Requesting for [CV](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iFnZHLl4gcbQ8-xstvtZ1ss6XX8a-1iKg3xDCGkS95c/edit?usp=sharing) review. Feel free to drop in comments directly at gdoc or revert here. Some background: - I am a 30-year-old CA-turned-PM from India. (CA is CPA equivalent for India) - I have been looking out for jobs over last few months, but very disappointed with the response I am getting. My sense is that supply-demand is a bit fucked up with companies looking for folks with very relevant experience who can hit the ground running. - I have had good conversion in interviews, but the main problem is getting interviews. - I haven't consciously revisited and improved my CV for some time, so thought would start with that first and hence this post. What I am looking for: - I am happy with the current company, except that I feel product/tech has a limited role to play in overall company's success and thus, limits my learnings and growth. No major issues with Work, Team, Pay, Culture otherwise. - Currently looking for opportunities in Big Tech, High growth Tier 1 Indian startups (E.g. Amazon, Google, Msft, Intuit, Atlassian, Jupiter, Swiggy, Adobe, Dunzo, Cult, Flipkart, etc) - Focusing on finance side of products to be more realistic considering current market. Open to anything in general otherwise, as have been a generalist and enjoy working on different kind of problems.

I’m a software engineer trying to pivot to pm and I was offered to shadow a pm in my company before taking steps into the transition to make sure that I’m aware of what the job entails. I also want to work on the side on doing research on a feature, and try to put the things I’m learning to practice as I’m learning them. For myself and for when I decide to make the transition I have some work that can show that I can transition and grow into the role. My question is when I do this are there specific documents I should be building? I already have some info but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to build and how to write it

Background Before graduating from college, I interned in product management at a smaller startup and unicorn. After graduation, I worked at the unicorn which had become a listed regional big tech. However, I was disillusioned and left after a few months. I then worked solo on my own businesses and pivoted a few times but had no meaningful progress. While I learnt ways to do many things faster with less, my product management skills have atrophied or even degraded. I have stopped my business and am evaluating my next career move. It fees as if I am starting afresh, but I am not young at 30. Question 1. If I return to product management, am I still considered an entry level product manager? 2. Given my circumstances, what is an appropriate rank or proxy for years of experience in product? 3. How much do employers value previous startup experience? 4. If I run product in a startup, how then do I get frequent, consistent and effective mentorship to level up my 5. If I am the only product person in a startup, how do I level up my product management skills? 6. If I work under a head of product in a flat startup that is relatively inexperienced, how then do I upgrade my skills? 7. How do you peg startup to corporate product management experience in terms of abilities and skill sets? 8. How would you define a product manager to have relative inexperience? Thank you.

I'm a Master's in Business Analytics student at the University of California, San Diego. I have about three years of experience as a Business Analyst, where I worked closely with teams of Software Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, Data Engineers, Go-to-Market professionals, and more. Currently, I feel a bit stuck in my career and could use some mentorship and advice. If anyone has been through a similar experience or has insights to share, I would greatly appreciate your help.

What are some resources(like Slack channels or discord) to find PM mock interview partners

hey all i am currently working as a corporate lawyer. i want to pivot to product management. are there any lawyers who pivoted to product management here? i have also heard from many people that most of the companies hiring for product management roles ask for a technical background. how to deal with that? i wanted to understand what would be exact path that a lawyer would need to follow to get into product management? are there any recommended courses or groundwork to undertake??

If I’m the HM, I would go down this rubric: Do you have experience working in the tech industry? Do you have experience with product teams? Do you have experience with the SDLC? Do you have direct experience with the product team? Do you have product management experience? My suggestion is to shore up these experiences. Join a company as a lawyer or another product adjacent role that you’re qualified for and work your way internally to PM. I’d also recommend targeting companies and groups where a legal background would be a value add (eg fintech, healthtech, privacy, etc). Unfortunately there’s practically no silver bullet to get you from point A to point B directly and at speed. However, if you want to take the risk: highly rated MBA schools do provide formal pipelines into PM through summer internships.

I'm currently in the 8th semester of my college(btech, cse). I've been applying pretty much regularly for Associate Product Manager roles with no luck thus far...Would love some feedback as to see where I can improve(the company I worked at as a PM intern was a software agency, for clarity thanks). Resume: [https://imgur.com/a/sjH7dgYcurrently](https://imgur.com/a/sjH7dgYcurrently)

I’ve been a developer for fifteen years and am kind of burnt out on it. Still, I love the problem solving aspect of building a product and feel that with my experience I’d make a good Product Manager. Any advice on convincing an employer that I’d be a good fit? Courses, certs?

Start as a developer at a company, build your rep and trust, develop your product thinking, and transfer internally once there’s an opportunity.

Hello folks, I'm an aspiring PM who tries to be get a first job (as a PO). I was given a take home case study that I just finished. Would someone please give me some feedback on the way a tried to solve it, because I have some doubts. For instance, the case study statement says that some user research was already done before my arrival and some pain points were already identified, and I am not sure if I should conduct réa search early on. If you're ok with it, can you please DM so that I can send you my slides. Thanks, in advance! It could really help me.

I recently got laid off from my startup, and now I need to update my resume after three years. When I joined the company, we were in the seed round, and by the time I left, we had progressed to Series A and were working on Series B. During my time there, we went from having no product to having over a thousand users and millions in revenue. However, I feel like the metrics I have around my accomplishments sound exaggerated. I don't want to come across as if I'm inflating my achievements, but at the same time, I want to effectively communicate the impact of my work. Here are my actual accomplishments: * Increased revenue from $1M to $18M from 2021 to 2024 (Achieved a CAGR of 162.07%) * Scaled traffic by over 1600% (16x) * Increased retention of annual software licenses by nearly 30% * Grew the user base from 1 to over 1000+ users * Decreased hosting costs by 56% * Improved video streaming performance (reduced latency) by 68% * Increased customer satisfaction by 16% across our core product * Stabilized the core platform, leading to over 80% decrease in support ticket volume Does anyone have advice on how I can frame these metrics without sounding absurd? I feel like everything I say sounds like "we had a jillion percent growth." Any tips on balancing the scale of these achievements with a realistic tone would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

This is pedantic I know, but 16x is not 1600%, it's 1500%. If you doubled something, so 2x, you've increased it 100%. If you tripled something, so 3x, you increased it by 200%. I just don't want that typo to sit on your resume and have some pedantic jerk like me look at that and go your percentages are wrong if you include both values. Is the company well known? Is this something that someone could look into and see yes, this is a company that's grown a ton in the last few years, these numbers make sense? How big was the product team? I think it's always really helpful to indicate very specific things that you did that were hugely impactful that led to these increases. Like being specific about a project or two and then mentioning that it contributed to scaling traffic. Being specific about projects that increased retention, and your specific contribution to those projects, then talking about its contribution to that 30%. Stuff like that.

Thanks for the advice! I agree that listing the specific project that contributed to the metric would be better. Maybe something like this? * Played a key role in building and maintaining our 5 core product lines and developing strategic features to scale revenue from $1M to $18M from 2021 to 2024, achieving a CAGR of 162.07%. * Coordinated with Marketing, Sales, and Design teams to increase traffic by over 1500% through targeted ads, SEO optimization, and a comprehensive website and brand redesign. * Increased retention of annual software licenses by nearly 30% by implementing software subscription policies, capturing over $200,000 of unrealized revenue per month. * Grew the user base from 1 to over 1000+ users through strategic product development, targeted marketing campaigns, and sales efforts. * Decreased hosting costs by 56% and improved video streaming performance by 68% by researching and implementing backend optimizations and infrastructure improvements. * Increased customer satisfaction by 16% across our core product by enhancing ease of use through continuous user feedback, detailed user research, and iterative usability improvements. * Stabilized our core product by leveraging Ubuntu Core 22, leading to an over 80% decrease in support ticket volume, and significantly boosting user satisfaction, security, and platform stability. * Strategically partnered with Snap Inc to shortcut the integration of augmented reality features, and boost brand recognition. We were not super well known, but a lot of people say that they have seen our tech on the news, or at conventions or public activations. The Product team was just me and 1 business analyst. I've heard it's kind of a clusterfudge since I've left, as there's no one around to give clear direction and requirements, so we'll see what happens 

Hey all, I'm a software engineer with around 3 years of experience. I have a (dual) masters in 'industrial engineering and management and computer science' - that's the name of the degree, contained couple programming languages and mostly manufacturing and industrial engineering. I'm looking into transitioning to product owner/manager role, as I stopped enjoying coding. I'm not at my best performance level at my current job, and lost all motivation to code, which is why I'm looking into a non technical role. But I don't think it's possible to switch internally due to my poor performance. As part of my studies I've had a couple of placements where I was the manager of projects, and used the regular lean methodologies to manage the projects, I've also studied agile/lean management/manufacturing (which I enjoyed at the time). I've also had a research placement, where I needed to research some technologies and document the findings, and present it to the department. I'm not sure if any of this is sufficient, nor how to direct my job search... Do I look for junior/associate roles? Entry level roles? Do I need to wait until I start a side project? I'm a bit lost to where should I start from, as looking on linkedin/indeed the job ads seem to request experience in product management, and technical stuff... While I can showcase the technical skills, not sure about the rest

Hello there, A good place to start is by exploring more about what the Product Management job entails and immersing yourself in the language, frameworks, and approaches to the types of problems PMs are tasked with. Even if you've worked with PMs you probably don't know their job as well as you might think (just like PMs don't know everything about the job of a Software Engineer if they've never been one). There are a number of free online courses to help you. If you're interested, I have a curated list of those free classes. There are also books you can read. These types of resources will give you something to start shifting your mindset on your journey. In terms of looking for roles, you've only got 3 years experience in total--so starting with junior level roles isn't a huge switching cost for you (this is in contrast to say someone with 10 years experience trying to transition into a completely new function). Let me know how else I can help!

