Tech adoption has increased 5 folds due to the pandemic. That coupled with the internet revolution is increasingly fueling the demand for Product Managers for digital products in India. It has morphed into a CEO-like position & requires one to be more reliant on data, fluent with analytics & data science.
Hi there! This is what we discussed last week and welcome to the Part 2 of ‘Product Managers In A Digital Age’ where we take up a detailed look at the Career Growth Path in Product Management.
Roles Leading To Product Manager
In a recent trends survey, it was found that 13.8% of Product Managers were Project Managers in their previous jobs and 11.8% were Business Analysts. Roles like Business Analysts, Data Analysts, Project Managers or Program Managers are often starting points and with increasing experience across various products, they finally become Product Managers in 4-5 years with almost a 50% increase in their pay. But 5 years seem like a long, long time, doesn’t it?
Of late, there have been many examples where professionals have pursued MBA from premier institutions and gone on to become Product Managers. But shelling out lakhs and spending another 2 years seem like a far cry for most. Some advanced programs in Product Management
like this one by AltUni seem like the best alternative to become a PM at a fraction of the time and cost involved.
Roles Leading From Product Manager
From here on, key experiences in owning a product and handling teams are very effective in career growth. Professionals with 10+ years of experience usually take up leadership roles like Head of Product / VP of Product. Some with even more years behind their back take up C-level positions of the Chief Product Officer. Professionals in such positions get full ownership, hold immense responsibility & get paid very handsomely.
Some of the key soft skills that are required for this career growth path in Product Management are prioritization, research, creativity, critical thinking, communication, leadership, diplomacy & team work.
Product Managers need to have a varied set of hard skills including product knowledge, basic proficiency in coding, analytical skills, understanding consumer behaviour, etc. These hard skills along with tools & techniques can make successful product managers out of professionals in any field.
But how do you gain these hard skills? What is the most optimal way to gain these skills?
Presenting AltUni’s Advanced Product Management Program! This program will be delivered by Ellora Nath, a Senior Product Manager, Booking(dot)com in Amsterdam. She has also worked with eBay and Practo in the past & is a BITS & an ISB alumna.
In this 2-month long, well-rounded program,
- You'll learn all of the advanced frameworks, tools and techniques that successful product managers use in their day-to-day lives
- Lectures will be delivered with real-life examples, behind the scenes action & the reality of Product Management
- Ace any Product Management interview and placement process with interview preparation in EVERY session
- There will also be 4 guest speaker sessions by Expert Product Manager from organizations like Flipkart & Microsoft
- You will have the opportunity to get 1-on-1 Career Coaching & get a Mock PI with Expert Product Managers!
- You can listen to Ellora Nath talk about her journey and the importance of Product Management here - Why India’s Best Talent Wants To Join Product Management
Watch this space & keep checking your mail for the next edition!