In the previous article, How to become a Product Manager? — Part 1, I have tried to carve out a way for those who are already working somewhere but not as product managers. So if you belong to that particular pool, I would recommend that it makes more relevance to you.
However, if you are just thinking of starting your career and want to become a product manager, then this article will help you with a number of PRACTICAL ways to achieve the same.
What does a Product Manager do?
Although a detailed answer to this question can be found in my other article, a link to which is there at the bottom of this article, still a brief description of the job of a product manager is
…to understand business requirements and to translate them into relevant product requirements which meets the corresponding business goals, then work across teams to get the products designed, built and launched…
Let the journey begin…
I am going to list all the possible ways which if followed will definitely let you land your dream job.
STEP 1: Prepare yourself.
Since you are a fresher it is very important that you load yourself with as much theoretical knowledge about the field as you can. To do this you just need a laptop and an internet connection.
- If you have some funds enrol to one of the many online Product Management courses available online. While choosing a paid course there are certain things which should be kept in mind:
- The course offers certification from a recognised institute as this helps in increasing your chances of shortlisting while applying to any job
- The course includes real-life working assignments as this will help you implement your theoretical learnings
- Read about the feedback/reviews the takers of the course have given to that course.
If you don’t have money, I would still recommend taking a free version of any course as it is the best way to acquire knowledge in an organised manner. You will not get a certification but that is not a blocker in anybody’s career. - READ. READ. READ.
- Follow experienced product managers on various product management forums where they discuss various problems they faced and how they tackled it and solved it.
- Read various case-studies about ground-breaking products
- Read about the evolution of the field
- Read about various methodologies which were developed, the reasons for their emergence and the reasons for their decline. - If you are not from a tech background academically then it is very important that you learn the basics about the important topics. To help you out I have listed below the topic, a basic understanding of which is very crucial:
- Database and database management
- Web development languages like HTML/CSS, Php, Javascript
- Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- Learn SQL
- Website/app hosting
While it is true that the more knowledge you have about these topics the better it is, but make sure you don’t have to deep dive into any of these topics. Each of these topics in itself has so much to read that if you start to explore vertically any one of them you would never be able to come back. At this stage, your aim should be getting a grasp of the concept so that you have an idea of how things work. - Once you have read enough case studies and you think you understand the basic concept of how products are developed and/or improved, the best thing to do is to apply that understanding. Pick any of the website/mobile app you use frequently and study it from a product perspective.
- Try to understand how that website/app works
- Analyse the UI/UX to understand the user-facing side
- Try to figure out how the back-end would be working
- Try to find case-studies around it and match your deductions with what is mentioned in the case study
- Try to think of improvements and/or alternate flows
- Documenting the entire exercise is highly recommended
STEP 2: Plan.
Once you are done with equipping yourself with the required knowledge and training yourself with the self-designed exercises, its time you start working on the next step-planning.
- Make a list of industries that you would like working into with an order of preference.
- Make a list of companies which are operating under each of the companies
While making the second list it would be better if you identify start-ups as the opportunities there would be better because of the reason that many start-ups which are not funded heavily cannot afford an experienced product manager. Another reason is that experienced product managers are less prone to join a start-up because of the uncertainty of sustainability.
Remember, this is a very crucial step. The better you plan the higher are your chances to get a job. Firstly, try to make the list as exhaustive as possible. Secondly, while making the list of companies, make sure you do enough research about them.
STEP 3: Execute.
Once you are ready with your list, its time for action.
but wait…
Before going further, it would be great that you are aware of the general hierarchy of roles in Product Management.
- Product Analyst — This is the bottom of the pyramid. Their tasks include mostly execution as they are in the learning phase of their career. Depending on the size of the organisation this role can be further categorised into Junior Product Analyst and Senior Product Analyst
- Associate Product Manager — Associate product manager works directly with the Product Manager and might be responsible for managing either a small product or one of the modules of a big product. Their role is to make sure that things are getting executed perfectly and as per the decided timelines.
- Product Manager — Responsible for one or many products depending on the size of the organisation. Conceptualising, planning, execution and almost everything is the responsibility of the Product Manager.
In some organisations, based on either seniority or importance of products being managed, a role of Senior Product Manager is also there.
After these comes the apex of the pyramid:
- Product Lead
- VP product
- Chief Product Officer
The existence of these roles might vary based on the size of the organisation and the number of products being managed there. These people mostly deal with things like strategies, structures, budgets, resources etc.
…and action!
The execution phase needs to be broken into multiple rounds.
Round 1: Visit the “Careers” section on the websites of each of the companies and look for the openings listed there. Since you are a fresher you should apply only if there are vacancies for the junior roles which are Product Analyst or Associate Product Manager.
After doing this activity for all the companies, mark those in which you found the corresponding role and have applied successfully. In the next round, you need to exclude these companies.
Round 2: This round is for the companies which remain in your list after the previous round.
Create your account on Linkedin in case you don’t have one. While doing so make sure that you include the certification that you have done as it will definitely give you an edge over other peers. In case you have an account, update your info accordingly to include all the relevant aspects to make you look competent for the role.
Now, you need to search for people who work at these companies. Remember, the target here is to reach the right person which in this case are either Product people or HR.
Once you find a person who is relevant send them a connection request. BEWARE, these people don't know you so if you just send a blank connection request then it will do you no good. Compose a nice message stating the purpose of the request. A connection request with a clear message mentioning the reason has a higher chance of getting accepted than a blank request.
If you are not able to find the relevant person, then you can connect with those people who work in this firm and ask them to help you in connecting with the relevant people. People on Linkedin are highly supportive and if you are approaching them in a professional way, the possibility of you being listened and guided to the right person increases exponentially.
Alright, but would they offer me a job…?
The answer is mostly, NO. You might get lucky if you reach someone who is on a hiring spree but the assuming the chances are low for this it would be better if in your message you ask for an internship rather a job.
But why internship?
At this stage, what you require the most is experience. I would suggest that grabbing an opportunity to gain some experience in the form of internship would be strategically a better approach than wasting more time on finding a job. You can always keep pursuing a job opportunity during your internship. Also, if you perform well during your internship you might get a permanent job offer at the same firm.
Round 3: For the companies for which remain after the above two rounds, you can visit the “contact us” page of their respective websites. This page usually contains the important email addresses like of the HR or some other email address through which a user can send a message to the company.
Draft a mail containing a cover letter with your desire to do an internship and send it with your resume attached.
As a conclusion, a lot of people who are at the early stage of their careers are willing to put a lot of effort but most of the time what they lag is a structured and organised approach. In this article, I have tried to create an ideal step by step process, which if followed diligently, will help you to make your entry into the field of Product Management.
All the best!