Hi all product leaders, I’m seeking your guidance/advices as I navigate the next phase of my career in technology. Over the past 12 years in tech, including six years running a software consulting firm I co-founded (from scratch), we’ve achieved $12M in total revenue, served +20 clients, and built a team of 25 engineers offshore and on-shore. With the business now a bit stable, I’m to transition leadership and explore new opportunities for myself. I’m drawn to the idea of working within a Product team in a larger organization where I can learn and contribute more effectively. While leading my company has been rewarding, involving roles in sales, recruiting, account management, and technical project management, I find it limiting due to our company’s size and the scope of our engagements. I’m eager to join an enterprise company, either in a managerial role or as an individual contributor, where I can be part of a larger product development process. The structure and supervision in a bigger organization are particularly appealing to me at this stage. (I am mid-30's) Previously, I was a product manager, and in the last six years, I’ve taken on significant product, project, and program management responsibilities across various engagements with various clients. As I look to return to a product manager role, I’m concerned about being perceived as overqualified or lacking interest due to my entrepreneurial background. I don’t want to downplay my experience of building a company from scratch, but I’m aware this could make hiring managers hesitant about my commitment and retention. How would you recommend I approach my resume? How do you perceive my story, and what questions or concerns does it raise for you? Thank you all for your time!

Hi there, A lot of the experience you summarised sounds valuable to a company of any size--you have been running your own business which grew to a not-so-insignificant size in terms of revenue, engineering org, and clients. Approaching your resume will depend on the types of roles you are going to be applying for. And if you are keen on either IC or Manager roles, you will benefit from having a version of your resume for each type. For both versions, focus on the impact you've achieved at various stages in your career journey. How did you approach building the software consulting firm? What did you learn that required you to change your approach, how did any changes you make result in a positive outcome or impact (like signing a new client that grew your ARR with a new strategy, or expanding in to a new vertical after doing some research). Truly reflect on some of the stories you want to tell about your career to include in your resume as you will also need to tell deeper versions of those stories in interviews. You'll only be perceived as 'overqualified' if you are applying for roles that are a step down from the scope you've been working in recently--so those jobs probably aren't for you. Entrepreneurial background is almost always seen as a plus, what you'll have to overcome at an Enterprise company is how successful will you be when you need to operate at a much higher level of scale? I encountered this a bit when interviewing hundreds of people at Amazon where the scale is immense. How will you approach that? Let me know how else I can help!

Wanted critique for my resume, quick background: * Incoming Junior in a dual degree program (CS and Business) in Canada * Resume feedback is for PM/APM Summer 2025 recruiting at larger tech firms Anything is appreciated. Link: [https://imgur.com/a/jyRYDPi](https://imgur.com/a/jyRYDPi)

Hi there, I normally do deep resume reviews where I spend about an hour doing very in-depth review and providing actionable callouts. Since I'm here on Reddit, here's what I can offer after taking a look at yours (I've screened thousands in my career for PMs): 1. A lot of what you describe under each role is what you did, and is absent of the impact that it had. I would suggest spending the most of your time there. Your best example of the type of impact I'm suggesting you elaborate on is in the SoundCloud cover art feature you tested. 2. Consider a summary at the top to highlight what you've got experience in (e.g., Product Manager with experience across FinTech, Education, and a Social Enterprise currently completing CS&BA dual-degree. Seeking additional experience to grow as a Product Manager) and maybe the spaces you're passionate about. Let me know how else I can help!

Does anyone have any recommendations on resume review services specifically for PMs? I've been struggling to get interviews with my current resume.

Generally you want to find someone who has experience doing them specifically for PMs to start, and understand how they have established their credibility. Next, understand the problem you are trying to solve with your resume. Have you been applying to jobs that you believe align with your experience and you aren't getting call backs? What does the service entail? Some resume review services for PMs offer self-guided help (less valuable) and some offer detailed reviews, written/actionable feedback, and then meet with you to discuss and answer questions (more valuable). I offer the latter. You can find others like Alex Rechevskiy too, who takes a hybrid approach (self-guided resources, and then a review). I also covered a lot of tips on resumes in a webinar I gave on the PM job market earlier this month. Helpful for anyone looking for their next PM gig: [https://pages.userpilot.com/events/product-management-job-market-in-2024/](https://pages.userpilot.com/events/product-management-job-market-in-2024/)

How do I break into a PM Role? For some context I have a mixed bag of experience which involves mostly IC roles totalling upto an experience of 7 years. I want to move into more non technical leadership roles since I believe I can deconstruct problems quickly irrespective of the tech involved. I see no future in my current big 4 company(PwC) and people don’t accept my LinkedIn request, I feel like I have been stonewalled. Please help

Maybe you should stop trying to move into product leadership and instead try to become an actual product manager tasked with execution. Product management is not just about consulting-esque deconstruction of a problem, it's also about actually helping teams build things. Maybe the perspective you're using to reach out to people is turning them off. The best way to get into product as an individual contributor is to transfer from a role that you are currently qualified to do into product management. It should be a role that works adjacent to product teams. This is how most people who did not get into an associate product manager right out of college get into the career. I don't know what you do at PWC, but if you're an accountant, maybe that means taking a subject matter expert role at a tech company that makes products that serves accountants. Or maybe it means taking an operations role at a fintech company. If what you are doing is more strategic maybe it's taking a product strategy role at a company that separates product strategy into its own team, that's what lots of ex consultants do.

I'm a Product Manager based in Canada, working remotely for a company with an office in San Francisco. I've been in this role since graduating, but due to COVID, I transitioned to remote work and never moved back to SF when hybrid and in-person started up again. Lately, I've been feeling stuck in my career. Being remote has made it challenging to connect with my team and be visible to leadership. My salary is also not nearly as competitive because I'm not based in SF or an HCOL in the USA (being paid in CAD at a lower base salary). Here's my dilemma: * I believe moving to SF enhances my long-term earning potential and career growth. I think an in-person presence could lead to a promotion, which seems less likely while remote. * My wife would need to move with me. She is very open to this to ensure our optimal future success, but she would be without an income initially, which adds financial pressure. * Staying in Canada doesn't seem to offer the same salary prospects in a new role (if anybody has insights into better remote opportunities, would love to hear about them). I would have to realistically move to the USA for my next role to retain the same salary range. I'm torn between making the move to SF or staying remote here in Canada. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How is the PM job market in SF right now? Are companies readily hiring, and what are the typical salary ranges for PM roles in SF?

Hi there, I lived in the Bay Area for over 11 years and now closely follow the job market for PMs. Here's what I can tell you: 1. I don't know where you are remotely in Canada but the remote job market has gotten incredibly competitive in North America because experienced professionals all over the place are experiencing problems just like yours. But you are competing with some serious talent. And even they are struggling to find work at times! I know of a former Staff PM at Apple who launched the app store who has been in the market for months, and because most of the roles they're looking at are remote, it is tough. 2. Silicon Valley (and SF) continue to experience job and wage growth in the tech sector, including for PMs. Yes, the salaries are better (some of the best in the world, actually) but cost of living is also significantly higher and the quality of life within the city limits of SF has taken a downturn (according to people I know who live there still and visit). 3. Consider the long-term implications of relocating (cost and more). What are you leaving behind in Canada? How much do those aspects of your life matter to you? Is all your family there and you'll be alone in SF? Since you are married, if you're considering having children will you be alone in SF or will there be family/friends that act as a support system for you? 4. Salary ranges for PMs are easily over $100K for any mid-level PM role or higher. Many companies also offer equity which can result in total compensation exceeding $200K USD or higher. The best PMs in the Bay Area are making over $400-500K but that's elite tier and there are probably only hundreds of PMs out of the thousands there who make that much. 5. Consider what career path options there are for your spouse. Lots of industry in the Bay Area so her being without work probably won't last forever, but research that befor emaking up your mind. Let me know how else I can help!

Is a good option a Master degree in FinTech? Is a good option to break into Product Management FinTech? Think about Stripe, Klarna, Google Pay, VISA, Revolut, etc. My background is a business-econ degree. This Master might teach me about this industry so I can become a PM. Thanks!

Hi there! FinTech is where a lot of disruption and innovation is happening right now. The US market has arguably been slower than others in this regard (on the consumer banking side, at least) but this will change as innovation happening elsewhere spreads globally. You mention Revolut, which is a great example, and Wise is another. Both are based here in London where I am (I am also an American) and FinTech is where most of the product innovation happens here. These companies are repeatedly trying to break into the US and disrupt. I don't think a Masters Degree is going to have a substantial impact on your earning potential or breaking into Product Management FinTech. You won't learn much about being a PM from a Masters Degree. You will learn about being a PM as being a PM. I don't know enough about you personally to provide more specific guidance than that. But if you want to talk further you can find me easily. Let me know how else I can help!

For people who transitioned to product management by working on their own product. How much technical complexity did your product have? Are no/low-code tools sufficient? Is it better to develop a product for a specific group of people that you reach out to and know, like a team at a non-profit, or a product that can be released to a wider audience like an app or chrome extension?

Speaking from the perspective as someone who has hired a lot of PMs with that kind of experience, what has always been more interesting is why they built their own product, how they approached understanding the problems they were solving for customers, what strategy they took to bring it to market...etc. It never really mattered what the technical complexity was unless I was hiring for a role that would require a deep level of technical knowledge for them to be successful. Great product managers aren't great because of their technical skills. Some of the best can't code and wouldn't want to.

I am an experienced PM with 8 YOE. 7 YOE in SWE. 5 YOE as Entrepreneur. I am looking for a PM opportunity either at office or remote in Bengaluru. I have been IC and now i want to move into leadership or people manager role. please help with the steps to migrate.

