How to transform your resume to apply for a Product Management position?
Are you trying to break into Product Management and having a hard time getting called in for an interview? Thinking your resume may be affecting your chances? In this session, Haydee gave tips on how to transform your resume so that it highlights the experience and skills to get you in the door. This session is ideally suited for User Experience professionals, Business Analysts, or Developers seeking to transition into Product Management.
8. How to Make Your Resume
Product Friendly
Haydee Hernandez, Sr. Product Manager at Ticketmaster
haydee.hernandez@ticketmaster.com
9. How long have you been applying for
Product Management positions?
Haven’t started?
Been applying for less than 3
months?
Been applying for 3-6 months?
Been applying for 6+ months?
11. How far have you gotten into the
hiring process?
Never gotten a call back?
Never gotten past the recruiter?
Never gotten past the initial
interview?
12. You are not alone
- I’m a former Information Architect.
- I’m a former Project Manager.
- I’m a former Analyst.
And now I’m a Senior Product Manager
at Ticketmaster!
13. You can make the leap too by..
- Transforming your resume bullet points to include lots of LUV
- Leadership
- User Focused
- Value Driven
- Adding a good summary
14. Leadership
Job Description Qualifications What could I call out on my resume from previous experience?
Own a Roadmap - When has someone trusted you enough to give you ownership of an
important deliverable?
- Can you identify piece of recurring work that you own?
Define User Stories
Requirements Gathering
- When have you taken an ambiguous area and brought clarity to it?
- When have you gotten buy-in from multiple groups on the big picture?
- Can you give others clear written instructions on what’s needed?
Prioritize Backlog - When have you had to make tough choices?
- Can I say no?
- How do I make decisions on what to prioritize?
Work cross-functionally
Collaborate
Matrix organization
- What roles have I collaborated with that are similar to ones that Product
Managers collaborate with? UX? Analysts? Developers? Business
Stakeholders?
- How well can you influence others when you don’t have direct authority?
Triage bug requests - How do you handle a crisis?
15. User Focused
Job Description Qualifications What could I call out on my resume from previous experience?
Advocate
Ambassador
- When have you fought for something that the customer
needed even when the business may not have immediately
wanted to provide it?
User Research
User Testing
- How do you learn what customers want?
- What insights have you gathered that improved the value of a
project you’ve delivered?
Interact with Customer - On your projects, who have you interacted with that is the
Customer? How do interact with them? How often do you
interact with them?
16. Value Driven
Job Description Qualifications What could I call out on my resume from previous experience?
Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs)
Metrics
- What quantifiable data do you have that proves that your work
has improved the business? Reduced time? Added new
revenue /market? Grew an existing revenue stream?
Deadlines - How often do you deliver on-schedule?
- Have you ever delivered on-time despite great challenges?
How did you do that?
18. Put LUV in one bullet. You have an amazing
STORY!*Before
“Researched and evaluated a build vs. buy scenario; Gathered use cases and built a product;
Saved $60,000.”
After (Leadership + User Focused + Value Driven).
“Saved the department $60,000 [Value Driven] by advocating to build a data
extractor/modifier/loader product rather than buy one [User Focused]; Recommended
decision to governing committee of Sr. directors and Managers. [Leadership] Built the
product.”
*Excerpt from a resume of a Developer transforming himself into a Product Manager who prefers to remain anonymous.
19. Two parts of LUV are better than one.
Before
“Worked with product owners to create product roadmap and manage backlogs; used
analytical decision making.”
After (Leadership + User Focused)
“Collaborated with client account managers and senior executives to funnel user requirements
[User focused]and maintain product roadmap by managing backlog using Jira. [Leadership]”
*Excerpt from a resume of a Developer transforming himself into a Product Manager who prefers to remain anonymous.
20. Feeling there’s not enough LUV in your resume?
- Ask for more responsibility at your current job to enhance the parts of LUV
you’re missing.
- Feature project work from courses, particularly those launched for companies /
non-profits.
- Add volunteer activities. Put these items at the end of your resume.
21. The final touch - a good summary.
- Highlight strengths - technology, LUV, and/or personality strengths
- Reaffirm interest in pursuing a product management career
Example*
“Strong background in Computer Science, Consumer Technology and B2B software. Driven,
intellectually curious, and passionate about all things tech and beyond. Fast learner and self-starter with
strong problem solving, analytical, creative, interpersonal, management and communication skills.
Seeking to utilize abilities and advance skills in the fields of Product/Program Management, Marketing,
Biz-Dev, and Business Analytics.”
*Excerpt from Yehuda Grossman’s resume summary.
23. Part-time Product Management Courses in
San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New York, Austin,
Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Denver, London, Toronto
www.productschool.com
Editor's Notes
understand web analytics, learn SQL, and machine learning concepts