about an internship opening at PayU on LinkedIn and emailed my resume and profile. Unlike my experience with other companies, where you usually need a referral to get an interview in the first place, PayU followed a very diligent hiring process. I didn’t need a referral, and I heard back from them in a few days. It reflects how they value employee work culture and seek to increase accessibility and diversity in their hiring process!

Following this profile-based preliminary screening, I had four other rounds:

Round 1: General Introduction Round

This was a general chat with Naveen Athresh – Senior Director, Product, IXD, Process design at PayU. It was a nice 30-min long conversation about my past experiences, my inclination towards the product, product vision at PayU, and what to expect from the internship. Knowing that I’d be getting a chance to be mentored by some of the most experienced leaders in the product ecosystem kept me going.

Round 2: Assignment Round

I was notified that I’d be given an assignment to work on. However, what I didn’t expect was that the assignment would be so diverse. There were questions on product thinking and design thinking, guesstimates, metrics, and general questions about a day in the life of a Product Manager (PM). There were 12 questions in total, and I had about 6-7 hours to submit the assignment.

The questions measured both the breadth and the depth of one’s product knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoyed working on them.

Round 3: Product Thinking Round

This turned out pretty interesting! I was interviewed by Saurabh Kumar – Associate Director of Merchant Experience at PayU. He asked me about my favourite product, how I thought about metrics and my understanding of user personas. I was asked to redesign Instagram for the older generation.

It was an exciting conversation, and we ended up discussing merchant experience and new product initiatives at PayU.

Round 4: HR Round

The final round was with HR. It was mainly to gauge if I was a good fit at PayU. It was more of a conversation on my interests, who I am, and my hobbies outside of work.

The entire process lasted about a month, and finally, on one fine afternoon, an email popped up in my inbox bearing the good news. I was extended an internship offer at PayU. I was super delighted to begin this journey.

Transition from an Intern to a Full-Time Product Manager

But the story just began here. My experience at PayU as an intern was phenomenal. Most of the companies don’t offer much ownership to the interns, and they are usually hired to help with the day-to-day tasks of the firm. Luckily, at PayU, I was given the opportunity to work on an Innovation Track Project. And guess what? I owned the entire project and was responsible for building it from scratch and scaling it from 0-1. One of the reasons I like Product Management is that it gives complete ownership of a problem that one wishes to solve. At PayU, I got to exercise that kind of ownership to the fullest. The zeal was immense.

It was a 6-month long internship, but fortunately, I was extended a full-time Associate Product Manager offer after 3-months. I chose PayU primarily because of two reasons:

I loved the work at PayU.

More than that, I really loved the work culture and the people with whom I worked. My mentors were there to support me throughout, and it felt like being at the right place.

All I ever wanted was to kickstart my career in Product. I was fortunate enough to have a breakthrough at PayU, a happy ending to my placement process, and an amazing start to a new chapter of my professional life.

Fast forward to today; it’s been just over two months since I’ve been a part of PayU. Each day has something new in store for me, and I couldn’t have asked for a better learning experience.

So finally, what’s the biggest takeaway? Be patient and be persistent. Sooner or later, you’ll complete your jigsaw.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Wishing you all the best with your product journey!

The post My Product Head Start at PayU | Muskaan Bhambri appeared first on PayU Blog.

Having a degree in Mechatronics, my immediate job prospects were in the fields of automation and robotics. My internship experience too was limited to manufacturing and automation organizations like Eicher, L&T, Bharat Forge, JCB, Jaguar-Land Rover, Shridhan Automation, Eaton, and so on. While these experiences honed and enriched my learning, I was embarking on a completely new domain of FinTech with my first product-based role. FinTech, being a fast-growing modern industry with innovations first mindset checked all boxes for me.

I leveraged the guidance of my mentors to help me understand all that the job entails which, in turn, kindled my entrepreneurial spirit to build products. Though I was still wrapping my head around the nuances associated with the job title, the excitement of being part of a team that will build new financial products made me apply for the same.

Selection Process

After applying for the job, when most companies take up weeks and months to get back to you, PayU surprisingly contacted me within a few days. The professionalism they displayed with their warm undertones and the efficiency level kept me hinged during the rest of the interview process. Post the screening, the hiring for the role of PM included the following rounds:

Case Study Round

The case study round comprised of 3 sections – Design Questions, Product Management Questions, and Guesstimates. I was given questions for which I had to find solutions using creative thinking and problem solving within 7-8 hours. The assignment I was given required the analysis of content from different disciplines felt quite satisfying.

Product Thinking and Discussion Round

After the two preliminary rounds, I had to attend an interview with Saurabh Kumar, Associate Director-Products, now also my current manager, which felt like an insightful discussion more than an interview. Here, we focused on the how and why referring to the ways and reasons of the case study I did in the previous round.

Leadership Round

The leadership meet was one of the best parts of the hiring process. I was interviewed by Naveen Athresh who is one of the Top-100 Leaders of Forbes India and Sr. Director, Product, Merchant Experience, IXD, and Process Design at PayU. His statement regarding how one should think in fundamentals always by understanding the customers and their user problems before looking for problem solutions has stayed with me ever since. He continues to be my guru and inspires me to reach my goals.

HR Round

For the final round, I had to meet Mr. Denzil in HR where he asked me about my interests and briefed me on the work culture of the company. The hiring process took a total duration of around a month after which I received an offer letter & goodies from the company for the internship. I was super pumped to embark on this new chapter of my life!

From Innovation track to a Full-Time Product Manager

Watching an idea turn into reality over time and witnessing the process first-hand is as real as things can get within the corporate world. The role of a Product Manager gives this satisfaction.

At the start, we were given extensive training to set us up for success. This period was a whole new experience, I learned about concepts like user and market research, design thinking, A/B testing, etc. It was fascinating how each design or process decision that is made has an impact that is enough to bring behavioural changes in customers.

Post this training, I was given the opportunity to own a product Idea and build It from scratch with a talented team. We were given complete ownership to lead and deliver. During my tenure, I learned that a laser-sharp focus on metrics is extremely important for this role. Backing up things with data is one of the best lessons I have taken from this journey. It is fascinating to see how the data-driven thought process is extended to all the decisions made by the company relating to product sub-areas.

One touching episode during my tenure was when I contracted dengue and was hospitalized for a week. It was heart-warming to see how the mentors and HR provided all necessary support even beyond work. Their employee-centric approach has, personally, made me devoted to giving my best to the company.

Looking back, the journey I took while transitioning from one field to another, however drastic, was made easier because it was PayU. Now, as I continue to hone in the realm of product management and work full-time in the Merchant Experience Team owning a couple of initiatives, I realize that the fast pace at which I grew, was due to the culture, flexibility, and empathetic nature of the work environment PayU provides. I can confidently state that transitioning to a product-based role has been worth it. The journey was challenging, and yet the most fulfilling one I undertook.

The biggest piece of advice that this journey has provided me is to take risks and never let go of learning opportunities out of fear and apprehension.

Thanks for reading!

Wish you all the best in your product journey!

The post The Innovation Track that Landed Me at PayU | Aarat Bhatnagar appeared first on PayU Blog.