How to Transition from Software Engineering to Product Management

What did you Want out of the Right Product Manager Job for Yourself?

I wanted to be respected by a peer of people who are smart, down to earth, and really respect me for my skills and opinions, as well as getting a pay bump. To me, financial aspects are an indicator that a company does respect me, that they do see me at a level beyond just “someone who’s getting things done.” No, I’m getting things done and I have a vision. Being respected for my product vision, things that I can get done on a day-to-day basis, as well as a leader. I want people to see me as a leader and that’s what I got I think for my job offer.

How many Interviews were you Averaging a Week After Applying to all Product Manager Jobs in the Market? What did that do for your Confidence Level?

I was doing at least four interviews a day, so 10 to 20 interviews a week. I became so confident. The first time I did a round one, round two, round three and onwards, I was so nervous. I just wanted it to go well; I worried about it overnight and thought about it the whole time. But by the time you do about two to three days of those kinds of interviews, it’s the same questions. You have the same stories. It’s the same thing over and over again. I can honestly do it in my sleep right now, and there’s no sweats for me at this point because of the repetition. You do it over and over again and there are only so many different types of questions they’re going to ask you. You basically become a master in a very short period of time.

What are Some Words of Advice that you have for Those Currently Going Through the Job Hunting [rocess?

First, stop overthinking. This is not that hard; it’s a numbers game. You need the experts in the community, but you can do this because it’s not rocket science at all. Just do it and stop doubting yourself. You are incredible and offer so much value and if your current coworkers and company can’t see it, that’s their loss. You don’t have to put the energy into trying to convince them; you can convince new people, companies and opportunities. They exist, even if it feels like it’s not there for you right now, it’s out there. You just haven’t seen it and you can find it as long as you put yourself out there, so I would say definitely stop overthinking, apply in mass, and find the right community for you to support you.