As a LinkedIn Technical Program Manager (TPM), you'll help connect millions of people to opportunity. LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, helps millions around the world find employment and economic opportunities.

LinkedIn's technical program management position is known to be rigorously selected, which is why it's important to get a head start on your TPM interviews if you plan to interview there.

With our guide in the pages that follow, we'll help you land that dream LinkedIn TPM role.

Interview Stages

Typically, there are 4 rounds of interviews for LinkedIn TPM roles: recruiter, phone, onsite, and follow up interviews.

On average, candidates will hear back from phone interviews within a week or two. Similarly, after the on-site interview, LinkedIn may take up to two weeks to return the results to you. Once you pass the on-site interview, expect the process to actually sign and negotiate the offer to be even longer as you get the paperwork all completed.

Keep in mind these interviews will vary widely across different groups you interview with, and that the process is not standardized across all units. Some entry-level and intern roles are "pooled," meaning you'll only apply to one group that will then filter you into specific products later.

Recruiter

A recruiter will first call you to understand your motivations and qualifications for the role. Why do you want to work at LinkedIn as a TPM? Be prepared to talk about your past experiences. This call will be used to ensure you're good at communicating. The recruiter will also be looking for signs that you're a decent person to work with.

Depending on the group you're interviewing with, your recruiter may also ask some very basic and simple program sense and product sense questions, to get a general assessment of your capabilities as a TPM. It's not worth preparing too much for these other than reviewing your resume and experiences.

Phone

Next, you will have a phone interview with, most commonly, the TPM hiring manager at LinkedIn (on occasion it may be with another TPM lead on the team). You will get roughly 45-50 minutes to complete a few questions which can vary widely depending on the group. They'll generally assess skills in execution, cultural fit, and background-to-experience compatibility.

On-site

Following the phone interview is the on-site. A typical on-site interview consists of five rounds focused on the five interview areas for LinkedIn TPMs: technical expertise, leadership and portfolio management, execution, TPM skills, and end-to-end program management (more on this in the next section). Occasionally, a sixth category in strategic insights is added as well. The interviews themselves may not map exactly to these areas, but you can be sure that these interview areas will be tested throughout your onsite. Each interview is 45minutes, and you'll get a lunch break in between. There's no particular sequence to the interviews.

Exponent members have mentioned they’re often tested in multiple dimensions through the interview, and that these interviews map closely to Amazon's behavioral style interviewing, where preparing experiences and stories beforehand helps to ace the interview.

Follow-up Interviews

In some cases, LinkedIn may ask for a follow-up interview on a specific product area. Don't fear - this means that you're close to a successful offer! Prepare for these interviews by researching the product group you're interviewing with. You'll generally be interviewing with product and engineering counterparts, assessing your ability to manage stakeholders, understand technical details, and culture-fit.