Product Manager
On this page
- What's it like to be a Product Manager?
- How to become a Product Manager
- Latest Product Manager jobs
- Top skills and experience for Product Managers
- Is Product Manager the right role for you?
- Product Manager role reviews
What's it like to be a Product Manager?
Product Managers work within many types of organisations and businesses to oversee the research, development, production, launching and dissemination of new products. The types of products a Product Manager works on depends on the type of business they work in, and might range from software and IT products to pharmacological and food-related products.
Tasks and duties
- Researching customer and/or user needs.
- Talking to business stakeholders to understand key drivers for the product.
- Conducting competitor and market analysis.
- Articulating the vision of the product and creating a product roadmap.
- Managing a cross-functional team to ensure the product is customer-focused while meeting business needs.
- Making sure the product is being developed on time and on budget.
- Managing the product during its lifecycle, including updates based on feedback.
How to become a Product Manager
The steps you’ll need to take to become a Product Manager will depend on the industry you want to work in. Most Product Managers complete a relevant degree in their chosen industry.
Complete a bachelor degree in a relevant field such as information technology or business, which will typically take three years of full-time study.
Consider completing a relevant masters degree such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) to increase your knowledge, skills and employability as a Product Manager. An MBA takes around 18 months of full-time study.
Get industry experience. After completing your studies, you could start off in a coordinator role within a team that develops products to build key skills for your future career.
