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How To Land Your First Product Management Job

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Product Management Job

There has been numerous discussions raised on getting a position in technical product management and has been a trendy topic ever since. So how do you get a job in technical product management?

Usually, hiring managers will always look for those who are already product managers. Why? Because they wouldn’t want to hire a rookie over an expert. You want someone who has enough experience to do the job, someone who has a brief background on any particular position over those who have none.

Product Management Job

Here are a few reasons why they choose experienced product managers. In the course of their career, they have probably made mistakes – mistakes that we could learn from. Being an experienced product manager, it is assumed that he or she is skilled at handling uncooperative members of various teams within the organization. Also, hiring an experienced manager will mean that less mentoring required. Most experienced product managers have tons of knowledge about particular market niches.

In short, enthusiasm and good looks won’t be enough to get you a PM position at any generic company when competing against Ivy League product managers. You need to find a company that perfectly suits your talents and experiences.

Begin with Your Current Company

If you want to move into a new position, do it in your current company. It’s less difficult to change roles in your existing company than moving to a new one because by then you would have already known a lot from your current company. The key here, is to meet your current PM team, to let them know that you are interested.

Give your PM team good feedbacks on specs, use cases and other artifacts that they produce. Show them you can handle their business. Attend customer briefings. But be quiet. You are there to listen, not to budge in. Volunteer as a back-up. Do some of the research, competitive analysis, or customer interviews to earn their respect. Know more about the role. Review your company’s product literature, pricing, and competition. Volunteering will also help you get the exposure you need from your PM team. And if they see potential in you, the PM team will be more interested in having you.

Use Your Technical Skills

Companies often hire those who have technical expertise or special domain knowledge for PM roles. If you can easily deal with technical work, look for companies that rely on supply chain, gas chromatography or program trading. Because some managers find it difficult to look for people who have deep knowledge in technical expertise and is in demand.

Take It One Step at a Time

If none of these are working for you, maybe you need to start from scratch and begin working jobs that will get you closer to PM roles. Ask one of your product managers how they started, learn from their experiences and be patient enough and hardworking. You might also want to consider attending a course to help you gain the necessary skills. One recommended action is for you to gain knowledge from experts in product management training.

Conclusion

It is quite difficult to get into product management. And at the end of the day, experience will always matter. Go and try your present company first, take one step at a time, and get into the head of the hiring manager.

images License: image source. Michelle Gonzalez 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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