I'm a software engineer with close to 3 years of work experience in Java, python and data engineering. I think becoming a PM at Google would be my dream career or the best career I can think of, for me. However, there might be a large gap between where I am and where I want to be. I'm already considering going for an MBA though not sure if it would be really necessary or helpful. How can I bridge the gap and prepare myself for becoming a PM at Google?
Why do you want to switch to PM? What motivation do you have that makes you feel it’s better than software engineer? Don’t you feel like anyone can be a manager and the competition to landing a PM role at a company like google is damn near impossible, whereas a software engineer is mostly talent that can be more quantifiable in an interview making landing a job a bit easier?
I would like to be in charge of whatever I do and at the same time, grow in my career. Growth in engineering is slow, I feel and as you may become expensive, either you move to management or get cost cut at some point of time. However, PM role is more performance driven with possiblity to grow and rise up as fast as your performance. You don't have to be part of a herd and then make your voice heard.
This could be a long path and it sounds like jumping straight into MBA is expensive and there are cheaper ways to get started and validate this really is for you. Find a way to pair up with a product manager in your current company. Look for mentor ship. Look for a way to shadow or do a-day-in-the-life of a PM. If you can’t even do this then I’d question two tenants of being a product manager - influence and negotiation. Realize that there are two PM related roles (look at amazon for insight) Product Manager (ceo of Product) and Product Manager Technical or Product Owner (Agile term). Look at the organizations that do Product Manager certification. Get the study curriculum. Find ways to practice where you are. Find lateral moves that put you closer. Hint: if companies are steering you towards technical roles instead of PM roles it’s probably because you’re not walking and talking like a PM. That means you’d fail. Thank them for the feedback but act and research what a PM does do. Much of what a PM does is focused on improving existing products. Understand the product life cycle and what happens at each stage. Look at training providers: the product school, Roman pilcher’s product management framework Look at books such as product manager survival guide and handbook by Steven Haines. He also has a huge podcast library and training. Yes, you could go off and spend 80k-350k on an MBA but there are faster, cheaper and better resources. Also look through blind for the Product Manager interview prep here on blind. There are some amazing references and it will show you just how broad a space you need to learn... ...Much more than just an MBA
If you are a hotshot, you can get a full scholarship for MBA like me.
What path can product manager or program manager take you to ?
CEO or President.
I don't think this is true. President is all about operations, to keep the company functioning. CEO is about making connections and sales.
first become a PM somewhere else. by then you might not care about google anymore.
Few comments: (1) the banter with the Amazon MIT guy is hilariously trolling. (2) doing an MBA just to be a PM feels not worth it. You’ll learn more about being a PM by working with a PM and understanding people and products. A good PM will test out the hypothesis of wanting to be a PM in the fastest way possible — spending 2 years in an MBA doesn’t feel right. (3) have you applied to some PM roles? (4) are you sure you want to be a PM? Based on what you mentioned, PM is not necessarily the answer. You can do all those things in smaller teams, startups, etc...and not be a PM. I suggest you PM your career!
1) Thanks. Glad to hear. 2) An MBA is like a brand or tag to make you stand out from the crowd, build a network and hence grow in your career, eventually. It's not necessary for just being a PM but helpful in growing in any management role, in general. 3) Yes. To some roles, though with no responses to my applications. 4) It's definitely a path, I'd like to explore, other than being owner of my own business. You know, PMs are sometimes referred to as mini-CEOs, so I think such a role can give me some real sense and feeling of a business owner or in charge of something meaningful. Of course, it may not be my ultimate career or the last career of my life, but still something I feel excited about doing for now.
Tech Industry
Yesterday
1125
I haven’t done shit today!
Tech Industry
2d
42809
Worried that our top performer is an attrition risk. How do managers handle this?
Tech Industry
Yesterday
3195
Avoid teams with only Chinese or Indians especially with a Chinese/Indian manager
India
Yesterday
284
Heard congress distributing wealth
Product Management Career
Yesterday
416
TikTok Internal Situation. Should I join with huge bump in compensation?
Have you thought of trying to switch to a PM role at your current company, get some experience (say, 1-2 years), then move to Google?
Yes. But, not able to switch. First, there aren't so many opportunities and then there's the profile difference. I'm even willing to switch to some other company for a PM role but I only get considered for na engineering role. That's why MBA seems like the way to go.
I'd suggest to adjust your resume so it would look like you handled some of PM duties in parallel with software engineering at your jobs. And then try to apply to as many companies as you can for a PM role. You may still get rejected by a hundred of those, but there will be still some that would decide to give you a chance. I'm not suggesting to actually lie, but still you probably could adjust your resume, as well as your behavior at interviews, to make yourself look like a person with some product management experience.