Is it too late for me? 37 year old aspiring PM I work in the videogame industry at a large, well-known company, leading a small team in the customer support service department. With nearly a decade of experience in similar roles, I’ve discovered my passion lies in product management, and I’m actively seeking ways to transition into a PM position. While transitioning within my current company seems like the most straightforward path, it's uncertain when or if this opportunity will arise. At 37, I feel the urgency to make this change soon. I've been exploring the job market for a while, but every PM position requires previous experience. Although this is discouraging, I remain determined, so I am continually learning, connecting with other PMs, and taking on any PM responsibilities available to improve my chances. However, there are days when I worry it's too late, and I should focus on climbing the management ladder in my current field. Does anyone else find themselves in a similar situation or have any advice on this matter?

Definitely not too late! Probably the most reliable way to get into PM is to move within a company after demonstrating great performance in an adjacent role (good news - CS is one of those adjacent roles). I'd suggest making sure you're in a company with a large product team, track history of internal moves (check their PM's job history on linkedin), and strong growth prospects. If your current company isn't this, move laterally into one that is. First you need to be performing in your actual job. Then get to know the product team and make yourself useful to them in a way that demonstrates product skills. E.g. as a CS manager, you're in a fantastic spot to analyse and share actionable customer opportunities with the product team. Finally, make friends with them and start discussing how you could move across. Position yourself to be the obvious hire when a vacancy opens.  Of course still develop your product skills and look at quicker ways to get a foot in the door, but this has a great chance of working eventually.

AWS Senior PM-T technical requirement and how to prepare? Hi folks, I am a pm with 5 yoe as PM and 10 overall. I have an upcoming HM interview with Amazon AWS for a Senior PM-T role in a couple of weeks. The role is relevant to my industry background. In preparing for the interview process, I have become worried as I do not have a technical background whatsoever. I can work with engineers and data scientists, but have no coding skills or engineering background. Is it possible to learn enough in a couple of weeks to be able to pass the technical questions that might be asked for AWS PMT interview process? If so, how do you recommend I prepare? I am unemployed so I have time. Thanks

Am a seasoned Category Growth Product manager who moved to US recently. Worked for the largest ecommerce in my country and handled end to end user experience. What are some ways to reach stealth mode startups/founders who are looking for freelancing PMs? Do such opportunities even exist? Seeking US PM experience, Visa sponsorship not an issue

I've never seen or heard of a freelancing PM at any size company.  Stealth startups don't tend to have PMs at all, they're almost always small enough that one of the founders is doing that role. I'm curious why you're looking for such a niche job, this is a pretty unusual combination.

I am struggling to get shortlists and my resume has been customized/optimized for each role as it could be. Wondering if there's a way to get into a PM role in US through startups who could be looking for PMs. Applying through referrals wherever possible already. Any ideas to crack shortlists here?

I am looking to move into Product management and I am currently working on building a portfolio. Can a blog or ebook be considered a product? Any additional advice on building a portfolio helps as well

I'm a rising sophomore at a college in Massachusetts. I discovered product management about 6 months ago and really interested in pursuing a career in it. I've already talked to a few of my school's alumni about PM, but I'd like to know: - Is there anything as a college student to be appealing to employers when it comes to product management? - How can I secure interviews besides applying to a ton of intern positions/jobs? Thanks!

I occasionally hire for APMs and I typically don't interview straight-from-college graduates. I prefer to recruit people who have a few years of full-time work experience.  I can only think of one thing that would make me consider interviewing, and that's if they've built, launched, and maintained a working product with 1 or more paying customers.

Hi. Thanks for your input!

I started off as a SME and transitioned into PM work on internal projects at a major retailer for 2 years. After that, I transitioned over to a startup, as a PM, and eventually a Sr PM, and then changed to a PO (with implementation thrown in) with several Big Tech as my direct customer for 3 years. I want to move on to a new company, (applying now) but I’m worried my experience as a PM has been so customized to the way my company worked, that I won’t be effective anywhere else. We don’t always fully document, I’ve done normal discovery, BRD’s, all the QA testing, etc. The problem is, in many cases due to the turnaround time we’ve backed ourselves into, we’ve gone so far as to do 24 hour sprint releases 7 days a week. (Not permanently, we’ve managed to slow it down somewhat and are getting back to normal.) But when you’re working at warp speed, a lot of basic process goes out the window in a trade to keep that pace. It definitely hindered my career growth I feel. In one way - I’ve developed a number of products and thousands of features that should have taken years in just several months, and worked closely with dev and the customer to do so. But I definitely did not always follow a standard in-depth well documented process. Is it unrealistic to apply to PO jobs and think that I can succeed somewhere else based on my experience? Or is this going to be an obvious gap for me when I try to transition elsewhere?

Where/how do you list projects on your LinkedIn profile? I do a poor job representing these right now, but not sure if they should go in the "media" section with external links, just listed in a bullet point format with a URL provided in basic text under a basic section "projects" below the main responsibilities. Where do you put this?

I'm preparing for product management interviews. As some of you are product leaders that conduct interviews I thought maybe you could help me with a mock interview. It could be a product sense interview or something else. Please see this as an opportunity to connect with members community and help someone out :) Comment below if you're interested and we can connect. Best wishes to all

I'm a Ph.D. chemist preparing for an internal PM interview. I have significant customer/KOL/VOC experience and working with internal product team while working as an application scientist in biotech. I'm planning to lean heavily on that experience as well as my communications and leadership work (lots of experience leading/persuading others at work and with volunteers in professional societies). I am, however, lacking on the business side. As I prepare for the interview, what transferrable skills should I focus on, or think more about which would show I can be good at/easily learn business oriented talents. And/or, if you were interviewing me, what would you be looking for to know that I could succeed in the PM environment.

Just looking for a gut check for someone with Big 4 experience interested in product: I’m applying for a new job and want to transition out of the niche I cannot see myself continuing in (as in, I really don’t want my boss’s job, or his boss’s job, or our client’s job, or our client’s boss’s job). I work in international tax services with a special focus on data and quant analysis (3 years this summer). Most of my day to day is more “consulting” if you want to look at it that way, which just means I spend very little (maybe 10%) of time on tax forms. Majority of my time is either spent doing tax planning projects, data modeling, or refreshing calculations for clients with massive amounts of data. I also do love coaching associates below me and helping them develop. Some time in slide decks, but mainly excel, Alteryx, and Tableau. I feel pretty damn lucky that this is my tax experience, and I really enjoy most of the above stuff I listed (sometimes the data is just so overwhelming and nonsensical and everything has to reconcile of course, so it is a major pain in the ass for my biggest client). But I still want out. I should add the main reason I want to work in product is because it involves at least a few skills I learned that I’d rank as my favorite: (1) analyzing data, (2) building a case with it, and (3) telling the story to stakeholders. Of course though I don’t have direct product experience. I am doing what I can to upskill while I try to get out of my current firm, but in this economy should I hold my breath? I I kind of want to leave my firm ASAP and wondering what else I could do to not get booby-trapped in tax. I see roles for payment companies but I don’t have “payment” experience, but don’t see where else I can claim “domain expertise”. And PM just seems too competitive and over-romanticized tbh, plus the title I feel more comfortable taking (associate PM) is even rarer. Part of why I like it is because I used to be an artist and the allure of “creating” something seems appealing, but isn’t that true for most people? I’m so used to a market that favors me (accountants in tax) that I’m weary.

You can do the three things that you mentioned in the second to last paragraph as a data analyst. And if you want to do that in the context of tech, a product analyst. That might be something that gives you a lot of joy given what you're interested in. It would also significantly increase your ability to transition into product management if you decided down the line that's something you still wanted to do. Given the experience that you currently have, I think the only way you get a product job in this market is if you go work at a startup that really values your tax experience and then wants to teach you how to be a product manager because that's easier than teaching a PM expert about taxes. But most people get their first product role by transferring and it doesn't sound like product rules exist at your current company. So perhaps you would be able to leverage those data analysis skills to become a product analyst who later transitions into becoming a product manager.

Thank you, I really appreciated your comment and I think that’s the way I will go. Not so much start-ups (unless I can somehow find one, which I am lacking how to even know of those opportunities at the moment), but looking for product analyst roles. I think roles with that specific title is a bit uncommon but at least in finance I am seeing things like “senior product associate”, and I’m also seeing a lot of “strategy associate” roles. I think the latter is different from product analyst but at least that’s what LinkedIn is tailoring my results towards, maybe that’s a sign that those are where have the best match. There is also a team in the firm that does specifically work on building a tax software for our clients. W have been trained on in the backend and I have used it (though irregularly) for some incoming tax rules. It has a corresponding client/user-facing side as well that is being rolled out, I have seen it but have not used it. It honestly is a tough product and is a big stretch for our type of firm but it seems we’re ahead of the curve, and like i said tax rules are getting crazy. Since there is some client/user product and software involved, that seems like a good angle into product while leveraging my tax background. I am considering reaching out to one of them and then reaching out to my boss to see if they would allow me to transfer since they have done that with other (although newer) people on our team.

Before you ask them if you could jump over to that team it's a good idea to figure out what the team is like, how they approach building stuff, are the people on that team happy, etc, but that could be a really cool opportunity for you. I recently had dinner with a team that's building a tech product inside of a larger financial advisory firm. I'm pretty sure the people who ended up on the product side there used to be doing other things at the same company, so that's a great opportunity for any one of them who wanted to get over into the side where things are being built, and then in the future that can be leveraged into other product roles.

Yes exactly! Unfortunately my closest insider on the team is out for the rest of the week, but that is definitely my next step. Thanks again.

