For those who’ve renewed your dedication to getting a Product Administration job this yr (whether or not it’s your first ever or a transfer to greener pastures) job postings are a minefield! The right job posting paints an image of who the corporate is, what it’s prefer to work there, what they count on from the place, and will give a way of the advantages.
Generally, corporations can inadvertently let you know some fairly vital issues about themselves…by crimson flags.
(PS. These crimson flags are issues that candidates might be looking out for! For those who’re a hiring supervisor attempting to draw the proper individuals, try: Hiring A Product Supervisor: Job Posting Templates)
🚩 It’s a Venture Administration job, not Product Administration
This crimson flag stems from the identical downside; a basic misunderstanding of what Product Administration is. Within the grand scheme of issues, Product Administration and Venture Administration are pretty comparable (and it’s a disgrace that they’re each often known as PMs). However there are some essential variations between the 2 roles.
For those who see a job posting for a so-called Product Administration position, however the duties are all centered on ensuring issues are performed on time and inside price range – and there’s no point out of regular Product duties – it’s not the job for you.
Actual Product Administration job postings might be asking for cross-functional collaboration abilities, consumer analysis, roadmapping, proudly owning the backlog, working carefully with engineers, and an understanding of tech. If these issues are lacking, the corporate is in search of a Venture Supervisor, and so they simply don’t comprehend it.
🚩 The duties are obscure
This stems from the identical downside, that some corporations nonetheless don’t actually perceive what Product Administration is or what a Product Supervisor can carry to the desk. If the duties listed within the job description are very obscure, getting employed for that position will in all probability lead to both of the next:
- You’ll don’t have any work to do
- You’ll have an excessive amount of work to do…and none of it impactful
For those who get employed for a obscure job position, the corporate gained’t have a transparent image of what they count on you to do. You would possibly end up sitting round, twiddling your thumbs and questioning what you’re alleged to be getting on with.
Or, you’ll grow to be the catch-all for the duties that nobody else desires to do. Product Administration sits on the intersection of enterprise, design, and know-how. However that doesn’t imply {that a} Product Supervisor is the odd-jobs one that picks up the slack in all of those areas! Positive, you possibly can roll up your sleeves and assist out when wanted, when you’ve got the experience. However a Product Supervisor has their very own job to do. And an organization ought to know precisely what that’s earlier than they rent one.
🚩 Suspiciously excessive ‘incomes potential’
Candidates are normally appreciative of corporations being upfront in regards to the wage vary for his or her open positions, however pay shut consideration to what’s being marketed.
It’s regular for salaries to be determined based mostly on the extent of expertise and experience of a brand new rent. But when an organization is promoting between $60,000 and $160,000 for a Junior Product Supervisor position, assume very rigorously earlier than making use of. It’s extremely unlikely that anybody really earns the upper finish of the wage vary, and an organization that makes use of dishonesty to draw expertise from Day 1 might be going to be a ache to work for!
And if they’re telling the reality, it’s seemingly that there’s no standardized course of for deciding salaries. You would possibly end up incomes considerably lower than your coworkers who do precisely the identical job as you, all as a result of your powers of negotiation weren’t as robust within the interview stage.
Take a look at: How you can Negotiate Your Subsequent Product Supervisor Wage
🚩 You must work on your interview
It’s regular within the tech trade, if you attain a sure degree or are vying for a job at an especially common firm, some sort of take-home activity could be anticipated as a part of the method. However there’s a restrict to how a lot it is best to count on to do without spending a dime.
Most authentic take-home duties shouldn’t take quite a lot of hours, with the choice of spending as a lot time on it as you’re feeling like. If a take-home activity goes to take you a minimal of an entire weekend, you’re being taken benefit of.
It’s not remarkable for corporations to ask candidates to finish a activity associated to their product, after which implement their concepts with out ever hiring them!
Whenever you get by to the later phases of the interview course of, it’s typical to see take-home duties, particularly at bigger corporations. However be cautious of corporations that ask you for homework earlier than you’ve even had a face-to-face dialog with anybody.
🚩An excessive amount of expertise for an entry-level position
It’s very a lot a chicken-and-egg downside. How do you get Product Administration expertise, in case you can’t get a job with out Product Administration expertise? Be cautious of the businesses that exacerbate the issue by asking for 4 years of Product Administration expertise for an APM place.
