How to get a job as a product manager in the USA
Published on March 1, 2021 / Updated on December 12, 2022
Whether you’re talking about developing a physical or digital product, the product manager is an essential part of the whole process.
Product managers are the link between developers, customers and everyone else involved in developing or updating a product. They’re involved in every aspect of the product life cycle: understanding what the customer wants, creating a strategy to create the right project, keeping everything running smoothly, solving issues in the process and more.
Because the specific responsibilities of a product manager can be different from one company to the next, there isn’t just one way to become a product manager.
Even so, we’re here to explain:
Many hopeful product managers start their career path by completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme. While this certification isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s very common among many product managers in the USA.
Typically, the people who enter an MBA programme already have three or more years of business experience before they start.
With an MBA on your resume, potential employers will see that you have a strong background in business – an important part of the product manager role.
After completing your MBA, you can apply for a variety of roles. Here’s an example of what your career path might look like:
Get a job as a marketing assistant or marketing associate. The responsibilities involved in those roles will give you a lot of useful skills that can help you in a product manager role: doing market research, collecting and analyzing data and making sure everything runs smoothly in the department.
With the above experience under your belt (ideally two to three years’ worth), you can start looking for junior product manager jobs. Junior roles are easier to get into, and you’ll get tons of on-the-job training to prepare you to eventually apply for a senior product manager role.
Education Systems in the UK and the USA
An MBA isn’t for everyone: time, cost and prerequisite qualifications can be a roadblock for some. If that’s you, consider getting a product management certificate. These programmes offer specific, in-depth training that will give you the skills you need to be a successful product manager. And the best part: many of them are available online.
The benefit of a programme like this is that hiring managers will see that you’ve got a variety of job-ready skills (rather than deep knowledge in just one area, like with an MBA).
On top of the qualifications we talked about above, you’ll need to demonstrate that you have certain skills to be successful as a product manager. Here’s a list of just a few:
Even if you’ve got all the necessary skills and qualifications, you’ll still have to prove it when you go to a job interview. It’s quite likely that you’ll have to prove you can collect and analyze data, know what to do with it, identify and solve issues and more.
To help you prepare, here are some questions you might be asked in a product manager interview:
We mentioned earlier that part of being a great product manager is having communications skills. And when you’re talking about how to become a product manager in the USA, those communications skills revolve around English. Without strong English skills, your message might be lost or misunderstood.
Make sure you have the English skills you need by signing up with Lingoda. By practising face-to-face with our native-level teachers, you’ll get instant feedback, allowing you to improve with every lesson. It’s the best way to strengthen your English skills and get ready for your career as a product manager. Start a free 7-day trial today!