Transitioning into product management after an established career in another field is difficult, but trying to get it as a first job out of college can be even more of a challenge. When hiring product managers, many companies look for proven leadership, strong technical abilities, and a track record of impact in a professional setting. However, most undergraduate programs do not prepare students with all 3, which makes it challenging for students who already know they want a role in tech.
When I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to be strategic with my major and university choice to set myself up for success in landing a full-time job. In this article, I will share the steps I took to land a Product Manager internship and a full-time position as my first job out of college.
Explore the Field Before Choosing a Major:
In high school, I was interested in technology, but I wasn’t sure which role I wanted to pursue. I decided to enroll in a software development summer program where I learned the basics of software development. The program invited professionals from different areas of tech, including a product manager. When the product manager came and described her job, my eyes lit up, and I knew I wanted to learn more.
After speaking with the product manager, I went home and dove into research about the role, and I knew that getting a strong engineering background would put me in the best position to become a product manager.
I continued learning about software engineering and enrolled in a pre-college program to get a preview of what studying engineering for the next 4 years in college would entail.
Curate Your University and Studies:
Knowing that the product was the cross-section of technical knowledge, business, and users, I decided to major in Data Science and Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. The Data Science part of my degree gave me the coding skills to understand core software development concepts and be data-focused. On the other side, the Business and Marketing part of my degree gave me knowledge on marketing, sales, and finance, all of which can be close partners to product managers.
The business part of my degree also provided me with presentation skills, working on group projects, and an entrepreneurship mindset. Both parts of my degree were very different, but they complemented each other by filling in the gaps that the other one lacked, positioning me well on my journey to becoming a product manager.
When choosing a university, the career support and opportunities were very important. I chose a college that had a career center to review resumes and one that had an opportunity to do 6-month-long internships, so I could gain as much real-world experience as possible before graduating.
Location of the college was also another important factor for me, as being located in a big city could lend me more opportunities. There tend to be more companies in bigger cities, which means more networking opportunities, increased presence at job fairs, and potential for part-time jobs relevant to your career goals.
Tech Communities:
To strengthen my portfolio as an undergrad, I participated in local hackathons as a way to create a product prototype in a few days. At hackathons, a problem is presented, and participants form teams to come up with solutions. Following that, a panel judges the teams and provides feedback on the ideas. Hackathons are also a great networking opportunity as they attract company sponsors and others who are currently in tech. During interviews, I was able to talk about the problem we solved and demo the product.
In college, I also joined tech-oriented clubs around campus, which connected me with others who are motivated and interested in similar fields. For example, there was this club in my college where students created websites and applications for local nonprofits. I served as the product manager and point of contact for the non-profits, helping them understand their needs and use cases. I would then work with designers and developers, who were all fellow students, to create and iterate on the product. This was also a great experience that I put on my resume and talking points during interviews.
Jobs and Internships:
Although I applied for product manager jobs for my first internship, I knew it would be a challenge due to my lack of experience. Therefore, I applied to product adjacent fields that could help me get my next product manager opportunity. After my first internship, I had real work experience that I could put on my resume. I curated my resume to highlight the product-related skills I developed during my first job to stand out to recruiters.
Following that, I was able to secure product manager roles for my second and third internships. One piece of advice that really helped me was to apply even if I didn’t meet every single requirement on the job listings and to apply for roles that might be a bit out of reach, within reason. By the time I graduated from college, my resume had 3 great job experiences and 2 that were relevant to my dream job. Another great thing that happened was that I received a return offer from one of the companies where I was an intern.
Summary:
Here is the advice I would give to someone who is interested in product management while they're still in high school or college:
- Take advantage of pre-college summer programs to get a preview of what the next four years might look like for a specific major.
- Curate your educational studies with your career aspirations.
- Consider career services and location when choosing a university.
- Engage with the tech community through hackathons, clubs, and meetups.
- Apply for product manager or PM-adjacent internships, even if you don’t meet every requirement.
