The First Step in Becoming a Product Manager

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As an aspiring product manager, the first step is often the most difficult step. You’re excited about this career path but have doubts about whether or not it’s truly the right fit as well as the process of securing a job. 

The first step in becoming a product manager is to determine if you like the job. Until you do this, you’ll never be 100 percent confident that you’re making the right career decision. 

Think about it in the same manner as a major lifestyle decision, such as getting a dog. Rather than buy a dog on a whim, take care of your friend’s dog for a weekend to see if you like it. You can then answer questions such as:

• What did you enjoy about having a dog?
• Were there any disadvantages of caring for a dog?
• Will you be happy to take on this responsibility full-time?

The same basic approach holds true for anyone who wants to become a product manager. Take this career path for a test drive before diving in headfirst. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Take on product manager responsibilities at your current job

Do you plan on sticking with your current company but transitioning into the role of a product manager? If so, take on as many product manager responsibilities as you can — without neglecting your current position, of course.

Talk to current product managers. Talk to product designers and engineers. Explain that you want to learn what it takes to become a PM and that you’re happy to volunteer your time. 

Not only is this a learning opportunity, but you also make connections within the company that can enhance your ability to make a successful transition. 

Don’t be shy about putting yourself out there. You may be surprised at how many people are willing to take you under their wing, answer your questions, and help you gain the experience and knowledge you’re seeking. 

2. Build a product 

When you build a product on your own, you take on all the responsibilities of a product manager — plus many more. This allows you to see what you like, what you don’t like, and if you have what it takes to become a product manager. 

As you build your product, hire a team around you to get a better feel for what it entails. Do you enjoy interviewing and hiring new talent? Are you comfortable working with everyone from engineers to product designers to marketing professionals? 

This may seem expensive, but you can hire part-time contractors to curb the cost. Also, don’t look at this as an expense. Consider it both a learning experience and the cost of education. 

First-hand experience is what you want and need, and the best way to get it is by building a product from the ground up. 

3. Experiment with product management tools

There are hundreds upon hundreds of product management tools. You won’t use them all in your career as a PM, but you’re likely to lean on a handful to make your life easier. 

Experiment with the most popular product management tools so you can see what you’ll be using and how you’ll operate on the job. If you find that you don’t like these tools — or that you don’t understand how they work — a PM job may not be the right fit.

Here are some of the many tools that PMs use:

• Trello
• Google Analytics
• ProductBoard
• Jira
• Full Story
• Figma

Many of these tools are free or have a free trial period. You can spend plenty of time with them without spending a dime. 

4. Read product management books and blog posts

There’s no replacement for on-the-job experience, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook the knowledge you can gain by reading product management books. Five of the best include:

• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
• The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
• Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• The Design of Everything by Don Norman

If books aren’t your thing, our product management blog is a good place to find what you’re looking for. For example, our recent blog post on how to ace an associate product manager interview is a good read for anyone interested in becoming a PM as a fresh university graduate.

The decision for or against becoming a product manager is career-changing, so you want to gather as much information and knowledge as possible. These PM books and our PM blog are a good jumping-off point. 

5. Get active in product management communities

There are various types of online product management communities where you can connect with both aspiring and experienced PMs. For example, at PM Exercises, our community shares answers to many of the most common interview questions.

For instance, “how would you improve Google Maps” is a common question in a Google PM interview. More than 30 community members have answered this question, thus allowing you to create a framework for doing the same.

Another way to get involved is to sign up for group practice. If you’re in the early stages of deciding if you want to become a PM, you probably won’t spend much time — if any — actively answering questions and engaging with others. However, silent observers are welcome, and you can learn just as much by listening. 

Summary

Product manager jobs are both rewarding and challenging at the same time. You’re always pulled in different directions, you’re part of a team, and you can expect a large number of responsibilities. Are you comfortable with that? 

Put yourself in a position to become a product manager before you actually apply for PM jobs. You can then decide if you’re still excited about this career path. And if you are, you can update your resume to reflect the experience you’ve gained to this point.

When the time comes to prepare for your first product manager interview, PM Exercises is here to guide you. Review our list of 2500+ product manager interview questions and take our PM interview course. This will give you the confidence you need to impress the hiring company and hopefully receive a job offer.