The ADHD PM Interview Kit

Rawi Nanakul

1 hour ago

3 min read

A collection of my favorite ADHD friendly strategies for job interview preparation.

This is part of a series on Product Managers and Executive Function (EF). Subscribe to our Substack for free to receive new posts.

Subscribe to Substack

Takeaways

Pick and choose your favorite tips to help you succeed at interviewing and cope with ADHD challenges.
Interviews are not a measure of your self-worth or abilities.
Emotional awareness and regulation are the greatest gifts in coping with ADHD and being a more confident PM.
Be Bold, Be Fearless, Be You.

An explorer silhouetted against a watercolor background examines a treasure map, ready for an adventure through mountains and forests, helping you create a map of your interview plan.

Introduction

Use this post as a cheat sheet for the most important learnings and strategies of the 14 posts about Product Manager Interviews. You’ll find that most of them are connected to emotional regulation and the development of self-awareness. That was my biggest surprise learning about my ADHD. Emotional awareness and regulation have been the greatest gifts in coping with ADHD and being a more confident PM. They’ve become a key to learning more about who I am and being more confident in interviewing. I hope this post gets closer to getting those gifts too.

Preparing for interviews

If you’re procrastinating practice or a task you don’t like, hack the same power that distracts to be the power that engages you. (Learn More)
When the procrastination shame overwhelms you, choose to prioritize yourself and big dreams over a shitty time-freezing machine. (Learn More)
Please don’t tell me to just “plan, practice, and make a list” unless you want me to hulk out in anger/shame. Instead, acknowledge my feelings and extend kindness to reduce shame. Help yourself emotionally connect with yourself. (Learn More)
Reframe the fear of failing to get a new job, into driving the outcome of finding the right job. (Learn More)

The Executive Functioning Wheel highlighting key cognitive areas such as flexible thinking, working memory, emotional control, and more, essential for effective self-management and productivity from Brain Power Academy.

Performance of interviews

When you are fearless and honest, your emotions empower you, not disable you. (Learn More)
- Mindfulness mantra: Be Bold, Be Fearless, Be You
Slow yourself down and take advantage of time dilation in an interview. (Learn More)
Be brief and let the interviewer(s) direct what they want to be clarified. (Learn More)
In case of a mental emergency, use the BRRR Framework to recover.
- The BRRR Framework
  - Break the fixation.
  - Reassess and Refocus on what is in front of you.
  - Recover with intent.

Processing interview outcomes

Reframe interview experiences and their outcomes as learning exercises, instead of judgments of your abilities. (Learn More)
You don’t have direct control over whether you get an offer. However, you do have control over identifying, sharing, and working towards getting the job you want. (Learn More)
Allow yourself to experience the emotions of the interview, positive or negative. Letting go is allowing yourself to experience the pain of rejection and move on. Experience the wins and let yourself celebrate.
- Mindfulness practice: Ground, Conduct, Give

Conclusion

What started as a 10-part writing series ends with 15 parts. Oops. I did it though. “It” being I was able to overcome my anxiety about product manager interviews. The solution was unexpected though. It wasn’t a practice or attentional solution as I expected. It came down to learning to be self-aware of what I want and letting those emotions empower instead of weaken me. I still don’t have a job, but I have a greater sense of self-awareness and confidence in my abilities. That’s something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life to every job I take and get rejected from.