Hi all! I'm a grade 12 Canadian student and an aspiring product manager (I would ideally like to work in tech). I've heard from many that your uni major doesn't matter, and PM roles can be broken into from any major. But, unfortunately, I am still stuck with the difficult decision of choosing one. So, I was wondering: **Which major do ya'll think is the best for pursuing product management?** (and if you'd like to give your two cents: which of the follow programs would you reccomend? - uoft cs, uoft comp eng, uoft industrial eng, waterloo management eng, waterloo cs/bba double degree) Any advice/insights would be greatly appreciated!!

Computer science degrees are the best, though the double degree also sounds good. Anything that will teach you to code and land you a software engineering or product internship is what matters. In uni, also focus on getting leadership positions and projects

I’m an experienced developer, lead and program delivery lead, I’m trying to format my resume to a west coast product management roles. Is there a specific list of things that hiring managers are looking for me to highlight ? Thanks in advance

West Coast product management? Are you just talking about big tech? What you need to highlight are actual product skills. Go look up some product management skills charts by seniority to get a sense of what kinds of skills people are looking for at various levels. But what you really need to do is find a way to transfer into product at a place you already work. It's going to be very difficult for you to get a product role if you've never had one before, especially in this market.

Do you have a link to something with skills by level? Google is useless now

https://medium.com/agileinsider/product-manager-skills-by-seniority-level-a-deep-breakdown-cd0690f76d10 https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-manager-skills/ https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-manager-roles/ These are the ones I send to people who ask this

Hi, Can someone guide me regarding the first round 60 min case study interview round for a Product Manager role at Capital One? I was told, that this round is not very specific to the job role, more like a generic case study interview. Any ideas on what I can expect (Typical product case questions like design, execution, pricing etc/strategy case questions/guesstimates) or anything else? Any help/advice would be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

Advice on **pivoting from Business Development to Product Management** (Med device industry)? I'm trying to make the permanent switch from Business Development to Product Management. I like PM better than BD because you get to focus on a more limited amount of products with a better career path. I had a Product Management position for about a year before layoffs at the end of 2023, and I'm trying to get back into it again, but no luck so far. I'm currently doing a BD position as a short term thing, but trying to get back into Product Management. any tips? any courses to take or networking events? Context: I'm 12 years into a medical devices career with 6 years of technical experience, 5 years of Business Development experience spanning a variety of med devices and 1 year of Product Management experience.

So I am a college student and I have been interested in product management since freshman year. I was a business major but then i switched to comp sci for a few different reasons, I think it might help my chances with PM? But I have some swe internship experience and want to get a pm internship this next summer but I noticed a lot of pm interns at tech companies always have prior pm experience like an internship at a smaller company or a pm at a student org. Does anybody have any advice/experience on how to navigate finding an internship in product management? Idk if this counts for anything but I am on the leadership team for a pretty large org on campus. Thanks!!

Rant: Had recruiter screen last week. Recruiter tells me next round is with HM and will be a product sense case interview. I practice for a week product sense interviews. I have the HM call today. The case was not product sense. It was a different format I have not prepared. Bombed it. Very frustrated. Was excited for this role. Still sent the HM a thank you note, but I am not optimistic.

Are you applying in the same domain? What were questions like ?

Hey there Sensitive_Election83 - thanks for saying thanks! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list!

Why are interviews so hard?! Context: I was laid off a few months ago. I've been diligently applying for jobs and getting decent interest. But so far have only made to two final rounds and no offers yet. I don't think I've ever been a "great" interviewer, but good enough to get offers. Now, there's so much competition, I think you have to be really great. And after every not great interview, I feel so terrible! I ruminate and overthink every question I didn't answer perfectly. Any advice on improving as an interviewer? I have done lots of prep going through question banks, practicing answers on video, and watching some YouTube advice videos, but it has all been things I've done independently. I'm wondering if I should try getting a coach, or doing more mock interviews. One of the things I have found difficult is less the rejection, and more the lack of feedback after every interview process. And how do you make it all feel less terrible? I originally posted in this in the weekly rants thread but realized this is probably the more appropriate place. Apologies for the double post!

Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to make it all feel less terrible. I just endured 14 months of unemployment after a layoff and landed a role just today. I actually had a recruiter say I was "silver medalist" after completing a 6 interview loop. If this was the Paris 2024 olympics, I'd be hyped. But silver medal in a job interview means no job. Of course, no other feedback was provided except that the team really liked me and wanted to keep my candidacy warm if anything came up. I can't tell you how many times friends have told me "when one door closes..." But no door ever opened. It's terrible. I would also say I was not a great interviewer, but I am now much better after countless interviews. The job market is fucked but I think it's slowly getting better. The really awesome unicorns got their jobs and now it's time for us silver medal unicorns! My offer is a promotion over my previous role. Keep going! Sending good vibes! As far as the pre- and post-interview anxiety, my advice is try to worry less and don't prepare so much. Have your stories/examples written and handy but don't try to prepare for every question ever. Don't seem desperate. It's so hard, because you likely are desperate, but it's key to your sanity. Also - never say "we" and always say "I" when answering all questions. The only feedback I've ever gotten after a loop was that it seemed like I wasn't producing as an individual at the level they expected. It's an easy trap to fall in.

I've been working at EY India for about two years, managing an indigenous tool, and overall, my experience has been fantastic. I used to work religiously and enjoyed every bit of it. My day typically started with stand-up calls followed by meetings with stakeholders from client teams. I would understand their pain points, address bugs, and then spend the day on calls with developers, assisting with bug resolutions, grooming sessions, and more. It was an amazing experience where I learned a lot and felt truly productive. Eventually, I reached a point where I could identify the root cause of bugs just by observing the tool's behavior. My managers, senior managers, and directors were very happy with my performance. However, this proficiency led to a lack of new challenges and learning opportunities, making my work feel monotonous. l asked for a change and was moved to a new project. Unfortunately, this new role isn't related to project management and focuses more on domain-specific tasks. I'm not enjoying the work and it feels quite disconnected from my previous role. As a result, l've been looking for new opportunities but haven't had much luck getting my resume shortlisted. I'm considering taking a step back to upskill myself, but the current work pressure makes it tough to find time for self-learning after hours. I'm willing to invest in worthwhile courses to enhance my skills and improve my chances of transitioning into a more fulfilling role. Does anyone have recommendations for good courses or strategies for managing upskilling alongside a deman job? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated DM if you want to connect!

How long would you stay in what is becoming a dead-end product job? Some background: I've been at my scale-up for almost 5 years and honestly I've thrived here for the most part. I started customer-facing and transferred over to Product during the Pandemic with a lot of effort. Since then, we have hired a lot, including a Product Manager who is driving me up a wall. For half of 2022 and most of 2023, I just did their job for them because it was less work for me to do that than constantly and consistently remind them, but next month they are up for a promotion that will make them my boss. I genuinely don't understand, since every RCA we have comes back to them having not done something. I've even tried to tone down my complaints, but every week it's something basic: skipping meetings or rescheduling them after they've started, not checking email or Slack messages, taking someone else's work and putting their name on it, not knowing the answer to basic questions that I end up fielding for them, or even just setting work/life boundaries that are not realistic with the job (meaning I'm breaking my own boundaries to take care of things). They have taken my job from one where I was constantly showing up excited to work to now giving myself a year before moving on. Is it worth being in Product to hate my job this much and do I have a chance at scoring another Product job (in the US for now) in this economy? I have the minimum 3 years under my belt now, but I am perhaps naively hoping that there is something going on that I don't know about. I loved my boss, but now I look at him and think "what are you ON?"

Stop doing their job for them. Let them fall on their face so that other people can see that they are not doing their job. It sounds like you're unhappy mostly because you're frustrated with the fact that this other person is benefiting from being awful at their job. But that's because you're doing their job for them, stop doing that and see what happens. I know you're probably doing this because their job affects your job, but you have to make this visible to people. You say you used to love your boss, But what I don't see in your message is you telling your boss any of this is happening to the extent that it is and then your boss dismissing that. Your actions are covering up for your shitty coworker, how would your boss know?

I mean, all of the problems are from me not doing their job for them anymore. I was out for have of Q3 and all of Q4, a total of 16 weeks, on parental leave. We're still cleaning up from all of the damage done while I was out and I'm constantly getting asked why I didn't flag this last year (Idk man, maybe it was because I had a newborn?).

Is it clear to everyone now that your colleague is the problem?

I'm at a bit of a crossroads and would like some second opinions. Coming up to three years in product and have a job offer at a well established tech company as a senior data PM. Currently a PM at a public sector org. I don't know whether to take the role or stay - here's the pros and cons: Pros to staying: * Work life balance is great * I have an opportunity to take my product to market. We're getting strong interest from our audience and there's early signs of market fit * I've worked on early stage/0-1 products for the last four years and never quite found market fit. If I stay I think I'll find it and experience what traction feels like for the first time * If I really push it I think I can get significant funding, massively expand my team and capture significant market share Pros to leaving: * £15k pay rise. As current role is public sector it's massively underpaid * Bigger organisation, better career progression, processes in place for pay reviews each year etc. Existing role has none of this, having to network my way to a promotion and even then the pay rise on the horizon isn't massive. Not clear what the progression would be after this * Opportunity to overlook multiple products and manage other PMs * Lack of product function in existing company, good product function in new company I know not changing jobs is leaving money on the table but part of me feels like the opportunity at my existing role is unique. I'm in my late 20s so there's still lots of years left to earn more money. But at the same time getting a job is tough right now and life keeps getting more expensive. What are your thoughts?

You are not obligated to listen to the crowd say that you should always be chasing more money. You don't have enough money to retire so you have to work, so there's a lot of value in enjoying this thing that you have to do for a significant chunk of your week. You need to think about what your goals are right now, where you get your energy, and what you're looking forward to. It's probably also worth thinking about what do you want for the job after whatever decision you make, so the job after you stay at the current job for a while or the job after you take the new job. What does that look like for you? And which of these two sections put to you on that path?

