Question: How do I get experience in product management?
I am about to graduate college with a degree in Managerial Economics and am very interested in product management. However, I do not have technical experience. Would you have advice on the best way to gain experience? Many of the product management positions require prior experience.
Answer from Saeed Khan of On Product Management: Ah yes, the perennial question…How do I become a Product Manager? You didn’t indicate which industry you want to work in? In non-technology industries such as Consumer Packaged Goods or Finance, being a Product Manager is primarily a marketing and business function. Typically those kinds of companies (e.g. Proctor & Gamble) look to hire MBAs for such roles. If you want to work in one of those industries, go for your MBA or find another position (e.g. pricing or business analyst) that can move you in the direction of a Product Manager.
Now, if you want to be a Product Manager in a technology company, then it’s a bit different. While I have seen MBAs and business grads as PMs in software companies, that is typically not the norm. There is no well defined path to becoming a PM in a technology company. Technology PMs need domain knowledge, need a good technical background, and need to be able to drive a product through from conception to completion and into the market. It is a multi-disciplinary role, and one that can be both quite frustrating and very rewarding at the same time.
Many PMs I’ve met became PMs in their companies after working for at least a year or two as a Sales Engineer, or as Support Lead, or in Product Marketing, or some other role where they could pick up product, customer, market and technical knowledge.
My own transition to product management came after having spent quite a few years in various roles in software companies including programmer, consultant, trainer and customer support manager. The first company in which I became a product manager was in a market that was very similar to my previous company, and thus I had domain knowledge. Even then, it was a big learning experience to transition into Product Management.
So, the best way to become a Product Manager? Be a Product Manager. 
4 other answers so far ↓
Determined_Tobe_PM // Mar 17, 2008 at 8:04 am
It looks like, without an MBA, that the easiest way to get an opportunity in Product Management is through a technology firm. However, this article would be much more helpful to me if it explained HOW. What kind of skills are they looking for? What kinds of non MBA coursework should I take, because I also do not come from a business background-I have soft marketing skills. I am looking into going back to school and taking a few courses, but at this stage in my career it is not the best strategy. I graduated a year ago and have a good job, but my dream is to go into Product Management/Marketing. Do I need accounting courses and CIS coursework? Or can I learn this on my own? If there are certain courses out there that would be beneficial to take what are they? Say there are two people who both have great work experience both in the marketing field, but don’t have any experience a product manager would have. What will set person A over person B to be the one hired for an entry-level Product Manager opportunity? These are the questions I am seeking. I’m in MarCom and I enjoy it, but I see myself in Product Management or Marketing. How can I leverage the skills I have in MarCom for a Product Management type position? That would have been more helpful not simply: “Be a Product Manager.”
Gopal Shenoy // Mar 18, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Having hired product managers in my career, I have put together some key traits I was looking for in my hiring process - Check it out on my blog at http://productmanagementtips.com/2007/07/26/what-to-look-for-in-a-product-manager/
Derek Britton // Mar 25, 2008 at 11:47 am
You could do a lot worse than get yourself “certified” through a widely recognized and certainly very thorough introductory training course provided by the guys at pragmaticmarketing.com - I think its called Practical Product Managment, or something similar. I don’t know anybody who didn’t think it was the best thing they did for their PM career.
The other key facets I would seek are the sort of attributes you would expect to see in any senior or leadership position. The “technical expertise” side of things is only part of the job.
- strong industry knowledge
- strong customer knowledge
- Project (yes, project) management skills (it is all about managing milestones, expectations, priorities and people)
- company leadership credentials (experience, longevity, qualifications, professional accreditation)
- some subject-matter expertise (in a tech’ company this is often given unnecessary weight in terms of skill requirements, so be warned)
- strong comms skills, both in terms of quality and quantity. Just knowing stuff is useless unless you make it your mission to tell, validate, adjust, change, re-tell, etc. inside AND outside your company walls.
BUT
- don’t assume you have to BE the most technical person in the company. You just need to know who they are and tap that knowledge correctly.
Hope this helps,
Saeed Khan // Mar 30, 2008 at 8:41 am
Hey Determined…
As I said in my post….”There is no well defined path to becoming a PM in a technology company. ”
If you want to be a PM in your current company, go talk to the people who run PM and ask them how you could move into their department. Or ask the PMs themselves how they became PMs. That should give you what you need, and to be honest, if you do become a PM, that’s what you actually have to do in your job….i.e. talk to people, get data and make decisions.
If you want to read more, try reading the articles in this link. It’s a series I wrote entitled “How to be a GREAT Product Manager”:
http://onproductmanagement.wordpress.com/category/other-categories/great-pm/
Saeed
What do you think?