At times many of us may feel that we are stuck in a profession, in a job role or in an organisation that is not for us. It may feel like it is not our true calling.
Well, then why waste time? Make a career switch into a career of your choice.
Muster courage and make the move.
If Product Management is your likely choice, then this is the right blog for you. If not, then why not explore what is it like to be a PM! (Product Manager not Prime Minister)
So, what would you be doing as a PM? Wearing multiple hats.
- Be a Psychologist — Embark upon a journey to empathise and understand consumer needs and challenges
- Be a Consumer Behaviour expert — Leave no stone unturned to mine latent consumer insights
- Be a Marketeer — Use frameworks to gauge the perfect product-market fit
- Be a Diplomat — Negotiate with and influence relevant stakeholders to obtain desired results
- Be an Architect and an Interior Designer — Build and design products that address consumer pain-points effectively and transpires into a practical and scalable solution
- Be a co-ordinator — Guide and Direct cross-functional teams to deliver timely results in sync with the overarching objective
- Be a crisis manager — Diagnose the situation, identify hurdles and be agile in resolving them while the product is being tested in the market
- Be a Relationship Manager — The duty of a PM does not end as soon as the product is launched. It extends further to keep creating and nurturing a delightful experience for the customer.
Now, you’re aware of the roles you are likely to perform.
What about the skills required to fulfil them efficiently?
Well, most experienced PMs emphasize on soft skills being the differentiator between a good and a great PM. Let’s have a look at the most essential hard and soft skills required to be a product manager:
- Communication with multiple stakeholders
- Articulating thoughts well, both verbally and in writing
- Leading with influence but without enforcement
- Listening intently with an objective to understand consumer pain-points rather than jumping to solutions
- Keeping oneself updated with the current trends irrespective of the industry one operates in
- Critical thinking
- Excellent Problem-solving abilities
- Entrepreneurial bent of mind
The best part about this career is that there is no specialised education required to venture into it. An engineer, a data analyst or even an architect can transition into this role. The easiest way to do so is finding an internal path within your existing organization. This is primarily since you would have already proved your worth and the network that you would have established over a period of time which will support in transpiring your dream into reality.
Having made up your mind about this career, one would surely want to contemplate about the future prospects of it? It is one of the most trending roles presently. So, let’s see what’s in store for you!
The future looks extremely bright since the demand for PMs is going to surge drastically. Since, they are engaged in improving consumer experience, every industry will eventually develop a need for them. Moreover, they guide the company towards a competitive path and ensure their leadership on it.
Go be a hustler! A rewarding career in product management awaits you.
To know more, check out our video nugget at our AntWak Product Management Channel.
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