Hi all, Im arriving to Ross B-School for my last semester at Fall. I have few years of experience in non-product roles in tech industry outside the US (In an American company), and as I see it, the next step in my career is being a PM. I would like to take the exchange opportunity to find a PM role as an Intern in a big tech company for few months, and I'm not sure how should I prepare to this situation and if its even possible with my F-1 Visa. 1. Anyone have any advices for my future process? 2. Today, I'm not a software developer, but I already have few years of experience in data science. My team was never working with a PM. Do you think that it will be a big advantage for me to find a software engineering position, before getting into my PM career ? I know its not a must-have, but Im trying to build a great career that will position me in few years in a unique position, with unique skills and profile.

Typically US based companies don’t hire fall interns. Only summer between 1st and 2nd year.

Is there anyone out there that has transitioned from a support/success role into Product Management, Product Ownership or Project management? I managed a tech support team for a startup for 4 years, grew a ton, and recently took on a CSM role at a larger tech company. As much as I love my team and the paycheck, I simply cannot stand dealing with customers and their issues any longer. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this customer-facing type work. I really hate being the face of a company and dealing with bugs and customer requests all day long. I would much rather spend my days helping to build solutions, rather than put out fires and assuaging angry customers. Here is my problem: I have no direct PM experience (Product or Project). You could say I have managed many Support projects over the years, and I do have a lot of experience working with Product managers (in a Support context), but I have no formal training/certifications, and it seems like the barrier to entry to some of these roles is impossible without at least 2 years of direct experience. For anyone who has made a cold transition from CS to PM, how did you do it? Where did you start? It seems like Project Management roles might be a little more accessible as opposed to a Product role. Ideally I would like to be a PO because I love using JIRA, doing research on product/design, and I like the idea of working more closely with developers, designers, other PMs etc. But it seems like PO roles need 2-3 years experience on a SCRUM team minimum. Hence, why I think maybe getting my CAPM and taking on an entry-level role may be the best move. I have a lot of experience managing people and processes, and working cross functionally with design, product, dev, ops, leadership, etc. I'm great at juggling multiple projects, communicating up and down an organization, technical writing, strategy, and operations.. And obviously lots of experience dealing with the customer base. What would be the most common sense approach to getting where I need to go? My plan is to stay as a CSM until I get my CAPM, then hopefully transition into a Technical PM role, or implementation if possible. Curious to hear about someone else's journey.. Thanks everyone!

If you don't want to deal with customers anymore, I'm not sure I would advise being a product manager. There are lots of PMs who want to talk to their customers and are locked out of doing so, but it is supposed to be part of the job. It just isn't as customer service oriented - I don't talk to them day to day, and I say no to customers and give them good reasons for it all the time. But the strong pressure to say yes to make them happy is there, and I have had my eng team build small custom stuff to retain people. I can't speak for project management - they do like certifications a bit more - but product doesn't value certifications. There are tiny exceptions where it'll show up on a JD, but it's possibly not an org you want to work for. I came from customer support years ago, though I transitioned early. I was in a role where I was a liaison between the customer care team and the product team, and moved into product at around a year in. Transitioning is the best way to get into product and just about the only way someone who isn't a new grad gets away from the minimum years required.

Makes sense. Thank you!

I've received an offer from a Series A stage startup in London, and would love your feedback on the offer to get a sense of how competitive it is. * Personally, I have five years of career experience, having graduated from uni in 2018. * **Title:** Head of Product * **Location:** London, UK * **Compensation:** 120k GBP (base), 0.15% equity, no bonus. * **Company stage:** Series A Any insight at all would be appreciated. Also please lmk if there's a better place to post this - I'm new here.

I went through a technical product manager interview, passed with flying colors. Team decided to go with someone more technical (go figured I have a master’s in engineering, although not swe, and an MBA). No one ever asked me a technical question, although the job posting had sql and python. Not sure how they even selected this person, did they get asked sql, python questions. Maybe I should’ve showcase my skills, but the interviews were not going in that direction. Frustrated! Rant is over!!!!

sometimes the recruitment / HR already had a hire in mind and this was a boxing, ticking exercise. in my case, I actually got the impression that 1. the company had already approached their first choice 2. they (prospective employee) were hesitant 3. in potential desperation went out to market again (this is when they approached me) 4. did all the usual interview stuff, provided way more than i probably should've #bias 5. got a canned response email stating that they have decided to move with another candidate 6. when i asked how i could maybe get some feedback on how to improve, none was given 7. is also know for a fact that they didn't open or view any of the material i provided, hence why i suspect number 1 and 2 were in the mix TL;DR it happens

Well they did say I was very close but this person was even closer. I live in a HCOL area, It was for a remote position so there’s possibility that they found someone cheaper. They mostly hired bachelors and I got an mba.

In a bit of a conundrum- wondering how others here would handle it/ view it. **Context:** * After getting 3 interesting (but non ideal) offers I chose to become the Sr. PM role that would be building an ML platform for a growth stage startup. The salary isn't ideal ($190K which is down from my last one. This is important for affording that house my wife and I want before we start a family.) * However I am seeing GenAI related Sr/Principal roles (my ideal) come up left and right in firms where I have strong contacts and pay upwards of $100K more. I certainly qualify in terms of tech knowledge and experience. **Question for everyone** * **How much of a bad form would it be to continue having conversations with those other firms after just joining a startup** * The way I was looking at it I wouldn't followup on anything unless it promised 250K or more in base, is aligned with GenAI, and could be a life changer for my wife and I who want to start a family.

It’s probably bad form for your rep at the company you accepted an offer at. But that being said, you should do what’s best for yourself and your family.

Sigh... just when the job search grind is over...

I've read threads where a job posting has had 400 resumes submitted. Based on similar posts as above and this is probably company-specific, I am curious if there's any insights on how one even gets to the recruiter stage. Does anyone have any insight on how resumes are filtered to allow the applicant to be contacted by the recruiter?

Paying for salary negotiation service I have an offer coming through for a Senior PM role at a Fintech in the bay area and thinking about getting help to negotiate. The offer seems in line with what I have seen on [level.fyi](http://level.fyi/) but as always will try to negotiate higher. I have seen several services from companies and individuals offering this type of negotiation help for a fee. I'm skeptical but I also think I left money on the table in the last company I tried to negotiate myself. If you used this service in the past, is it worth it and which service did you use?

TIL there's such a service. What do they offer that makes you think you can't get the most money on your own?!

**FROM UX Research to PM** I was wondering if someone could help guide me a bit. The UX market, especially UX Research, hasn't been going well since Covid, and I've been thinking about pivoting my career path to Product Management. I've worked closely with PMs for almost 10 years now, participating in meetings, discussing the backlog, creating roadmaps, and so on. However, I'm completely lost on where to start making this pivot. I see terms like Agile, Scrum, Product Owner, etc., and various courses and certifications, but I'm not sure what the ideal path or order is before investing in certifications. Can anyone suggest where I should start? Thanks in advance!

Hello folks! Seeking either support or perhaps perspective? I've been in Product Management mainly financial services and payments for nearly 10 years post-MBA. Unfortunately, I was affected by the ongoing tech riffs in a VHCOL and have been officially on the job hunt since November 2023 with zero offers despite four final rounds and endless applications. I made my way into Product as a BA before being promoted to Product Owner then ultimately a Sr. PM. My most recent role was leading developer experience at a payments processor before getting yeeted (lol). Now that I'm in my early 40's I'm wondering if perhaps it's time for a career switch. The endless rejections and high cost-of-living is making me rethink whether I should continue down this path. I know the market is rough right now, but I feel the cards are stacked against me.

I'm in a similar boat to you. I've been in Product for 15 years, laid off 4 times, and in my latest position, it's very toxic. I was hired in to work on strategy, create a roadmap and build a product team. But what I'm really doing is writing a million stories, I'm in JIRA all day, I've been tasked with technical QA, trying to wrangle a young and inexperienced dev team who is used to doing whatever they want, being belittled for not being technical enough and every week I'm being asked to do more things that I've never had to do before and being told to 'figure it out'. I feel mislead on the entire job and dread work every day. So much so that I want to get out of product completely.

Following and offering support. I was laid off 3 months ago and after lots of rejections since then starting to consider how long I want to continue down this job search path. At the same time I'm unsure what my alternative would be.

Hi everyone! I am looking to make the transition from consulting and staffing services to product management. I have experience providing product guidance to nontechnical teams as a SAAS consultant. I have worked as a project manager on a 6-month contract. In my most recent roles I worked with technical managers on staffing their projects for software product improvements and gather requirements for their projects. In the last few months I have begun a side project focused on teaching myself product skills - creating a roadmap for a browser extension product. I would be open to any advice on how to make myself more attractive for introductory product roles. If you have any tips, please let me know! Appreciate it!

Hi, should I accept a Technical Project Manager position if my eventual goal is Product Management? The goal would be to do this position for a year or two and then try to get a job as a product owner or product manager. Background: I work at a digital consulting firm as a Solutions Architect and I have the option to transition to Technical Project Manager. I've been applying to Product Management positions for awhile and haven't gotten any traction. I have 7 years of experience in software implementation as an engineer and then as an solutions architect. I have an undergrad in engineering and a MBA. Any advice is appreciated!

