If you want to start your career as a product manager then it is essential to know how to become a product manager. They are the important members of any organization that brings new products to customers. Additionally, product managers have many skills along with technical knowledge. Their responsibility is to develop and launch a product that fulfills the customer’s requirements. 

Dreaming of becoming a product manager included being able to work with different teams, knowing market trends, and being able to solve complicated issues. Furthermore, product managers also have good communication skills to explain their thoughts and ideas clearly. In this article, we discussed the steps that explain how ‌to become a product manager. We also discuss the product manager’s role and many more that will help you decide whether this career is right for you or not. After reading this article you will be able to know how to start your career as a product manager. 

Who are the product managers?

A product manager also known as a PM is the one who plans and guides the creation of products for the organization. Many groups and workers work under the leadership of product managers to develop and test products. They are an important part of a company due to making plans to build, promote, and sell various products and services. Managers also make sure that the product fulfills the customer’s requirements and the business’s goals. By running a team, product managers make efforts to keep everyone on track and working smoothly. They decide the features of a product when it should be ready. The main responsibility of product managers is to keep the project on track and solve complications that come up. 

Top 3 responsibilities of product managers

Below we have mentioned the top 3 duties of product managers.

• Product managers analyze customers so they know what people desire. It allows companies to produce things that suit their requirements and can increase sales. They also examine the market since different types of people may desire different things. By performing both, product managers assist in producing and selling the appropriate products to appropriate buyers.

• Product managers tend to collaborate with other members of the team, such as engineers and designers, to generate new ideas and improve ways of working. They are competent at communicating and collaborating with numerous people.

• The other significant work for product managers is making plans for the steps to produce a product. They arrange the process, from building and designing to testing, marketing, and sales. This plan tells everyone what to do and when to do it, which makes the project go smoothly.

How to become a product manager?

After getting to know all about product managers, the next question is how to become a product manager. Here we have mentioned the detailed steps to becoming ‌a product manager. 

1. Keep focus on education

The first and foremost step to becoming a product manager is to complete a degree in business or engineering. After getting a bachelor’s degree, complete the Master’s degree, like an MBA. This 16-year complete program helps you learn more about business. Most people prefer to gain work experience before enrolling in an MBA program. 

Another way is to join ‌boot camps. These short courses enable you to learn important skills, such as how to create plans for products and understand market trends. Additionally, you can also become a product manager by working your way up in an organization. You might start your career as a junior in any company and learn ‌from experienced product managers. If you gain enough skills and solve problems instantly, your boss may be promoted to you as a product manager post. 

2. Gain work- experience

Gaining work experience is very important for future product managers. Try to follow the below-mentioned ways:

• Try internships: One of the famous ways to start is by doing internships. During this period you can learn the basic skills for product management. After completing an internship, you might get an entry-level job. This is another great opportunity to learn more about product managers. 
• Shadow a product manager: You can follow the work style of current product managers. This assists you to see what they do regularly.  
• Participate in product competitions or hackathons: You can practice producing and selling goods at these events. By collaborating with others, you gain experience in rapidly creating and promoting a product.

You can gain the experience you need to become a successful product manager in any of these ways.

3. Earn additional product manager certifications

If you’re considering you might be interested in a career in Product Management, there are certain certificates that you can undertake to develop these skills and increase your expertise. These certificates indicate that you’ve developed mature product management skills and knowledge. Look at the following options:

• Product Manager Certification(PMC): This certificate indicates that you know about elements of product planning, market research, product building, and product launches.

Oxford Training Centre provides the Product Manager Certification (PMC)™ training course for Managers to equip them with the core competencies associated with the product management discipline, including product strategy, user experience, agile practices, market research, and go-to-market planning and leadership. Participants will pick up skills that allow them to excel in product decision-making, aligning with customer research, sprint planning, and usability testing, enabling the managers to be successful in a product management career.

• Certified Product Manager (CPM): This certification demonstrates your comprehension of product making, development of strategic plans, and marketing products.
• New Product Development Certification (NPDC): This certification tests various aspects of knowledge pertaining to market research & action, idea generation, and inspiration along with designing and making new products.

Getting any of these categories of certificates can be useful in making you more different, as well as demonstrating to an employer that you have received the proper training to carry out product management. Furthermore, these kinds of certificates will equip you with some additional valuable skills that can aid you towards your achievement in the career of product management, making you a better job candidate.

4. Build a network

Building new networks helps you learn skills others want, discover various job opportunities, and find mentors. There are many ways of network building, some of which are mentioned below:

• Join groups for product managers: Joining such types of groups permits you to meet others, discuss ‌products,‌ and learn about new trends. You can use your skills in a better way by joining these groups.
• Attend industry events and conferences: These events give you the opportunity to meet with various product managers face-to-face. You can also find job openings at these conferences.
• Make connections with other product managers, particularly those having more experience. They can guide you better and polish your skills also.

Networking is the smart way to grow as a product manager and provides many new opportunities in your career. 

5. Create a portfolio

If you want to be a product manager, having a work portfolio can be very helpful. A portfolio can demonstrate the skills you possess that illustrate why you are a good fit for the job. It takes a while to put one together, but it can make you stand out when applying for jobs. Most people likely won’t have one; thus it can differentiate you. It demonstrates to potential employers what you can do and why you would be a solid candidate for their product management position.

6. Apply for the product manager post

Once you have completed your education and learned the relevant skills for product management, you are ready to start looking for product manager jobs. Update your resume to match the job you want. Draw attention to the skills and courses that match the job you want to apply for. Write a clear summary that shows why you are a good product manager.

Even though you may not have a lot of product manager experience, many skills in other careers, like marketer or project manager, may still be relevant. You can talk about working with product managers or certified product managers to reach a goal and what you did while you were part of the team. This will help demonstrate your potential as a product manager.

Top 5 skills you need to be in ‌product management

Product management involves the intersection of business, user experience, and technology. It requires a variety of skills that may come from many different professions.

The essential skills for product management are: 

• Understanding how products are designed & developed: You will want to understand how developers design and build technology, as well as some rudimentary concepts about user experience design.
• Business knowledge & awareness: Product managers work with executive teams to create products that help a business grow. You will want to understand business objectives and metrics and think strategically about business management.
• Problem Solver: Product management requires solving problems users experience with products and thinking about various ways to improve processes within your company.
• Data: You will need analytical skills to collect and analyze data to learn about users and make informed product decisions.
• Communication: Product managers work with many people, participate in collaborative teams, communicate ideas and concepts, and are good listeners. Important communication skills should be used every day. 

These skills contribute to a Product manager’s ability to facilitate team collaboration and communication between users and the business