How to Transition from Mortgage Underwriter to Product Management

What got you Interested in Product Management?

There are two things. When I got into underwriting and into the financial space, at that time, there was a huge push into disrupting the space, and I saw a lot of companies starting up. At that point, I wanted to start my own company and I read a lot of books, got all of the information on how to develop a product. That knowledge was what attracted me, so I wanted to develop that further. I saw that product was in the center of everything; you talk to so many different departments within a company and learn how to work with all of them to drive something forward. Finance didn’t really offer that since you don’t really build anything at the end of the day. In product, you get that chance to make something.

After Koining Product Gym, How many Interviews were you Averaging a Week?

Around three to four a week, and that’s just round one interviews. For round two interviews, sometimes there would be three a week. For the total amount per week, I averaged at least five. Even when I had slowed because I needed a break, I had two interviews a week. By the time I was done, I ended up with three product manager job offers. I took the best one and ran with it. I’m sure I could have kept on going to get a few more, but I’ve been in the trenches for so long that I was ready to move on.

What Words of Encouragement can you Offer for People that are Considering Joining Product Gym?

Coming from my experience, if you’ve wasted a month by yourself, that’s already too much time that you spent on your own. Get into the community, understand what Product Gym is bringing to you, and do the work. It’s up to you to put the work in. If you do the work, you will get there.