Every day, hundreds of technology companies are on the lookout for new team members and fresh talent. Often times, these companies have some steep requirements; and the most recurrent one is the number of years in the industry. This one singular requirement usually pose a sort of hindrance to people who are just getting started in the industry.

In this byte-size article, I will talk about how you can find your next gig as an entry-level product manager.

Are you just starting as a product manager and you want to work for a certain company? Easy, take the company’s product and dissect it. Write about what you love, what you don’t like and what you will change if you were managing that product then email it to the CEO.

If you can, get a group of people and test your hypothesis on them. Gather those feedback and add it as part of your research. Focus also on how your new theory can improve NPS, user engagement or drive efficiency. If you have any verifiable stats, throw it in there.

This, in my opinions, beats any cover letter you will ever write. This is not saying you shouldn’t send in a cover letter. Please send one and don’t forget to attach your resume too. The beautiful thing is that what you wrote as the things you will fix might just become your KPI

Everyone is looking for a problem solver and this is one way you can differentiate yourself from the crowd. If your interest is in ops and you have noticed some inefficiency, this also can work there.

And when you’re called for that interview, go with a PowerPoint. Ask your interviewers for an opportunity to present. They will be stunned. Do a SWOT analysis of competing products, print it on an A4 and share it to the panellists. They wouldn’t see that one coming.

In addition to all of these, read about the company, get as much knowledge as possible about what they do, how they make money and what problem they exist to solve. Go on LinkedIn and Twitter and cold DM current or past employees of the company. Ask questions; culture, compensation and any other thing of interest.

In 2020, don’t just do “basic things,” go the extra mile. Stand out. Give yourself an opportunity to succeed.

Here’s to you winning and owning this year. 🍾🍾

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Do you want to say hello? Email me - celestineomin@gmail.com

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