As I mentioned in the very first post in this series - the best learning is doing. No courses, videos or even books can rival actual practice. To start learning product management by doing you need to land your first PM job.
Choosing between different options - prioritise the places where you can learn the most. It could be either a startup where you'll need to wear so many hats and therefore learn how to pull them off. Or it could be an established company with senior professionals who can mentor you.
Whatever path you'll choose, it starts with an old, boring and often frustrating step - preparing your CV and applying for jobs. Luckily generative AI can help you on this step as well and make this infamous job hunt at least a tiny bit easier.
Preparing your CV
As this series you're reading targets people who want to transition into product management, CV preparation is a very important step to getting the gig. If this is your first product role, you cannot rely on your past experience and will need to show potential employers your potential and dedication to quickly learn the ropes and excel at the craft. Here are some prompts you can use to prepare your CV:- Show me 5 examples of a product manager's CV
- What are the best CV creation tools?
- How to describe my work experience in an achievement-oriented way?
- How long a CV should be?
- How does an ATS system scan a CV?
- Should I include my personal information in my CV?
- Proofread my CV {text version of your CV}
- Improve my CV {text version of your CV}
Searching for the right job
Having your CV ready is the first step done. Now you need to find opportunities to apply to. Generative AI could be surprisingly helpful with this. You can try the following prompts:- Give me all product management jobs posted in the last 24 hours in {your location}
- What are the best places to search for product management jobs?
- What companies have the most product management job openings in {your location}?
- What companies in {your location} offer product management internships?
- Show me product management jobs at {any company} that require less than 2 years of experience
- What is the average salary range for {a role} at {any company} in {your location}?
- Who are the product directors at {any company}?
- What are the main products of {any company}?
- What is the latest financial information of {any company}?
- Where is the office of {any company} located?
- Does {any company} support hybrid or remote working?
- How good is {any company} as an employer?
Applying for a job
When you find a good opportunity you want to apply to (it's better if you find a few), it's time to submit your application. This is an important step that is often overlooked. Generative AI could help you to prepare your application and increase your chances to be accepted into the recruitment process. Here are some prompts to try:- Adapt my CV {text version of your CV} to this job offer {text version of the job offer}
- Why would I change my CV for a particular job offer?
- What is the difference between a CV and a cover letter?
- Show me an example of a good cover letter for a product manager
- Write a cover letter for this role {text version of the job offer}
- Compare my CV {text version of your CV} to this job offer {text version of the job offer}, should I apply?
Preparing for an interview
Congratulation on passing the first major stage of the recruitment process - your application has been accepted and you got contacted about continuing the process. Usually, interviews start with a short chat with a recruiter at the company you've applied to. This is mainly to learn more about you and to dig deeper into your CV. If you pass this stage then the next one is when the fun begins. The interview process is different from company to company so you'll need to get creative preparing. Some helpful tips:- How do I prepare for a product manager interview?
- What are the typical questions asked during a product manager interview?
- How do I answer a question about my strengths and weaknesses during a PM interview?
- How do product manager interviews go at {any company}?
- How can I practice product manager interviews at {any company}?
- Act as a hiring manager at {any company}. I am interviewing for a product manager position. Ask me a {question type you want to practice} type question
- Assess my answer to the {question you're practising} {your answer}
- Answer this question as a product manager: {any question}
- What are the best resources to prepare for a product manager interview?
- Wish me luck with my product manager interview
Product task
Often as part of the interview process, you'll be asked to do an assignment. You will either be allowed to do it on your own time and present the results or you might need to do it right during the interview. Usually, those sorts of tasks are about troubleshooting a problem, designing a product, setting goals and metrics or preparing a business case. Research the company you're interviewing with beforehand as you might find out the types of tasks they prefer to give their candidates. In general, it is useful to practice doing those kinds of exercises and a generative AI could help you:- As a product manager, how do I debug a drop in a KPI?
- As a product manager, how do I design a product like {any product}?
- How do I create a business case for a product like {any product}?
- How do I measure the impact of {any product}?
- Analyse this data set, find anomalies and explain them
- What are the top free data analysis tools?
- What free design tools can I use to create wireframes?
Offer negotiation
Yes, this is also a part of the interview process. You don't have to take every offer and should take time to be sure you're making the right choice. Carefully analyse all aspects of an offer, including compensation, development opportunities, work-life balance and long-term vision of the company you think of joining. The following prompts might help you to take a decision:- What is the salary range for {a role} at {any company} in {your location}?
- What is the salary range for {a role} at companies similar to {any company}?
- How to negotiate a salary during a job interview?
- What non-financial benefits I can ask for during a job interview?
- How do I politely decline a job offer?