Is a product management career right for me?

Natural leaders make great product managers, because the job requires you not only to bring different people (with different opinions and priorities) together, but to spot opportunities and lead problem-solving. It’s all about making sure everybody is pointing in the same direction, moving towards the same goal – and making sure that goal aligns with everybody’s needs.

In larger companies, there is almost always a need for product managers, and they are common hires at medium-sized businesses too. At smaller businesses, product management is usually undertaken by the founders, so bear that in mind if you prefer working at small companies.

How do I get into product management?

The number of product management careers has exploded over the last decade. Many people take sideways steps or promotions from other departments to get into it. Fortunately, in recent years, digital and tech schools and bootcamps have created specialised product management courses to help people gain the specific skills employers are looking for to provide a fast track into an in-demand career.

These courses will help you build your product management mindset, and learn crucial skills from design thinking and prototyping, to project management frameworks and user testing.