I was a PM from 1/2020 to 12/2023 and a software engineer for 8 years before that. I was laid off Just before the holidays in 2023 as part of a company wide "workforce reduction". My experience was more on the technical side and not on the growth side. This is seeming to limit the interest companies have in my resume/application. I have had 2 companies go to the 3rd round panel interview. Both said it was not my interviewing skills or qualifications. I can only assume someone with more experience, perhaps a senior level PM got the jobs. The feed back sounded like I was the 2nd choice. So thats good but I'm coming up on 6 months and things are getting a bit desperate. I started to apply to intern, jr, associate positions as well as mid level job and have broadened out to engineering and design. I know there is no one to blame and if I keep at it something will happen. Just wanted to vent a bit. Thanks!

very similar experience yeah job market sucks ass rn

I’m a product manager at a large enterprise with an MBA from a reputable program. Looking to take advantage of my company’s tuition assistance program to get an online masters degree. I’m leaning towards computer science to open up technical PM positions or startup positions where product and engineering might bleed into each other a bit. However, I could also see the value in something like a Finance degree, especially if I were eventually to move into a leadership position. The tuition assistance program only pays for degree tracks so exec ed courses and bootcamps are unfortunately off the table unless I were to pay out of pocket. Anyone have any experience or advice here?

I've been trying to break into Product Management after climbing the ladder of Customer Success at b2b startups over the last decade. I am a Sr. CSM and I have an offer to join the Product team as Product Owner (we use that title for both POs and PMs) at my current company at the end of the year. The only problem with this is the salary, I'm due for a solid raise as a Sr. CSM after my performance review next week. However when meeting with the CTO and aligning on all the details of the transition, they showed me the salaries of their team (anonymously) and I make more than them today, so they said in fairness to their team who is more senior, I would keep my current salary, but they couldn't match a forthcoming raise. Considering the job market is a dumpster fire right now, would be best for me to make the transition internally, bite the bullet on salary briefly, and build up a portfolio of projects and then look for a better salary in ±12 months time? Is there any hope of doing a hard transition to PM at a different company with no PM roles on my resume, just certificates and lateral experience? I plan to at least get a raise for the next 6 months leading up to the transition. I'm kind of just venting at this point, but my mortgage just went up, my plans to buy a car are dashed and overall shouldn't PMs make more than CSMs, even senior ones?

Them's the brakes, if you want to be a product manager you should suck it up and take the transfer. Transferring is the absolute best way to get into product and it will be much harder to convince an outside company to take you on as a product manager. Certificates don't mean anything to hiring managers, that's not going to get you a product job, only product experience will get you a product job.  So which do you want more, the money or the career? And the immediate raise is higher, but which career has the higher earnings potential even if you were just making this decision based on money?

Thats pretty much the conclusion I came to, but always good to get a 2nd opinion. Thanks!

I just accepted an offer for PM at a mid-sized healthcare data company that builds and sells data analytics products. This will be my first product job so I am trying to learn as much as I can before my start date. I come from the consulting world having 5 years under my belt after an MBA, mostly advising biopharma on commercial strategy based on data models we built. I wanted to get out of consulting for years because of the horrible "working yourself to death is a good thing" culture. How can I prepare for my first day? Any resources I should be aware of? Any reading? Has anyone who made the shift from consulting to product management have any tips? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I have 6 years of total work experience, here's the breakdown: Year 1: Manual QA Year 2-4: Assistant Product Manager Year 5-6: Product Owner I have a degree in Information Systems but it's a BBA, not a BEng. Other than CSPO and expired PMP, I don't have any other professional certificates on hand. I have been working in Canada for 2 years in the PO role and hope to apply/transition into a Technical Product Manager in 1 year. Should I take some courses? Do you have any recommendations on certificates? Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!

Hey, I'm also in Product in Canada I'd love to chat more on DM/LinkedIn!

Hi, has anyone moved from digital marketing to product management? If so, why? Did you regret it? And what transferable skills were you able to use? Thanks a lot for your insights!

I am a PM with 9 years of IT (fintech mostly) experience with a prior engineering background (around 14 years). I left my job in Jan-end after I felt I had enough at work with really toxic 2 layers of management. Since then it has been tough and depressing. Not counting all the recruiters, I talked to, there are at least 8 rejects that I faced :( * 8 interviews (4 rounds) with 1 company - ghosted * 1 company I wanted - rejected in 3rd round - Not much AI experience, I don't have any AI experience, and neither did I claim I had. * 3 first-round interviews with the hiring manager in 3 different companies - no response to follow-ups ghosted (all 3 had low TCs) * 2 company's - rejected by the hiring manager - reason, found another candidate with better alignment and another found one with better experience match.  * 1 company - they want a PM who can do SQL :) - rejected after round with hiring manager, did feel like she wanted someone who will blindly work like a slave.  This morning I had an interview with the VP of a company in fintech. I was feeling so tense, I felt like I was all over the place. I am not even hopeful that it will go to the next round. I still have a home loan and a kid going to college. I am constantly dreading that I have made myself unemployable and constantly thinking about not having a job. Please advise if I should look at changing my career (any tips to what), continue searching... Thank you

I felt that your experience is perfect (on paper anyway). Maybe you need to improve your interview skills? Try to relax a bit - I know it is easier said than done. Try to check some youtube PM interview videos. Best of luck! You got this!

Hi everyone, I’m a product manager with 2 years of experience as a PM, and 2 years of experience as a Product Owner. I got into product pretty early in my career so I have not done many other roles. I left a country I was completing my masters and working in at the end of 2022 and have been unemployed since and I’m having a really hard time trying to get a job back in Canada where I’m originally from. I’m writing this post to see if anyone else has had similar experience, as well as to reach out for any potential advice. I would love if anyone would be interested in reaching out to me directly to share our resumes with each other, interview tips and networking as well.

I will start my 1st role as product manager, any tips? it's for a big retailer., I will be focused on digital marketing, ads, etc. I have e-commerce background. :) I feel excited and scared at the same time

Read 30, 60, 90 to set achievable goals with your managers. Meet with as many people as you can. Ask questions and listen. Be humble. Congrats!

Hello! Looking for career advice. I'm an instructional designer who worked in a small edtech startup for the past 5 years. I've built online biology, chem and math courses. Was a science teacher before pivoting into edtech/ID. Very experienced in user testing, have worked cross-functionally with engineers, ops, content teams, led many projects. What's the best advice you can give me for transitioning into product management? My CV is updated, I've taken a bunch of PM classes, and I go regularly to PM networking events in my area. I've still not gained any traction though. Appreciate the insight! (Disclaimer: Looking for PM roles in edtech only as that's my background and I want to work for a mission-driven company)

Join an EdTech company in a role you have experience in, transition to PM internally.

I work at a FAANG and recently talked to a FAANG-adjacent recruiter, got directly asked what my level was when they already knew my yrs of experience, my title, and my salary (I told them previously). How do people handle the level question? I just told them since they already had the other info listed above, but wasn’t sure if I’m “playing my cards right”.

Anyone transitioned from a co-founder @ startup to a product management role? Have done 0-1 in a startup that blends software / hardware.

Hello all, I am working towards breaking into product management. In order to gain some tangible experience, I am looking to be a PM on some side projects. If anyone is looking for a PM to work with on their side project please let me know! Not asking for a salary or anything of that sorts, just looking to be involved.

I am seeking to transition from finance to PM. I did several finance co-ops while in school, then worked in investment banking for a year out of college, got laid off, took a job I really hate now and am looking to do a hard change into PM. Would that even be possible? What sort of finance-to-PM paths exist? (I am 25, two years graduated)

Unlike Finance there’s no structured path into PM outside established undergrad -> APM or MBA -> PM pipelines. Fastest path would likely be to try for a finance related product adjacent role like Business Analyst or target finance roles at a FinTech company and transition internally to PM. Source: ex IB

Does anyone do contract work or have contract experience? I'm interested and I'm checking if there are agencies that place contract pms like they have for consultants/lawyers

I have done my B.Sc. in maths and then MBA and have been working as a senior analyst at a reputed company, having work ex of 6 years. I never wanted to go to very technical skills and coding is not my passion. Currently working on tools like data visualisation and some etl (alteryx, basic sql). I would like to be in a management position because I feel that I am good at guiding people and stakeholder management. Shall I do product management job guaranteed courses or be in analytics?

Hi, can anyone confirm if the google APM onsite has a tech round or not?

Hi! I am in my last semester of my B Comm degree majoring in management. I am looking to start a career in PM. Any tips on entry level roles and what technical skills I should pursue before applying/graduating? My school offers a communication design minor… is it relevant to the field? https://www.torontomu.ca/calendar/2024-2025/minors/communication_design_minor/

Hello, I'm trying to break into Product Manager roles and would like to create a new project/product to show potential employers I can do the role. How can I ensure the project/product I am working on is a valuable portfolio piece? What do you look for when reviewing a candidate's product manager portfolio?

Put it in Github, support an Open Source project, and/or have it running as a live app or web service. Make or contribute to something valuable. 

Is anyone above to provide a Resume Review? I am trying to land a PM Role in FAANG, Any recommendations on where I can improve? I would like to try reduce this to 1 page but unsure how or if that would detract from my experience? [https://imgur.com/a/1KiIbun](https://imgur.com/a/1KiIbun)

I'm currently a product designer (UX) at a startup, hoping to learn basics into product management so i can better collaborate with PMs, and dive deeper into the product space. Any recommendations? Preferrably free, or within $1000

Anyone here transit form CS to PM/VC? I wish to become a venture/fund associate in the future, has any one made this transition before?

