Product Gym vs BrainStation

It’s difficult to break into the field of product management. However, with the right strategy, you can shift into this position in a not only straightforward way but also a profitable one. Today, we’ll examine Product Gym vs BrainStation, two of the most well-known names in product management programs.

With so many companies offering product management training, determining what sets one apart from the others can be complex. Although we are clearly biased, we feel we come out on top in the Product Gym vs BrainStation debate. Our program offers a variety of services and benefits that our competitors do not.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Career Coaching

Career Coaching	Product Gym	BrainStation
Career Coaches	Yes	No
The Product Gym Lifetime Membership	Yes	No
On-Campus Recruiting	Yes	No
Member Portal and Web-Based Resources	Yes	No

One of the most crucial aspects of any job transitioning course is the level of Career Support you’ll receive during your enrollment in the program. Breaking into product management is a competitive field: having a supportive environment to hold you accountable is essential.

Product Gym’s Career Coaches come from a technical recruitment background and are here to help you through the entire process. You’ll always have the support you need to become a successful Product Manager. Our course has been designed with securing you a position in a top firm in mind.

Product Gym In-Residence Career Coaches are here to assist you in reaching your Career Goals faster by: 

• Creating a unique career-management plan.
• Providing assistance with self-evaluation tasks.
• Offering a suite of tools for researching industries and job.
• Developing essential job skills (e.g., resume writing, networking).
• Conducting mock interviews used to teach interpersonal presenting methods.
• Examining employment offers and instructing on how to negotiate.
• Providing ideas to help you transition into the ideal Product Manager job for you based on your talents and industry expertise.

If you want to see what others are saying, read what our alumni have to say on our SwitchUp Review Page.

The Product Gym Lifetime Membership Network

Product Gym members get unrestricted access to our lifetime membership network. With such a vast network to pull from, you’ll find more than just a few doors open to you. 

Introduction to Technical Recruiters

We also give you access to a vendor list for Technical Recruiting that has been pre-screened. Thanks to our due diligence, you won’t have to question if the recruiter you’re dealing with is watching out for your best interests. Our Technical Recruiters assist with companies of all sizes to ensure that the best Product Managers in each market are hired.

On-Campus Recruiting

On-campus recruitment services are available to all Product Gym members and grads. Companies frequently seek Product Gym for help filling vacancies since we specialize in teaching Product Managers.

Member Portal and Web-Based Resources

Product Gym members get full access to the company’s one-of-a-kind web-based career management services. Our online resources provide a wealth of content geared to the needs of Product Gym members, including:

• Articles
• Archive of interview questions and classes
• Online Guides
• Relevant Links

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Branding 

Branding	Product Gym	BrainStation
Resume Revamp	Yes	Yes
LinkedIn Profile Optimization	Yes	No
Cover Letter Revamp	Yes	Yes
Tailored Backstory	Yes	No

We’ll guide you on how to revamp your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, and backstory for recruiting software or resume bots within the second week of enrolling with Product Gym. You will create a rough draft as part of our course, and we will aid you with the final product. To ensure quality assurance, you will not be able to apply until your resume has been accepted.

Resume Revamp

We know how recruiting works and how Product Management hiring teams comb through resumes at Product Gym. You’ll discover how to brand and optimize your resume so that it gets past the resume bots that stand between you and the Product Manager job you’re seeking. Every job advertisement on the internet will be personalized to your freshly revised CV. You won’t have to waste time tailoring your CV for jobs where you might not get a response.

Once you’ve signed up for Product Gym, our Program Coordinator will guide you through the Member Portal. Here, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to write a take-notice resume. Our Program Coordinator will proofread your résumé before approving your application.

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

Did you realize that 80% of open Product Manager positions aren’t even listed on job boards? These are the only jobs where companies hire skilled technical recruiters and headhunters to help them find applicants. Your LinkedIn profile has only one purpose: to help you land more of the interviews you desire. Those of you who work in accounting, banking, consulting, finance, sales, marketing, and a few other specialized fields are probably already getting LinkedIn Inmail Messages about opportunities you’re not interested in.

Product Gym will help you optimize your LinkedIn profile for the jobs that matter the most to you.

Cover Letter Revamp

Most Product Managers we speak with will not consider a Product Manager for a position unless they have a well-written cover letter, which is why Product Gym will help you write one that stands out.

