How do you land a product manager with no experience?

Several companies have associate product manager programs, and they’ll hire people directly out of college with no experience. They’re generally looking for someone with a computer science background. People who’ve been working for a while might also get an MBA and take a product management job after graduating.

What is the most common background for product managers?

Engineering, design, or business are the most common backgrounds. Some of the best product managers out there have come from customer support, QA, or business analyst roles. For advice on hiring a Junior Product Manager, check out ‘How do you Choose who to Hire as a Junior Product Manager?’.

Is it possible to get a product manager job without industry experience?

Well, it keeps coming up because lots of Product Managers continue to lose job opportunities to candidates with industry experience. Now, it is possible to get a PM job without industry experience, but all things being equal, candidates with that experience will always have the upper hand.

How do I make the jump to product management?

If you’re actively looking to make the jump to product management, it’s important for you to identify your talents, interests and strengths so you can land a job where you can make the most impact. All product manager roles aren’t created equal: Product management jobs vary by industry, company and even sometimes by department.

Should product managers focus on technical or creative?

“One company might have a product manager that’s primarily focused around business, market analysis, business relationships, etc with only a little bit on the creative and the technical side. Another might have a greater focus on UI/UX and design, or (you guessed it) the technical aspects.” Think about which type of role plays to your strengths.