For most of us, a job is something we need to do in order to pay the bills. All too often, the job
The life of a product manager is never boring. With a wide range of responsibilities and a host of transferable skills, product managers are highly sought after.
Whether you’ve been in this role for just a few years or much longer, you might be considering how you can progress as a product manager. You might even be new to the field – a recent graduate or new to the world of work. Wherever you are in your career, you will want to know how you can progress in this interesting and varied field. Read on for our top tips on how to progress your career as a project manager.
The role of a product manager
Product managers are responsible for a whole host of aspects of the product development cycle. You may begin with market research, gaining valuable insight into consumer needs and desires. Then, you’re involved at every step of the way with the design, development and refinement of the product until it reaches its final stages and is fully ready for sale.
At this point, your project management skills really come into play. You’ll identify potential customers, and potential distributors, and work with marketing colleagues to design product launches and a marketing strategy.
At this point, you may also be responsible for product pricing, sales forecasts and profit analysis to see how the product is faring on the open market.
From junior to senior
Having the ambition to advance your career in product management can only be a good thing. You may be looking to expand the size of the company you’re representing, or work with products which are closer to your own passions.
You might even want to take your hard-earned skills as a product manager and use them to oversee bringing a product of your own design to market.
Consider which direction you wish to head in – maybe you’re interested in moving from a small business to one of the market leaders. Pharmaceuticals and technology are, of course, huge industries, with endless innovative products being dreamed up and developed daily. Your skill set and ambition may be just right for moving into a larger company.
For people wanting to progress within the field, it can be well worth identifying your transferable skills. Product management is one of those careers where experience on the ground is valued more highly than anything else. The ability to think creatively and problem solve on the go is absolutely essential to this fast-paced, multi-faceted role. Think about just how many skills you have gained in your role so far: problem-solving, marketing, sales and meeting targets, working with multi-disciplinary teams, market research – and probably a whole host more besides. Identifying and being able to ‘sell’ these skills is valuable when applying for senior roles.
Let’s not forget that larger companies will also look for managers to oversee teams of product managers. You may have gained valuable experience that could allow you to advance your career in this direction – have you managed sales teams, for example? Moving into management is a great way to progress your career while still keeping in touch with the exciting world of product design.It might seem a little daunting to consider retraining or starting your career again in a more junior role – particularly if you’ve already worked your way up in one field. But it’s important to remember that different jobs suit us at different stages of our lives. You may find that the time has come to reprioritise things and seek out a better work-life balance and greater job satisfaction.
