How to Get Into the Instacart APM Program (2025)
Learn how to get into the Instacart APM program with tips on the application process, required skills, and how to stand out as an early-career candidate.
By Mike M.
Posted March 13, 2025
Table of Contents
The Associate Product Manager role at Instacart is a golden opportunity for those looking to kick-start their product management career. It's a chance to work with one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the grocery delivery space.
I am a former APM who now runs product full-time. I've helped tons of candidates navigate these competitive APM applications and know what recruiters are looking for and how to stand out. I'd love to help you figure out how to tell your story and convey your experience powerfully.
This guide will show you how to boost your chances of getting into the Instacart APM program. We'll cover what the program is all about, key skills you need to develop, and ways to stand out in your application. You'll also learn how to research the company, network with insiders, and showcase your product thinking. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap to help you chase your APM dreams at Instacart.
The Instacart APM program just opened its applications on March 10, 2025! Read on to learn more about the program, application, and how to stand out. Interested in other APM programs? Check out: The 25 Best Entry-Level Associate Product Management (APM) Programs
What Is the Instacart APM Program?
The Instacart APM program is an excellent way for early-career talent to jumpstart their journey in product management. This 18-month rotational program is designed to give you hands-on experience in solving user challenges across various teams at one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the grocery delivery space.
Throughout the program, you'll collaborate with cross-functional teams, including analytics teams, to identify and solve user challenges while enjoying a highly market competitive compensation package that rewards your contributions and growth.
Who Should Apply?
According to Instacart, the APM program is best suited for new or recent graduates who do not have previous deep experience with product management. Instacart does not require technical expertise and instead emphasizes that it's looking for candidates from a variety of backgrounds. More specifically, the site says:
"The APM program brings together new graduates and those new to Product from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. If you recently graduated from college, are an aspiring product manager, or are looking to make a career switch, the APM program is for you. APMs demonstrate a deep passion for technology and product design, leadership potential, strong communication skills, and excitement for Instacart and our mission."
Interested candidates should have the following:
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university
- 1-3 years of working experience
- Exhibit a deep passion for technology and product design - either from a technical degree, personal projects, or experience in business, strategy, or software-related roles.
- Demonstrated ability to come up with product solutions for customer pain points.
- Leadership potential and natural ability to influence and empower diverse teams.
Role Description
Here is Instacart's job description for its APM program this year. Pay close attention, as you'll want to weave in these attributes into your resume and interview answers (we'll get more into this below):
- Responsible for the end-to-end success from discovery to launch of new products and features
- Collaborate with Design, Engineering, Marketing, Data Science, Legal, and Analytics teams
- Identify new growth opportunities through quantitative research, case studies, and reviews of industry-standard methodologies
- Apply creative solutions, lead the work, and reinvent what is possible in a constantly evolving environment
- Influence crucial team members throughout Instacart to align intent, resources, and prioritization
- Specialize in Instacart’s strategic position in the grocery industry as we continue to craft the way for the online grocery and e-commerce industries
Program Overview and Structure
The Associate Product Manager (APM) program at Instacart is structured to help you gain diverse product management experience. During your time as an APM, you'll work on real problems, guided by experienced PMs who will mentor you along the way.
The program was originally split into three, six-month rotations but is now split across two, nine-month rotations, allowing you to explore different aspects of Instacart's four-sided marketplace, which includes consumers, shoppers, retailers, and advertisers.
Each rotation gives you the chance to work on a distinct piece of the company, broadening your skills and understanding of the business. For example, in one rotation, you might launch features to help customers discover new products, while in another, you could build tools for retail partners to grow their online grocery businesses.
*Note: Instacart’s APM program cohort is very small, with only seven people or so in the class. This means the process will be highly selective but that if chosen, you will be able to grow strong bonds with the other APMs, the APM mentors, and other Instacart employees.
For US-based candidates, here are the estimated pay bands for this role:
- CA, NY, CT, NJ: $135,000-$150,000
- WA: $130,000-$144,000
- OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI: $124,000-$138,000
- All other states: $113,000-$125,000
Rotation Details
The rotation structure is carefully designed to give you a well-rounded experience:
- First Rotation: Your initial team assignment takes your interests into account, helping you find a good starting point.
- Second Rotation: As you become more familiar with Instacart, you'll work with your manager to identify teams that align with your growing skills and interests.
- Post-Program: After completing both rotations, you'll either be offered an opportunity to continue working full-time at Instacart or your employment will end.
Throughout the program, you'll have the opportunity to work on a broad range of products, tackling challenges that impact different aspects of Instacart's business. This variety helps you develop a comprehensive understanding of product management and the grocery delivery industry.
The Instacart Associate Product Manager program is more than just a job – it's a launchpad for your product management career. By the end of the 18 months, you'll have gained invaluable experience, solved real-world challenges, and developed the skills needed to thrive as a product manager in the tech industry.