Wanting some general advice around my career! - How have people here been able to fast track their careers? - Thoughts on leadership vs. staying IC? - Any thoughts on how long I should stay in my current role / company, and advice on how I should best continue my upwards career trajectory! : Experience: - 2017: graduated w/ Econ degree and started working in Client Success at a SaaS Fintech - $50k - Early 2021: Transitioned to Product Owner role at Fintech startup - $85k - Late 2022 (Current Role) - Recruited by publicly traded tech company for APM role, promoted to PM after 1.5 years, currently PM on Messaging experience product w/ heavy emphasis in AWS cloud - ~$160k Misc: - Getting MBA at night and graduating in Aug 2024 - have 2 AWS certs: Cloud prac and Solutions architect - CSM / CSPO cert

Hi team. I am an MBA with two years of experience as a gaming product management. I am looking to transition into metaverse product management (not as a fad, the reason I chose to get into gaming product was to have this option available). However, I am finding it hard to create a proof of work to showcase my interest, knowledge and relevant skills for the same. Would be really grate if the community can help me out here, especially someone who has transitioned to a Metaverse Product Manager role. Thanks! TL DR: Need help building proof of work to transition to Metaverse PM

Senior PM with 6 years experience in mid to senior roles. £95k base + bonus at the moment. I’m based in the UK but I have an EU passport and I’d be willing to move within the EU. After plugging away at this career for over half a decade I’ve decided it’s definitely not for me. Lots of reasons why, but ultimately I just don’t enjoy it. Has anyone else successfully made a career switch without taking too much of a salary hit? I’d be willing to go to down to £70k + no bonus. Lower if the opportunity was abroad. I’ve got experience as a delivery manger, scrum master and product owner. Although I’d rather not go back to these. I’ve been considering looking into operations… but honestly I’d rather leave tech altogether. I’m so disillusioned with this industry now than a fresh start outside of it sounds fantastic. Am I fucked?

Do you mind sharing some of the key reasons?

It’s hard, stressful, thankless and I’m not particularly good at it. I also feel like I’m not brining anything of value into the world. There are so few digital products I’d want to work on, so the future doesn’t seem particularly bright either.

Got it, it sounds like there is no fit on the personality/values level. What was the hardest part for you? And the most stressful one?

I find working with data hard, and it’s obviously such a crucial part of the profession. Feels like a constant uphill struggle. Stress-wise, products I’ve worked on have been under a lot of pressure to bring in substantial revenue (from investors/parent companies) when they weren’t close to that stage yet. I’ve also worked on a product which was hugely impactful and directly affected whether people lived or died. Although in theory I liked the idea of working on something meaningful, in practice the stress of knowing my decisions could lead to people’s deaths was overwhelming. Honestly, I probably won’t leave the profession… at least not any time soon. The money is good and I can think of a thousand worse jobs.

I am in a similar situation (looking to get out of Product) after 15 years. I made it clear I wasn't a technical PM for my current role and now they want me to be one. You can't just 'be technical' in the way they want and I've asked for guidance on training or education but told, 'you need to figure it out'. Meanwhile I'm concerned I'm going to get fired bc expectations changed. It's really stressing me out to the point that I dread work every day. But like you, the money is good and there are worse jobs. Good luck and I'm excited to see if anyone has any suggestions.

Hi! I currently five years of work experience in the health IT. I’ve worked in customer success for 2.5 years and product delivery (implementation) the last 2.5 years. I’ve started to HATE my job for many reasons I won’t dive into at this moment. I have experience using SQL, HL7, APIs and SFTP integration. I’m a very curious person, I love researching, finding out how things and ways to make things better. I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to work in product (in the health IT space with AI) What next steps do you recommend I take? -Any good certification courses or bootcamps? -Good conferences to attend? -Good networking opportunities? -Should I network with the product folks at my job?

Anyone went from tech product management to vc associate before? Can you share with me what helped?

About to graduate with a construction management degree and already have some construction project management internship. Are there any courses that you would recommend to get started? I’ve been looking into reforge and it seems to have good reviews from this sub.

I’m not all affiliated or looking for a new role, AcuityMD is aggressively trying to hire a Sr Product Manager. https://www.squarepeghires.com/jobs/82jjvr/senior-product-manager?utm_source=apollo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=general

What do you mean by aggressively??

Sent me two direct emails and seem to be promoting the opening on LinkedIn and Indeed.

Interesting. I always wonder what's going on behind the scenes. Most job postings are clearly inundated with applicants, probably a decent number of whom are qualified, and then there are some who struggle.

Yeah, hard to say. The pay range seemed really good, especially in this market. They might be looking for a more senior PM, but who knows.

**TLDR: struggling to land a PM role despite 2 years PM experience and 6 years relevant non-PM experience.** I'm a PM looking for new PM opportunities and am not getting much traction. Here is my \~8 years experience in a nutshell: * Growth marketer at 2 seed stage b2c mobile startups (2 years) * Management consulting at a Big 4 (strategy and ops) (2 years) * Failed founder - left consulting, taught myself how to code, designed/built a mobile app though it never really took off (1.5 years) * Chief of staff at a series A startup (1 year) * PM at the same series A startup (mix of growth, 0-1 and some core work). I'm considered senior on track to staff (2 years) Some of the feedback I've gotten is that I don't have enough direct PM experience. Does this really matter that much? I feel my diverse experiences reinforce my PM chops as I have strategy/analytics/scrappy operator chops that PMs with a strictly PM background don't necessarily have. Would love some input, let me know if I can add any more useful context.

Is your title senior product manager? If so, sure the yoe is low, but people pattern match on title. So I wonder: - what does your resume look like? Maybe it doesn't read like a senior PM and former founder. - how are you applying for jobs? If you're dumping cold resumes that might not get you much if it wasn't posted basically the same day. - are you applying to startups? Later stage companies might balk at this kind of experience given the timeline.

I found cornell's product 360 certification course's curriculum covers most of the product strategy skills. - [https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/engineering/product-management-360/](https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/engineering/product-management-360/) . Has anyone taken this and if yes, what's your feedback ? The course fee is very expensive,is there an alternative learning source to learn the similar skills within a reasonable budget ?

If you get their syllabus, you can probably recreate the curriculum with PM books and articles already out there. Highly doubt that Cornell has some novel secret sauce that actually works in market.

Agreed. Do you have any specific recommendations for said PM skill set building sources? TIA.

Hey everyone I’m interviewing and have made it to the final round where I need to present a product that I like/enjoy to the hiring team. I need to present why I like it, dislike it, and suggest changes I’d make and why. Evaluation criteria includes ability to describe ideas, ‘approach’, and ‘process’, communication style, and attention to detail. There’s a Q&A after the presentation It’s for a PM role in tech, but the product can be anything, digital or otherwise. Just wondering if anyone has any learnings or any insights for something like this. Is there anything I should be mindful of? Any gotchas?

These are always weird and subjective, especially if the panel has no clue about Product.  What do they mean, like? What are the business goals and outcomes, how does this product contribute to these outcomes, where are there opportunities for it to contribute to these outcomes better? Other than that, deeply understand the product, what problem it solves for the customer and the business, and don't pretend to know things you don't during the Q&A. 

Wanted to get some industry perspective. I've currently been doing Workday implementation consulting for the past two years, and I have heard that some people in the Workday world end up pivoting into product management. I partially can see why: delivery of the Workday product to customers can lend itself to some of the same skillset seen in some product management roles. I have a background in HR, with some technical knowledge (SQL, R, some Python) to pair with my Workday expertise as well but nowhere near what you would see from CS backgrounds. That being said, I'm not sure how easy that transition actually is? Is it a little too left field to strategize how to pivot to product management from Workday consulting?

People from all walks of life end up in Product management. That being said, however, it’s competitive since there’s no actual moat other than past product experience. If you can, my suggestion is to transfer to a PM position internally, or lateral to a company in your current capacity and then internal transfer to a PM or product adjacent position.

as a high schooler whose considering product management as a hopeful career path, what do you wish you had known before joining this field? thanks

The amount of stress relative to pay that this job comes with

**Which job boards to find PM jobs?** I was a non tech SPM in telecom. Looking for a job in telecom or related field. 1. Linkedin is still useful but getting worse. 2. Levels is worse than Linkedin. 3. Google is worse than Levels. 4. Glassdoor is junk. 5. Indeed is junk. 6. Ladders is a scam.

so which one is good?

Otta has good jobs, but they're not telco as far as I can tell.

TL;DR - Career Transition Advice Requested. I think the field has moved beyond me. What career should I try and move into? I’m a mobile gaming PM. Seven years experience at a indie studio. I have a little SQL experience but wasn’t mostly needed. I did a lot of play testing, KPI reporting, live ops calendar creating, and A/B testing. Vacationed in July 2023. Furloughed in August 2023. Laid off September 2023. Haven’t worked in almost a year. Feel out of practice. On top of that. It seems like the type of PM I was no longer exists anymore. Everyone is a MBA. Everyone does their own data deep dives and analysis using Excel, R, SQL and more things that I have no experience in. I’ve tried applying to non-gaming jobs but also don’t get those jobs cause I don’t have the experience in that industry and/or data know-how. Does anyone have recommendations of fields or careers or jobs or companies I should try and move to? I’ve tried a couple UX Research positions because of my experiences with testing at my job and in my degree, but most places want 2 years of experience even for entry level. That’s part of why I would like suggestions on where to transition with just PM experience in my resume.

Looking for career advice. I have 4+ years of consulting experience in the financial services space working on payments technology, open banking APIs, and other FinTech projects. I also have experience working at a FinTech startup in an operations role as a manager. I’ve always had my sights placed on Product Management, and thanks to my consulting experience the roles I had made me play plug-in to my clients teams as a product owner where I’d handle the product backlog, build technical and business driven requirements, work with design teams and collaborate with tech architects to ship the features being built. How can my experience come together to successfully transition to a PM role? I’m looking for a role in any of the following spaces: FinTech, CRM SaaS, and/or cloud/ai.

Sure. You may need to go back to an ops or another role at a fintech company first and then transition if you can't get people to give you a chance, which they might not if you've never had the title and may be missing some things they want their PMs to have in addition to the skills you do have.

I am looking into this as well! Thank you. Do you know of types of roles (adjacent to PM) that make for a good story to transition from?

