About Product Manager Jobs
Product Manager Jobs Overview
Are you having a hard time choosing a career because you are interested in several different professions? Then a job as a product manager could be right for you. Product manager jobs incorporate aspects of different areas, for example engineering, design and development, marketing, and sales. As a product manager, you’ll be working with teams from several of these departments to plan the strategy for a product.
Typical responsibilities for a product manager include planning a product’s:
- design
- features
- road map
- testing
- marketing
- sales strategy
You might also be involved in developing strategies for market research, product pricing, and tracking the product’s success on the market. You'll enjoy working as a product manager if you have a strong business sense, are interested in design and development, like juggling multiple projects, and enjoy being part of a team.
If you like taking on a leadership role, consider also searching for other management jobs, for example:
Education and Skills for Product Manager Jobs
To work in project management, you will need a combination of soft and hard skills. Communication skills are essential since you will be working closely with team members of different departments as well as clients. You will also need technical expertise and a basic understanding of design and development. You can learn more about the skills you’ll need in Monster’s job description for product managers.
Since product management incorporates several different areas, you will have a few options when it comes to education. Before you choose one, consider if you want a career that focuses more on one area than another, and choose a degree accordingly.
These are some common areas to get a bachelor’s or master’s degree in:
- business management or business administration
- marketing or public relations
- the business sector of the products you want to focus on, for example computer science if you want to manage IT products
- product management itself
Update Your Product Manager Resume
Emphasize your soft and hard skills in your job application by targeting it to the position you are applying to. While you should make tweaks to each resume and cover letter you send, you can get tips on factors that are important to include in our resume sample for product managers and our sample cover letters.
Interviewing for a Product Manager Job
Preparing for a product manager interview requires a bit more time than for many other jobs because of the broad scope of the role. Make sure to be ready for questions on how you work with designers, clients, engineers, and other teams, as well as your thoughts on the company’s products. These are some examples of possible questions:
- What is your favorite product of ours, and why?
- What would you improve about it?
- How do you handle a client who has unrealistic expectations for a product (for example when it comes to its features, our budget, or the timeline)?
- How do you develop a product roadmap?
How Much Do Product Managers Earn?
Many product managers receive a base salary and bonuses or commission based on company profits or product sales. On average, product managers make $96,647 nationwide. Use our salary tools to find out the median salary in your area.
Learn More in Our Company Profiles
Read our company profiles to research the hiring employer so you can prepare your job application and get ready for the interview. In these profiles you will find information on:
- company history
- employee benefits
- company statistics
Upload Your Resume for Product Manager Jobs on Monster
Do you need help managing your job search? Even the best product manager can struggle with the time-consuming process of looking for a new job. Many product managers are being recruited, but you need to get your resume in the right hands first. Use Monster to create a profile and upload your information. You can also sign up for notifications when new jobs are posted and use your profile to send applications for jobs that you find on Monster.