Tailored Backstory

We’ll also help you create a customized backstory that will help you sell your background and expertise. You’ll stand out from the crowd with a personalized background that highlights your strengths rather than your flaws, tailored for every interview.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Application Training

Scalable Application Training	Product Gym	BrainStation
Scalable Application Methodology	Yes	No
Introduction to Technical Recruiters	Yes	No
Application Assistant	Yes	No

You will begin applying for Product Manager opportunities 10 to 14 days after enlisting with us. Our rivals will pressure you to apply for employment at the end of your course, or even after it is over.

Since the goal of these courses is to secure you a position, it doesn’t make sense to wait until the end. The only advantage your Product Management Instructor has is the expertise they can convey during real Product Management interviews. We ask that our members apply within 10 to 14 days since we understand that recruiting teams require time to reply to applications.

Scalable Application Methodology

Using our tried-and-true Application Methodology, you can apply to 60 to 100 jobs in about an hour. We recognize that you have a lot on your plate right now, so we built a solution that allows you to scale your application submission process rather than spending countless hours hunting for suitable Product Manager roles.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Interview Support

Interview Support	Product Gym	BrainStation
Start Interviewing Now	Yes	No
Interview Feedback	Yes	No
Office Hours designed to address and archive interview questions submitted by members — these questions are answered daily by our coaches	Yes	No
Real-Time Coaching Feedback (Office Hours)	Yes	No

Start Interviewing Now

In addition to teaching the skills required to become a great Product Manager, Product Gym focuses on assisting you in obtaining your own interviews so you can find the appropriate Product Manager role faster. Completing an application and hearing back from the business to which you applied takes time, with most taking anywhere between 4 and 6 weeks to respond.

You should apply to as many jobs as possible so that you can start interviewing right away. You can begin securing interviews with us within 21 days after enrolling, whereas with BrainStation, you won’t be allowed to begin interviewing until the session is over, and the only support you can find is from other alumni.

Interview Feedback

Before we even published our first course, we were able to amass a large database of Product Management interview questions. We’ve offered feedback on each of our members’ interviews to evaluate what they did well, what they need to work on, and how they can improve.

Extensive Vault of Company Product Management Interview Questions with Answers 

We have over 3,000 Product Management Interview Questions and Answers in our database. We sorted them all out for you so you didn’t have to.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Case Study Support 

Case Study Support	Product Gym	BrainStation
Case Study and Interview Assignment Support	Yes	No
Senior Member Support (support that comes from senior members who have done a case study with a relevant company)	Yes	No

Typically, there are four rounds in every Product Management interview. Case studies and interview assignments have become more popular between the 2nd Round Phone Interview and the 3rd Round Onsite Interview. In this area, BrainStation does not provide any aid to its members, a skill that is crucial for every Product Manager candidate to thrive in the market.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Course Content

Course Content	Product Gym	BrainStation
5-Hour Technical Engineering Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Design Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Data Analytics Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Marketing Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Strategy Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Culture Fit and Behavior Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
Subject Matter Experts as Instructors	Yes	No
Course Duration	6 Weeks	10 Weeks
Course Material Access	12 Months	6 Months
Enrollment	Anytime	Scheduled

How do the two courses compare in terms of providing instruction in necessary Product Management skills?

Our course content is streamlined on helping you have a great interview and excelling on the job. The questions you’re asked are relevant to the role you’ll be hired for, according to our database of Product Management Interview Questions. We also provide details on all of the abilities you’ll need to perform amazingly on the job, with more skills being added as our market needs dictates.

Product Gym Course Content 

At Product Gym, we understand how critical interviews are, and one of our primary objectives is to teach you how to prepare for them. You’ll learn what’s expected of you in an interview and receive feedback on your performance. You’ll also receive access to a database containing over 3,000 interview questions and answers, which you can use to practice.

In addition to the vault of interview questions, we provide a variety of interview workshops to help you prepare for the real thing. Our weekly 5-hour workshops cover technical engineering, product design, data analysis, product marketing, product strategy, and culture fit and behavior to help you grasp how these fundamentals relate to the interviews.

BrainStation Course Content 

BrainStation does offer a session covering interviews. However, the course’s major focus is on acquiring work-related skills rather than on how to secure a job. 

Product Gym Instructors

Another aspect to consider when choosing your Product Management course is the degree of support you’ll receive. Because teachers are so important in a Product Management course, having a large number of instructors or coaches to turn to for assistance is essential. While both our course and BrainStation’s bootcamp instructors will all have prior Product Management experience, it would be challenging to compare their quality within their profession. However, teaching is a separate skill than job performance, and Product Gym has a significant advantage in this area.