2025 Deadlines & Application
Applications for the 2025 Instacart APM program opened on March 10 and will close on March 19 at 11:59pm PT. Chosen candidates will be notified near the end of June and the program will begin in August 2025. Find more info on the Instacart's official page and apply here.
This year, the application is comprised of:
- The initial application that you will submit online — includes contact information, work authorization questions, resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, and a series of self-identification questions.
- Product take-home challenge — this is your opportunity to show your "ability to think strategically about building products that solve key problems for Instacart's customers, shoppers, retailers, and brands."
- Interviews — you will have a series of interviews with members of the Product team and Product leaders at Instacart. To massively increase your odds of success in the interview, book a mock interview with an expert product management coach.
After this, decisions will be made, successful candidates will be notified, and the program will begin! Download our resume template below to make sure your resume is in proper formatting shape.
How to Get Into the Instacart APM Program
1. Show the qualities they’re looking for in your resume and interview questions.
Though it’s not always easy to parse, companies tell you exactly what they’re looking for in candidates in the job description. Read the Instacart APM program description carefully and you’ll start to see some themes, skills, and qualities jump out. To be a compelling applicant, you want to make sure that you have successfully conveyed that you match these qualifications.
If you take a look at the program and application page, there are themes and words that are repeated throughout, including:
- Passion for technology and product design
- Leadership potential and the ability to influence others
- Strong communication skills and able to work cross-functionally
- Excitement for Instacart and the mission
- Able to identify growth opportunities, apply creative solutions, and then execute from end-to-end
- Deep empathy with the customer and able to identify pain points
Does this sound like you? Great, make sure that’s apparent in your resume. For example, if you have any product management intern experience, you may have bullet points that sound something like:
- Assisted in user research and data analysis to identify trends and improve product experience.
- Supported feature development by gathering requirements and collaborating with design and engineering teams.
- Monitored key metrics using Google Analytics/Mixpanel and provided insights to improve conversion rates.
- Created wireframes and product documentation to streamline communication and execution.
This is a good start, but if we’re keeping in mind what Instacart is looking for, we may want to adjust it slightly to this:
- Conducted user research and data analysis to identify pain points, leading to product improvements that increased engagement by X%.
- Collaborated with engineering, design, and marketing teams to define and iterate on features, ensuring alignment with customer needs and business goals.
- Developed product requirement documents (PRDs) and wireframes to streamline execution and accelerate development cycles.
- Analyzed key performance metrics (Google Analytics, Mixpanel) to inform data-driven decisions, improving conversion rates by X%.
- Led an A/B testing initiative, optimizing a core feature and increasing user retention by X%.
The latter bullet points are much stronger and more aligned with Instacart – you took the same experience, but made sure to highlight them in such a way that shows Instacart you have what it takes to succeed in the APM program.
Outside of the program page and application, check out Instacart’s About Us page, Glassdoor page, benefits/career page, company news, and anything else you can find.
Expert Tip: The best way to find unique, up-to-date information on the culture, challenges, advantages, and opportunities at Instacart is to talk with current and previous employees. See if there are any APMs/PMs who went to the same school as you or have anything else in common and reach out to them for a coffee chat.
*Note: To illustrate the point, these are purposefully broad. Make sure your bullet points are specific, highly quantitative, impact-forward, and show what you accomplished. For tons of example product management resumes from successful applicants of top companies, check out Leland+.
2. Deeply understand Instacart’s product and customers.
Product managers are the bridge between the users and engineering/design. It is incredibly important that PMs understand how users think, behave, and engage with their product so that they can optimize it in line with business goals. The better that you understand Instacart’s product before you get to the interview stage, the better it will likely go.
In its program FAQs, Instacart highlights some problem spaces across the current marketplace. Start by thinking through these. If you were an Instacart PM, how would you go about solving these? What data would you collect, what tests would you run, and what features would you want to implement?
Customers (predominantly end consumers)
- Problems: How do I find and order the food I love and easily tell shoppers what I want? How do I discover new products?
- Example Customers: Families and parents, the busy professional, college students, small businesses, restaurants, office managers
Shoppers (those who are picking and/or delivering groceries)
- Problems: How do I know what to buy/how to deliver it to the customer? How do I manage my time and earnings?
- Example Shoppers: Shopping as supplemental income, shopping for fun
Advertisers (Consumer packaged goods partners targeting consumers)
- Problems: How do I show relevant ads to people who may buy my products? How do I spread the word about my product?
- Example Advertisers: PepsiCo, Driscoll’s, Campbells
Retailers (predominately grocery stores, but we partner with retailers in other vertices such as alcohol and beauty)
- Problems: How do I bring my business online, manage my inventory, and get products to customers? How do I replicate and enhance the in-store experience in a digital storefront online?
