How Long Does It Take To Get Your First Product Manager Job?

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There’s no simple answer to the question of how long it takes to get your first product manager job. It depends on a variety of factors, such as your work experience, education, and interview preparation — and that’s just the start.

While it’s your goal to land a PM job sooner rather than later, don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s better to be 100 percent prepared for the interview process than to dive in too soon and come up short. 

The short answer to “how long does it take to get your first PM job” is three to five years after receiving an undergraduate degree. That’s not written in stone. Some people find a way to become a product manager without a college degree. Some are fortunate enough to land a position fresh out of college — especially if they’re willing to work for a start-up — while others aren’t prepared to move down this career path for several years.

Here are some points of emphasis to keep in mind as you inch toward your goal of becoming a product manager.

Building a Product Will Help

Experience is one of the many things that can set you apart from other candidates. And one of the best ways to get PM experience is to build a product from scratch. 

This works in your favor because:

• It shows that you have experience; you’re not just saying it on your resume. 
• It shows that you’re passionate about all things product-related.
• It proves that you know what it takes to build a successful product from the ground up.

Ideally, you’d build a product similar to those developed by the type of company you want to work for. For example, if Salesforce is your dream employer, build a SaaS product for sales professionals. 

And remember, the product doesn’t need to have a lot of traction. The goal is to build a prototype that you can showcase, ship, and tell hiring companies that it’s being used by a few people. 

With a product to lean on, you better position yourself when applying for entry-level PM openings. For example, there’s a lot of competition when applying for associate PM positions, so building a product could be a differentiating factor. 

The Interview Process is Lengthy

You can expect the PM interview process to last anywhere from one to three months. This is standard for most big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. 

Note: unless you have PM experience, coming from a relevant field like consulting, or are fresh out of an MBA program, it’s unlikely that you’ll break into the PM world at a FAANG company.

Wrap your head around the idea that you’re not going to receive a job offer after your first interview. It takes several rounds with several interviewers to reach the finish line.

Here are the five steps of the Facebook interview process:

Now, do you see why it can easily take three months to reach the final step?

Note: if you’re applying to a smaller company or start-up, the interview process may not take as long. They don’t have as high of a bar PM roles or as many applicants. Instead, expect somewhere in the two to four week range. 

Real-World Experience is Powerful

If you want to work at one of the tech giants as a PM, real-world experience is extremely helpful. It’s not an “absolute must” but it puts you in a more favorable light. 

Generally, it’s best to have a minimum of three years of real-world working experience in a field that’s relevant to product management. For instance, consulting, product design, or engineering. These fields all translate nicely to product management. 

Alternatively, you could join a start-up to gain real-world product management experience. It may not be your dream job, but it’ll prepare you when it comes time to apply at Lyft, Uber, or similar “big name” companies. 

An MBA Gives You a Leg Up

You won’t be the only person applying for a PM job who has an MBA, but it can give you a leg up during the application review process. The same holds true if the hiring committee is torn between you and an applicant who doesn’t have an MBA.

U.S. News & World Report recently released its “2022 Best Business Schools” list. Top institutions include:

• Stanford University
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Harvard University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• Columbia University
• University of California–Berkeley (Haas)
• Yale University
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)

While these colleges and universities are known for their MBA programs, there are hundreds of others to consider. Don’t give up on earning an advanced degree if you don’t gain admittance to one of the schools above. 

Check out our blog post on how to get a PM role as an MBA graduate.

There’s No Replacement for Interview Practice

A product manager interview isn’t something you show up at unprepared. No matter how much experience, knowledge, and education you have, a lack of preparation will sink you sooner rather than later. 

You need a year of solid prep to reach the point where you can confidently tackle and ace a PM interview. Yes, that sounds like a lot, but remember this: other candidates are doing the same thing. So, if you neglect to do so, it’ll put you at a disadvantage out of the gate.

At PM Exercises, it’s our goal to help you prepare for the product manager interview process. Here’s how:

• Product manager interview question resource center: A list of 2500+ product manager interview questions and answers. 
• PM interview prep course: 100+ online lessons and 50+ video hours in categories such as analytics, execution, strategy, and technical. 
• Mock interviews: Connect with product manager partners with whom you can practice interviewing.
• Group practice: Collaborate and work as a team to solve problems and answer product manager interview questions.
• Product manager interview coaching: Receive 1-on-1 private coaching with a seasoned PM who has worked at a top tech company (or companies). 

Go through as much practice as you can so that you’re prepared for your interview and confident enough to answer any and every question you receive. 

Final Thoughts

By the time you get to your first PM job, you’re usually five years into your work career. This takes into consideration everything above, such as gaining work experience, earning an MBA, and interview preparation. 

The primary exception is if you apply at a start-up or tech company that doesn’t have as high of standards for product managers. But if you’re looking to land a top-notch position, such as associate PM at Facebook, you must spend a lot of time getting ready.

No two candidates, companies, or hiring processes are the same, so you never know exactly how long it’ll take to get your first product manager job. The best thing you can do is prepare accordingly.