The Product Leaders we’ve spoken to on our podcast, and by our occasions all say that abilities and capabilities are extra vital than official PM expertise. So we all know that there are many roles on the market which can be accepting individuals from every kind of disciplines which have these core abilities.
Be cautious of a job that asks for 10+ years of expertise in Product Administration for a seemingly ‘entry-level’ position. In these roles, you’ll have Head of Product duties on a Junior Product Supervisor’s wage.
🚩 It’s one-sided with quite a lot of necessities
Jobs are a two-way avenue. Workers present their time, dedication, expertise, and information. And in return, corporations present a wage, and different advantages which will embrace healthcare, schooling, pension plans, tools, PTO, and many others.
Good corporations that care about their individuals perceive the significance of this two-way avenue. These are the sorts of corporations you could construct the foundations of a terrific profession with.
So watch out for the businesses that aren’t excited to let you know about all the good issues they’ll supply in trade on your laborious work. If a job description has an extended checklist of expectations and necessities for the position, however they don’t spotlight what you’ll get aside from a wage, that’s a crimson flag!
Working for corporations that count on the world from you and don’t really feel obliged to offer you a lot in return is a depressing expertise. You’ll must battle tooth and nail for advantages that a lot of the trade has as an ordinary.
Firms that care about their individuals might be excited to let you know about their versatile working hours, dog-friendly workplaces, free fitness center passes, limitless PTO, and every other great issues they do to maintain you content and wholesome.
(Talking of, do you know that Product College was listed as among the best remote-first locations to work by BuiltIn? So belief us, we all know a factor or two about conserving our individuals blissful!)
🚩 “Work laborious, play laborious.” “Deliver your entire self to work.”
It’s nice to see so many corporations beginning to carry their tradition and their character to their job roles – it helps to offer a way of what the crew tradition is like.
However a couple of trade favourite cliches like ‘we work laborious and play laborious’, and ‘we carry our entire selves to work’ are beginning to reveal some fairly poisonous office tradition traits.
Let’s take a look at a couple of translations:
“We’re a household.” = “We’ll make you’re feeling responsible for taking time without work/wanting to go away/not working time beyond regulation.”
“Work laborious, play laborious.” = “Work laborious, then really feel excluded for not being a celebration bro.”
“Deliver your entire self to work.” = “We’re going to make you’re feeling like your job is such an integral a part of your character, that you simply’ll by no means need to depart us.”
For those who assume we’re exaggerating for comedic impact…OK, we’re just a little bit. Nevertheless it’s true that many office cultures are lower than preferrred. Tradition needs to be constructed consciously, and it’s not one thing that simply occurs. Firms who use these phrases of their job postings would possibly unintentionally be revealing that their tradition is one thing that occurs by mistake, and whether or not or not you match into it fully will depend on how alike you might be to the present crew.
It’s nice to be buddies with the individuals that you simply work with, particularly in Product the place influencing with out authority could be vastly helped by robust working relationships. However some corporations depend on the friendships fostered between coworkers closely, and don’t put quite a lot of effort into cultivating secure and inclusive areas for everybody. It could possibly find yourself leaving groups working like highschool cliques.
How you can Discover a Product Administration Job That’s Proper For You
Whenever you’re trawling job boards and LinkedIn, it could actually begin to really feel like there are millions of Product Administration jobs on the market, however nothing that’s fairly best for you. Particularly when so a lot of them are stuffed with crimson flags!
So what are you able to do to search out your good match?
- Rethink what your ‘good’ job appears like. For those who’re not having a lot luck discovering something, your search standards may be just a little strict. Have a take into consideration what actually issues to you, and attempt to broaden your horizons.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. For those who’re trying to find jobs on LinkedIn, don’t be afraid to contact the particular person posting the job you’re . They need to be blissful to take your questions, or level you to another person who can. If not…that’s one other signal to not waste your time on them.
- Transcend the job boards. Job boards are nice, however there’s nothing like group for opening doorways. Get networking, and attend occasions like The Product Profession Truthful.
- Strive in search of distant jobs. Maybe you’re already doing this, however in case you’re nonetheless limiting your search to corporations which have workplaces close to you, take into consideration the probabilities distant work presents.
Additional your job hunt by getting your free copy of Employed, the final ebook you’ll ever have to examine getting a job in Product Administration.
