Crafting Your Path to a PM Job

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Crafting my path and building on the resources I found were what did it for me. This can help you too. However, this isn’t a rule of thumb, or is it ;)

Landing one's first product role may require a whole lot of work as we all have very different paths. It might come easy for some and not at all easy for others (whew I can tell). When I first got into product management, I was curious about the job market and came across many books, articles, and tips on landing your first product management role. It was like everywhere I turned, someone had a few tips to share, and I even got constant medium article notifications on getting a PM job.

First of all, many people are going into product management because why not? It is such a fulfilling profession helping to make people’s lives easier and some people think it is an ‘easy’ way to break into tech. The opportunity out there isn’t enough so the hunt/search for a job isn’t for the faint-hearted (again, different strokes for different folks). I have read articles where someone had said they sent out 10s of applications in a day for months before landing a job and it makes you wonder ‘What then am I doing????’ haha. You will find out that most times, we just keep applying to hundreds of jobs with little to zero conversion rate. Fret not and let’s get into why we are here. Below are a few things to adopt when you feel like you’re ready for the job market:

• Prepare your Mind: As entry-level PMs, we often feel like we are never ready for the job market, there will always be something deep down that tells us “You aren’t ready”. It is important to prepare one’s mind and treat the job hunting process like a product itself because finding a job is a job on its own and this requires dedication and hard work.
• Scope out your Goals: Find the niches you’re interested in — SaaS, FinTech, Health Tech, etc. Have a broad scope so that you don’t miss out on opportunities. Set out attainable goals in the job hunting process such as creating a killer CV that scores high using ATS, creating your portfolio, optimizing your LinkedIn to attract potential employers, and so on that leads to sending out applications, reaching out to recruiters, and interview preps that get you the job.
• Gaining experience as a new PM: Taking hands-on courses, building your own MVP, product teardowns, and volunteering are a few ways one can gain experience as an entry-level product manager. These can be represented in one’s CV and portfolio as valid experiences. Also adding past roles outside PM and relating them to product management can help build up one’s CV.
• Finding a Role: Being a part of product communities not only helps us meet like-minded people, but it’s also a great place to find job opportunities and make meaningful connections with people who can refer us for product roles. Exploring platforms such as LinkedIn, Remotive, Product Hired, etc. is another way to find PM and other PM-related roles. Other ways also include connecting with product teams and building a relationship with them, connecting with recruiters and hiring managers by cold emailing them using a killer elevator pitch that sells your strengths and why they need you on their team.
• Standing out: Alongside your hard skills, adopt and learn killer PM soft skills such as communication, prioritization, teamwork, etc. that will help you stand out as an individual and as an amazing product manager. Your CV and portfolio should clearly communicate these, ensure to iterate your CV to fit the job description of the role you are applying for, and after applying reach out to the hiring manager/recruiter of the company using a cold email format.
• Applying to Other Related Product Roles: The product job market is already saturated and other ways one can ultimately break into product management is by applying to related product roles such as product owner, scrum master, operations manager, program manager, project manager, etc. You can eventually transition internally as a product manager at the firm or apply to other product roles. They will help you build up your product experience and provide you with other skills that will make you stand out.
• Interview prep tips and resources: Adequate interview preparation can help one deal with the anxiety and nervousness that one may experience during an interview. Learn about and use the product, learn about the company, company goal, and culture, and align your skills to that. Study prioritization frameworks, watch youtube interview videos, use and maximize AI tools, get a friend for a mock interview session — practice answering both technical/product and behavioral interview questions, review your mistakes, and work on them.
• Going the Extra Mile: You can do permissionless work such as reviewing a product and sharing with the HR/recruiter of the company alongside an elevator pitch on what sets you apart from other candidates and why you will be a great addition to the team.

Some helpful resources

• Product School — The Ultimate List of PM Interview Questions
• Brain Station — Product Manager Interview Question
• Resume and Cover Letter Templates
• PM Interview Books
• PM Communities
• PM Job Boards

As for product managers, the goal of a product is to ensure that it is a market-fit product and meets the needs of users, for this process, the goal is to have a better conversion rate — more interview stages that will eventually lead to a product role and the road leading up to that is never easy. However, these are just a few tips I have seen work for people and myself, please feel free to add your own uniqueness to the process that will further better your chances of landing your first product management job.

I understand that this process can be tiring and discouraging, keep your head up, keep learning and relearning, putting the work in and that amazing role will find you!! I wish you all the strength you need on this journey.