- Example Retailers: Kroger, Walmart, BestBuy
It needn’t be said but you should also absolutely download the Instacart app and play around with it. What feels intuitive? Are there any frustrating parts of the experience? What do competitors do similarly or differently? What would you do differently? The point here is to put yourself into the position of an Instacart PM: start thinking like one now, and you’ll be sure to come off as one in the interviews and beyond.
3. Practice your answers beforehand in a mock interview.
We’ve helped thousands of people land competitive product management roles and one of the most effective things that you can do to prepare is going through a mock interview beforehand with an experienced PM or former APM. These experts know what these companies are looking for and will help you structure your answers to be as compelling and concise as possible. That way, when you walk (or Zoom!) into the interview, you know exactly what you need to say and can have the confidence to ace it.
Here are a few other APM coaches to check out:
- Julia A. – APM coach, PM experience at LinkedIn, Nextdoor, and Slack; Stanford GSB MBA
- Vaishnavi A. – Visa APM, former Amazon PM intern, UT Austin BBA in Management Information Systems
- Vaibhav G. – Microsoft Product Manager, former TPM at Samsung
Instacart APM Interview Sample Questions
Generally, you should expect questions related to: 1) you and your background/experience, 2) behavioral/values, and 3) Instacart and other products. Here are more specific questions you may encounter:
- Walk me through your resume.
- What is your favorite product and why?
- How do you like to be managed?
- What is your ideal work environment?
- How comfortable are you with ambiguity?
- How would you improve “X” product?
- Tell me about “X” past project you’ve worked on?
- Tell me about a product challenge you’ve faced and what you did to overcome it.
See a longer list of interview questions and answers here: The 50 Most Common Product Manager Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)
Conclusion
Getting into the Instacart APM program takes effort, but it's definitely worth it. By developing key skills, doing your homework on the company, making connections, and showing off your product thinking, you'll boost your chances big time. Remember, it's all about standing out from the crowd and proving you've got what it takes to be a great product manager.
So, go ahead and give it your all. Work on your tech skills, practice analyzing products, and get to know Instacart inside and out. With hard work and the right approach, you could find yourself launching your product management career at one of the hottest companies in the grocery delivery world. Good luck on your journey to become an Instacart Associate Product Manager!
Want Personalized Advice?
If you’re interested in coaching to land a spot at Instacart or another top APM program, hop on a call with a member of the Leland team. We’ll talk through your background, experience, and goals and get you custom matched to a coach or provide other recommendations for resources, discount codes, and more. Book a free call here.
Read next:
- What is Product Management?
- An Overview of the Different Roles in Product Management
- Tips from an Expert: How to Prepare for Your Product Management Interview
- The 25 Best Entry-Level Associate Product Management (APM) Programs (2024)
- How to Develop Product Sense as a Product Manager
Instacart APM FAQs
What is an APM program?
- An Associate Product Manager (APM) program is a structured, entry-level training program designed to help early-career professionals develop product management skills. APMs work on real-world projects, rotate across teams, and receive mentorship to become full-time product managers.
What is the APM rotational program for Instacart?
- Instacart’s APM program is an 18-month rotational program where APMs gain hands-on experience by working on key product teams such as Core Experience, Platform, Marketplace, Connected Stores, and Ads. The program provides mentorship, cross-functional collaboration, and the opportunity to develop high-impact products.
What does a product manager do?
- A product manager (PM) leads the development of new products and features by working with engineering, design, data, and business teams. They identify customer pain points, analyze market trends, set priorities, and drive execution to deliver value for users and the business.
What is Instacart's strategic position?
- Instacart is a leading online grocery marketplace, connecting users with retailers for same-day delivery and pickup. It leverages AI, advertising, and fulfillment innovations to optimize grocery shopping and drive e-commerce transformation in the grocery industry.
How do I get into an APM program?
- To get into an APM program, build experience in user research, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. Develop a strong product sense, work on side projects or internships, and prepare for PM interviews by practicing product design, execution, and strategy questions. Instacart’s APM program specifically looks for problem-solving ability, leadership potential, and data-driven decision-making.
What are the requirements to qualify for the Instacart APM program?
- To qualify for the Instacart APM program, applicants must possess a bachelor's degree and have 1-3 years of experience. Additionally, they should demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, along with excellent communication and teamwork skills.
What does the Instacart APM rotational program entail?
- The Instacart APM program spans 18 months and includes two rotations. It offers exposure to different facets of Instacart's four-sided marketplace, involving interactions with consumers, shoppers, retailers, and advertisers, providing a comprehensive experience in various aspects of the business.
What skills are necessary to secure an APM position?
- Securing an APM position requires management skills, as the role involves overseeing various segments of product development. Prospective APMs should have either legacy or agile project management capabilities, along with skills in managing stakeholders. It's beneficial to acquire these skills before applying for the position.