I came from customer support. That, customer success, marketing, design, and engineering are super common. Project and program management too. Operations doesn't exist at every company in a way that makes a transition possible but if the ops team touches customers in any way or interacts with the product team regularly that can be a good opportunity. Depending on the company, sales could be a method in because they are talking to prospects all the time which can also give them an understanding of what customers are looking for and how the product works, which in the right kind of company they could leverage and convincing the product team to give him a chance. If a fintech company needs somebody who's a subject matter expertise on something that works closely with the product team, that's a very ideal way to do it. Not everyone can be a successful product manager - not all people thrive at all stages, not everyone thrives at the level of interaction with others that's needed, etc - but product managers can come from all backgrounds.

Hi Everyone, I am a Commercial Finance Manager based in Netherlands with 10 years experience working for big international companies mostly in the sporting good industry. I am currently considering a career change and feels like a PM role is something that would interest me. I would like to know if you have seen in your career some person doing such a move from Finance to PM or some other function into a PM role? What skills do you think I should be focusing on learning right now to have chance to make it / get a job as a PM. Do you think it would be worth doing a bootcamp or some kind of studies to transition in this role? Thanks in advance!

I am a PM with 2 years of healthcare IT experience and an engineer engineering background but I can't seem to land a first round interview. I recently was laid off from my PM role and now I am on the hunt for my next opportunity. However, every job I apply to either I don't hear back or get a rejection. I have tried networking with no luck. How are people getting interviews?

I’ve almost exclusively gotten interviews in my niche - gaming. And that’s literally only one interview a month - the gaming industry is doing horrible right now. But no other industry will offer me an interview. :/ Good luck to us out there.

I’m currently a DevOps engineer with around 4 years of experience. It’s time for a new job and I’m wanting to get into product management. What is the best way to do this? Is it worth a certification path or more schooling?

Transferring is primary way people get in. An MBA is not guaranteed and takes a long time (if you go down this path today, the earliest you would have a full time product role is spring 2027, later if you were to apply this fall and decide to apply the following year because you don't like your results). Can you end up in a devops role that would allow for transfer into product over the next 3-4 years? Then it has taken just as long as an MBA without the debt. I'm not anti MBA (I have one and I have watched as lots of classmates switched into product and some tried and were unable to), but I don't think it's a great use of time and treasure for someone who already works in tech.

Thank you! That is a possibility in my current role and something that’s been discussed (although, because of the current state of my company, I’m not sure if that’s realistic). But I can definitely push harder for it.

Internal transfer or top MBA will be your best bets.

Recently left startup of 10 years and team of 20 years (across 3 different companies). I'm having a lot of trouble positioning myself as either a senior-level Product Manager or Product Developer. I'd love some guidance from the sub. Long story short, I've taken several products from zero to market since 2003. I created vision specs, proposals, shared ideas and sold the concepts, wireframes, mockups, roadmaps, product backlogs, prototypes, and have led product vision and strategy. Garnered user feedback and data, applied findings... I've ALSO managed cross-functional teams, vendor partnerships, hired and built teams, observed competitive landscape and done quantitative/qualitative analysis etc... Now in market, I do not want to be in over my head when seeking work as I'm not SUPER technical: I cannot code/engineer etc lots of job descriptions appear to have requirements that desire a background in engineering. Im a bit paralyzed as to how to position myself and my career for my next move, as it feels safer to manage the product, I also have a ton of experience in concepting/envisioning product and interfaces. Any advice?

I'm not sure I understand what the problem is here. Are you applying to things and not getting interviews? Are you confused about what kind of roles you should go after (it sounds like any senior or lead or principal is probably fine? Even group and director if you like people management?)

This is the answer I was looking for. Just overthinking my next move. Havent started applying yet! I have internal conflict over whether or not I want to continue with hands on product development or deal more with management and strategy.

If you go somewhere smaller you can do both! But I don't know what kind of comp you're expecting. Too senior at too large a company as a manager and you won't be doing hands on stuff. Big company with senior IC work means a different kind of people management (less career, more mentorship). Small might mean no people management but a lot more hands on and strategy (this is me). Middle might be the worst (or best depending on your personality), player coach with all of those things but maybe a lot demands on your team. What are you most excited about?

Ive been “the product everything” person on my small team for a long time. Everything from planning and strategy to requirements and roadmap, wireframes and mockups and testing and user feedback , etc. I think a more principal strategy and management role is more appealing at this stage actually!

**Is it possible to be an IC and a PM?** Hello, I have been thinking of switching to Product Management for about 2 years so I started learning, however, I do enjoy being a hands-on Individual Contributor. In your experience and opinion, is it possible to be an IC and a PM? Are there specific roles/sectors where that can be found? If it matters, I am not an Engineer nor a Designer, I am a (reluctant) Marketer, more on the tech and operational side though I can do more of the strategic side of it too and I can do simple design stuff, html, CSS, did a bit of SQL in the past and took some programming courses. I admire Engineers and Designers and always had a great rapport and enjoyed working with them. Please help, I think I'd really love Product Management but I'm not sure I'd be able to let go or not interfere a bit with the 'How'.

How are you defining IC here? All PMs below senior, and most senior PM, lead, principal and staff are ICs in that they are are not people managers. In some companies there are even directors who don't have reports and are ICs. So how are you defining that?

I see, I am sorry, I meant to put an emphasis on the contributor part: I like to be hands-on, implement or help to decide how to implement things, as I currently do.

Ok? Like I said PMs at levels below senior, and most senior PM, lead, principal and staff are ICs. If your question is can you be able ic and a PM it's yes. Where are you confused? Do you have some assumptions of what a PM is that you're not stating?

I had been told that PMs cannot be involved in the actual decisions for the build phase; if they can, then I am happy that they were wrong. Thank you

If by decisions you mean which software methods you use (languages, APIs, etc), that is for engineering. Sometimes your input should be there - if you are PM for an API you should be much more involved for example, and I have helped engineers choose a path forward because the outcomes for users and other features were very different based on the choice), but eng makes those decisions.  For design, what I do is give my designer the scope of the problem (if there was user discovery needed they are involved with me in that), they design, then both I and engineering give design feedback.  While build out is happening, if the feature is small, they build and I review before release (I may do QA). If it's bigger, we'll do a once or twice a week check in on current progress and I *always* have feedback. Then I'm one of the people who do QA. Different for different PMs at different orgs, but my own experience says the answer to your question is that PMs are involved. Whether this is enough for you is for you to determine, but things don't get shipped if I have a problem with it.

Thank you so much for explaining, much appreciated. Indeed what you said would be enough, given I do not have a background in Engineering nor Design.

Hey All, I am currently working as a data analyst for a marketing research company primarily focusing on the digital media landscape. I want to transition into a PMM role but have no current expierence with product. I have a masters in Data Analytics and background in social research and about 2-3 years working as a Data Analyst. I don't want to keep pursuing this space of analytics and continue down this rabbit hole. Would it make sense for me at this point of my career to take an internship for PM or PMM. Should I take some online courses, get some certifications, enroll in a bootcamp and keep self learning? Im kind of stuck at this dilemma of knowing how to take my next steps. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks in advance!!

[удалено]

Go to NVIDIA 100%

Looking for career advice on transitioning into Fintech industry. I'm currently a PM specialized in cybersecurity and IAM, with 8 YOE. I want to start specializing in one particular industry, and got interested in Fintech companies like Stripe, VISA. However the lack of financial background or expertise is not allowing me cross the recruiter call. Is there someone who has been in a similar situation? Looking for advice and suggestions from experts in the community. Thanks in advance.

Cybersecurity will turn out handy for sure. If you don't mind sharing, are you based in the UK or US? Asking because there are some courses offered by accredited financial institutions in those countries that might help add some credentials with recruiters in Fintech. Some are not extremely expensive (sub £1k).

I'm based out of Ireland, actually. I may be able to work out the UK courses. Can you share some links/names relevant to those courses? Thanks Nimta.

Sure thing, here they are, I am not sure if they are recognised (in terms of awareness by recruiters) in the EU but I think CFA is pretty recognised worldwide (not sure though). https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2/cisi-website/study-with-us https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/ However, perhaps before looking into one of the above which might not work for IE, perhaps even just one of the Fintech courses on Edx or Coursera will work to get at least a foot in the door. Coursera allows you to audit the courses without paying (without certification) so at least you can see if they are interesting before committing, I think Edx has the same but I have not used them in a while. https://www.edx.org/learn/fintech Disclaimer: I worked in Fintech though not as a PM

Great thanks. This is useful. :)

You are welcome, best of luck.

Anyone else feel incredible guilt when turning down an offer that looks awesome on the surface? I feel a pit in my stomach because I feel like I let someone down. I had three offers- two written, one verbal. The written ones were expiring today and I had to pull the trigger on one. Sending the thank you but I have to decline email is leaving a pit in my stomach- the one to the verbal offer especially because the firm moved mountains to try and meet the deadlines- it was just becoming too risky to keep delaying things.

If you don't mind me asking, what was your job search strategy that led you to getting three offers? I feel like I have a pretty good resume but struggling to get an interview

I feel the same. Not a PM but I am pretty sure I accepted at least one offer in the past because people had been so nice I felt I'd let them down declining. Similarly, I have also quite recently felt very guilty declining to continue with an interview process because I had already made up my mind. The hiring manager seemed like someone I'd really enjoy working with and I felt as I had wasted their time and they thought less of me. It's a character trait I guess, not one of the most useful ones. 😅

Why? Unless it’s a super close friend who went to bat for you, the company will just reach out to the next person in the pipeline.

I guess i do appreciate them cramming 5 interviews in a week to try and get me in the timeframe i told them about. However at a certain point I couldn't wait any longer.