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    Why product management is a promising career choice in 2023 and beyond

    Synopsis

    Product Management is a promising career choice due to its high demand, diverse opportunities, and potential for impact. With the evolving business landscape, product managers play a vital role in driving innovation and shaping the future. Embrace this dynamic field for a rewarding and fulfilling career.

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    Product management is a promising career choice due to its high demand, versatile opportunities, and potential for impact. In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, product managers are crucial in driving innovation, identifying customer needs, and bringing successful products to market. With their unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and business acumen, product managers play a pivotal role in shaping the future. Furthermore, product management offers diverse opportunities across industries and provides valuable skills that are transferable and in high demand. Embracing a career in product management opens doors to a fulfilling and rewarding professional journey.

    Top professional courses on Product Management

    Offering CollegeCourseWebsite
    Indian School of BusinessISB Product ManagementVisit
    Indian School of BusinessISB Professional Certificate in Product ManagementVisit
    IIM KozhikodeIIMK Professional Certificate in Product ManagementVisit
    Managing the product is about guiding the product in every single step of its life cycle; from its conception to development, to its positioning in the market, to pricing and beyond. One of the most popular quotes on product management is by Marc Andreessen, the co-founder of Netscape and a renowned venture capitalist. He said, "In a well-run technology business, product managers are the CEO's proxy. The CEO sets the strategic direction, and the product manager ensures that direction is reflected in the product roadmap." This quote highlights the critical role of product managers in aligning a company's product strategy with its overall business objectives.

    With an ever-increasing reliance on technology, product management has emerged as an even more lucrative and sought-after career path in today’s world. As technology is rapidly evolving, setting the pace of development for dynamic markets, businesses are also looking for individuals who can offer the best perspectives on products and make them as successful as possible. In India, the average salary of a product manager is about 2.5x higher than the national average.

    However, in order to be a successful product manager, one needs technical skills/understanding, strong communication and interpersonal skills, a customer-focused approach, data-driven decision-making capabilities, and great collaboration skills. To help you build these skills, the Kellogg School of Management offers a Postgraduate Certificate in Product Management.

    The course, which will begin on May 23, is designed for mid- to senior-level professionals with over eight years of work experience, and who are interested in driving product management and contributing to business growth. Professionals making a lateral career move from an adjacent field such as sales, marketing, engineering, and UI/UX, will also find this programme beneficial as it will help build their proficiency in understanding the implications of technology on the product portfolio and managing cross-functional roles in product management.

    The course is delivered entirely online through an interactive platform that allows participants to access videos, assignments, discussions, self-study quizzes, career webinars and try-it activities.

    The duration of the course is 36 weeks, with around 10-12 hours required per week. In the span of 36 weeks, the modules that will be covered include:

    • Introduction to product management
    • Customer insights for product innovation
    • Analysing product opportunities
    • Product discovery and requirements definition
    • Business model design
    • Financial analysis for product managers
    • UI/UX design for product managers
    • Agile product development
    • Product planning and roadmapping
    • Product prototyping
    • Taking products to market
    • Business communication for product managers
    • Managing the partner ecosystem
    • Managing product evolution and growth
    • Growth hacking
    • Data science and analytics for product managers
    • AI and ML for product managers
    • Managing stakeholder relationships
    • Product management for services companies
    • Capstone project

    The course focuses on three pillars, which will provide participants with the skills designed to deliver the most lucrative result for employers. These pillars are:

    • Pillar 1: UX Design
    • Pillar 2: Agile methodology
    • Pillar 3: Data science and analytics

    Some of the key takeaways from this programme include:

    • Master the end-to-end process of discovering, designing, developing, delivering, and managing products
    • Learn the strategic thinking and tactical implementation skills needed to become a professional product manager
    • Gain certifications in product management tools and methodologies, including project management, A/B testing (Optimizely), and analytics (Google Analytics)
    • Hone your communication, negotiation, and influencing skills to effectively manage people and relationships
    • Apply frameworks and tools to develop a start-to-finish product marketing plan
    • The course also includes case studies of: Whirlpool Gladiator GarageWorks, Pareto Intelligence and Amazon Kindle Fire Phone to give participants a practical understanding of the models being taught.
    Upon successful completion of the programme, Kellogg Executive Education will grant a verified digital certificate of completion to participants. As the product management field is only expected to grow, consider expanding your opportunities by acquiring the right skills.

    Why do you want to consider product management as your career option?

    Consider product management as a career option due to its dynamic nature, the opportunity to work on innovative products, solve complex problems, collaborate with cross-functional teams, shape user experiences, and drive business growth. It offers a fulfilling blend of strategic thinking, creativity, leadership, and the ability to make a meaningful impact.

    Would you consider a career as a product manager?

    Product management is an exciting and impactful career path for individuals passionate about innovation, customer-centricity, and driving business success through strategic decision-making, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

    Why do you think product management is important?

    Product management is crucial as it bridges the gap between customer needs and business objectives. It ensures that products meet market demands, delivers value to customers, and drives organisational success.

    What is the importance of business cases in product management?

    The business case is essential in product management as it provides a comprehensive justification for pursuing a product idea or initiative. It outlines the expected benefits, costs, risks, and potential returns on investment, helping stakeholders make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and maximising the chances of project success.

    What is the most important aspect of product management?

    The most important aspect of product management is understanding and meeting customer needs. By deeply understanding customers, their pain points, and desires, product managers can create products that address those needs effectively. This customer-centric approach drives innovation, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, the success of the product and the business.

    Highlights:

    • The most important aspect of any business is its product
    • Due to technology, product management has emerged as a lucrative career path
    • Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals with over eight years of work experience
    • Focuses on three pillars: UX Design, Agile methodology, and Data science and analytics
    • Kellogg School of Management, a top school, offers a Postgraduate Certificate in Product Management.

    Disclaimer: This content was authored by the content team of ET Spotlight team. The news and editorial staff of ET had no role in the creation of this article.
    ( Originally published on May 17, 2023 )
    The Economic Times

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