BrainStation Instructors

At BrainStation, each course has only one primary instructor. This means that if you need help or direction, you can only contact one person throughout the bootcamp. While the teacher may be a seasoned Product Manager, they may struggle to provide you with the customized attention you deserve. Because the instructor is likely overburdened, you may fall through the cracks and not receive the help you require due to a lack of time.

Mastery or, at the very least, expertise in a range of domains is required for product management, and no Product Manager is perfect. Some Product Managers will be better at teaching you specific aspects of the job than others. If there’s only one primary instructor, there’s no way to tell if you’re getting the best possible instruction for every component of Product Management.

At Product Gym, you are taught by subject matter experts, including: 

• Technical and Software Engineering Leads
• Product Designers, UX Designers/Researchers
• Data Scientists 
• Product Marketing Managers
• Product Strategists 

They’ll co-teach the course with the primary Product Management instructor, focusing each of their 2.5-hour sessions on the topic they have most expertise in so you get the most out of each meeting.

A Product Management onsite interview might last anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. How much time off from your day job can you take before it becomes obvious that you’re looking for anything else? We thought that inviting a slew of stakeholders you’ll engage with on a daily basis as a Product Manager would be the most beneficial thing we could do for you in your job search and career development. The more you understand how these stakeholders think, the simpler it will be to ace the interview, regardless of what questions you are asked at the onsite interview (as it is impossible to know the answer to every question).

As previously indicated, each course on BrainStation is limited to one instructor. It would be difficult for one person to keep track of how each individual member is doing, and you may not always receive the assistance you need.

Product Management Course Duration

All of our members get access to our course materials for an additional 12 months after your course has ended. This is because we understand that your transition may take some time.

We enroll you in a pre-course session right away, so you don’t have to wait for your class to start.

When you have a full-time job and other obligations, it might be difficult to find time to take a full-time product management course. Our Product Management course is part-time and meets twice a week after work, making it the shortest and most flexible course available. The BrainStation system takes ten weeks to complete, and the registration process might take months.

Product Management Course Material Access

Only Product Gym can offer you access to course materials after the course has ended, which lasts up to one year.

It would be outlandish to anticipate that everyone who enrolls in a Product Management course will find a job within the course’s term regardless of their choice. We understand that some people have a more challenging time securing open positions than others. As a result, we give our students access to our course materials for up to 12 months after joining. Your access to course materials at BrainStation expires six months after the course ends, so whether you obtain a job or not, you won’t get any further help.

Product Management Course Enrollment 

You can join Product Gym any time that is convenient for you and receive the complete six weeks of teaching. The courses at BrainStation have set start and finish dates, and the enrollment period can last several months.

With Product Gym, the course starts when you want it to.

Product Gym vs BrainStation: Full Program Breakdown

Career Coaching	Product Gym	BrainStation
Career Coaches	Yes	No
The Product Gym Lifetime Membership	Yes	No
On-Campus Recruiting	Yes	No
Member Portal and Web-Based Resources	Yes	No

Branding	Product Gym	BrainStation
Resume Revamp	Yes	Yes
LinkedIn Profile Optimization	Yes	No
Cover Letter Revamp	Yes	Yes
Tailored Backstory	Yes	No

Scalable Application Training	Product Gym	BrainStation
Scalable Application Methodology	Yes	No

Interview Support	Product Gym	BrainStation
Start Interviewing Now	Yes	No
Interview Feedback	Yes	No
Office Hours designed to address and archive interview questions submitted by members — these questions are answered daily by our coaches	Yes	No

Case Study Support	Product Gym	BrainStation
Case Study and Interview Assignment Support	Yes	No

Course Content	Product Gym	BrainStation
5-Hour Technical Engineering Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Design Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Data Analytics Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Marketing Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Product Strategy Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
5-Hour Culture Fit and Behavior Fundamentals and Interview Workshop	Yes	No
Subject Matter Experts as Instructors	Yes	No
Course Duration	6 Weeks	10 Weeks
Course Material Access	12 Months	6 Months
Enrollment	Anytime	Scheduled

Big Obvious Disclaimer

The Product Gym team created this content, and though we recognize that we have a strong bias, we’re proud of what we’ve built and accomplished. Our Founder created this course, Richard Chen, to satisfy the needs of a more specialized audience. The purpose of Product Gym is to “make sure you learn in a very practical way how to land a Product Manager job.”

If you still have questions about product management training programs, get in touch with us! We’re offering free career coaching sessions with our in-house team of coaches. We’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you have.