How To Land A Job As Product Manager

Screening for the position of product manager is a very meticulous process. Companies want to make sure that their products are successfully created and launched, and so they are careful to select only the best candidate for the role – one who has the required skills, the right personality, and the relevant experience. If you are one of the many aspirants for the product manager position within your company or if you are applying for this role in another company, here are a few tips to help you succeed in your application.

Read Books and Sign Up for Newsletters

Gain significant insights into the profession by reading books about product management, signing up for newsletters, and following reputable product managers on LinkedIn and leading social media channels. You can purchase the digital version of these books which makes it much more convenient for you to access them on your smartphone, tablet, or computer and they are even offered at lower prices compared to the printed versions.

Do Volunteer Work

Volunteering for product management work is a great way to gain experience in the field. You might want to offer assistance to your product manager in your current company so you can start learn the ropes direct from the PM. Offer to help them in doing competitive analysis, writing a business case, or requirements gathering. These are activities that will prepare you for the role, developing your discipline and skills.

Join Product Management Associations

Join a product management association within your area, and actively participate in meetings to expand your network. It will also be advantageous for you to volunteer to help run the events. If there are no product management associations within your location, you may also check if there are product camps you can attend which also offer a great networking opportunity.

Get Acquainted with the Product Managers

It could be product managers within your company or from other businesses. Making friends with PMs will broaden your network which will help you learn more about the industry and if there are any job openings for the role. You can also learn about their own experiences and how they have survived the challenges that come with the role, which will be valuable for you once you are already working as product manager yourself.

Learn the Basic Skills Required

Ensure that you are equipped with the basic skills required of the role, such as getting the voice of the customer, writing business cases, collaborating with different teams, developing launch plans, and creating end of life plans. It would be beneficial for you to undergo product management training in New York that will grant you a certificate upon completion which you can also include in your resume.

Highlight Your Strengths in Your Resume

Avoid creating a resume that follows the same format as the rest of the candidates applying for the product manager role. Make yours strand out by highlighting any volunteer work, training, or skills that will make your prospective employer want to consider you for the job. Even if you do not have previous experience in product management per se, emphasizing on your professional assets will help get you that interview schedule.

Applying these strategies and putting in extra work will help you land your first product management position.


Author bio:
Michelle Rubio has been writing for SMEs across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK for the last five years. She is a highly-experienced blogger and SEO copywriter, writing business blogs for various industries such as marketing, law, health and wellness, beauty, and education, particularly on product management training such as those offered by ProductSchool.com.

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