John Fontenot’s Post

Are you looking to get into product management? It can be a mystery. What skills do I need? Do I need a certification? An MBA? Why are my applications constantly getting rejected? Fortunately, there are tried and true methods for gaining credible alternatives to product management experience, and there are steps you can take to increase the number of interviews and job offers you receive. https://lnkd.in/g8YE5zb8

I am excited to be going live to share job search advice for Product Managers with award-winning career coach, Madeline Mann! I'm a huge fan of Madeline's and can't wait to have this convo with her :) 💫 Join us live on Wednesday, August 21 at 9am PST / 12pm EST Here are some insights you can expect: 🍊 How to ensure you have the right strategy to land more Product Manager interviews and offers 🍊 How to make a transition in Product Management - such as changing careers to be a PM or shifting to a new industry 🍊 How AI is impacting the profession 🍊 The right courses and paths to take to launch your career as a Product Manager, or accelerate it For a deep dive into landing your next Product Manager role and advancing your career, join us live: Product Management Careers: Expert Panel Wednesday, August 21 @ 9am PST/12pm EST Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gXSPbyn3 LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gzTBykgB See you there! #ProductManagementTips #ProductManagerCareerAdvice #ProductManagementCareers

How does a product manager land two offers in three months in an incredibly difficult market? In today’s feature, join me, Shobhit, the founder of Intentional Product Manager, as we dive into an enlightening conversation with Sally Niu. Sally, a marketer turned product manager, shares her transformative journey through our Intentional Job Search (IJS) program, where she successfully landed two job offers within just three months of joining. Sally walks us through her experience, detailing the pivotal moments and the comprehensive support she received that drastically improved her storytelling skills—something she identified as a major hurdle in her previous job applications. Despite having significant experience in both B2B SaaS and marketplace products, Sally struggled to convey her value effectively during interviews. IJS offered her the tools and coaching necessary to refine her narrative, align it with key product management competencies, and polish her personal branding across her resume and LinkedIn profile. What makes Sally's story even more compelling are the mock interviews and live practice sessions provided by IJS, which she credits for her newfound confidence and success in landing competitive roles. Additionally, Sally discusses her initial hesitations about the program's return on investment and how a recommendation from a trusted friend who was an IJS alumna finally convinced her to take the leap. Beyond just securing job offers, Sally highlights the invaluable network and community she gained through IJS—a supportive environment that continues to benefit her well beyond the job search. This video is a must-watch for any product managers who find themselves stuck or unnoticed in their career progression. Discover how intentional strategies and a supportive community can elevate your professional journey, just like they did for Sally. Watch and be inspired to redefine your own career path with Intentional Job Search, where we don't just prepare you to land a job; we prepare you to excel in it and make a significant impact in your field. Are you ready to be the next success story? Join us and transform your career trajectory with Intentional Job Search. Watch and Enjoy! Shobhit. Key Moments in this Episode ======================== 00:00 - Introduction and Impact on her career 01:44 - Her hesitations about Intentional Job Search and the decision to take the leap 02:50 - Her biggest AHA moments in the program 04:00 - Her advice for you https://lnkd.in/gmqDCrCu

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 requires more than just a few product teardowns 🎯 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: ======== 1. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 ≠ 𝐏𝐌 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 2. 𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Be cautious of programs that make such promises. Instead, focus on building a strong foundation and skills that will make you an attractive candidate 3. 𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 6-8 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 It takes consistent effort to learn and dive deep into problem solving (which gets enabled if you have fundamental knowledge) 4. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 ======================= 1. Offers 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 2. Provides 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 and reinforce learning via 1:1 feedback 3. Offers 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 to apply concepts to real world scenario 4. Offers 1:1 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 to build your profile and be ready for facing PM interview 5. Provides 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 6. Offers 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 to help you succeed Lastly, 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 as the path to cracking a PM position is challenging. Stay committed, learn continuously 🚀 #productmanagement #career #productmanager #learning

I don't like Product Management interview home assignments So I try to time cap them and work on features I REALLY want to see. Sharing my approach hopefully it'll help other PdM. This is an assignment I handed in (and passed). This was for a Product Manager position. The home assignment was pretty standard. Prepare a 30 minutes presentation on a product you built or use and present how you'll improve it. I decide to present a suggestion for an intros feature in LinkedIn. My goals here are: 1. Share with other ppl so it might help them. 2. Maybe someone in LinkedIn sees this and builds it :-) 🙏🏼 https://lnkd.in/dvdAQCC9

How to be a Successful Product Manager? If you had read between the lines of my last post (https://lnkd.in/gk3MwZcK), you would have noticed that the template I shared is not just a template but a way of thinking. You should ideally use it when starting a new role as a Product Manager (PM). Because it is better to be intentioned and live through successful stories than to prepare stories during the job search. Re-phrasing the template for the current context: When you join a new company, focus on clearly understanding the following: 1. What does the company, product, or team do? This is your area of responsibility. 2. At what stage are you joining? This includes factors like the product’s development stage, number of customers, revenue, and team size. These are the areas where you could make a difference. 3. What are the current goals? Ensure to understand how the company’s vision translates into strategy and specific goals. 4. How can you help move the product from where it is now to where it wants to be? Get clear answers to these questions as soon as you can when you start. Achieving the goals and making an impact isn’t easy, but knowing your purpose and direction helps in progressing ahead positively. You’ll obviously experience both successes and challenges along the way. And when the time comes for you to move on, it is just about looking back at where you started and where you are now but cherishing the experience as a whole. You don't need to scramble to build a resume and prepare answers. Focus on making an impact from Day 1 with clarity and focus, and you’ll succeed as a Product Manager no matter where you are. #productmanagement #successfulcareer

Looking for a product management role? I have spent 20 years in product. I boiled down my job advice to 3.5 hrs of content to help you get a PM job. It's available on my site for free. I hope it's helpful, take a look or share it with somebody you know. https://lnkd.in/dgxi6ADa It includes: ✺Insider secrets to get your LinkedIn profile to show up in recruiters’ searches ✺Tips for passing the resume screen and getting in the door ✺Frameworks for handling behavioral and case study interviews ✺Proven advice for turning side projects into differentiators that get you hired ✺Info to help you benchmark and negotiate your offer ✺A rubric to grade yourself and track progress

We all seek validation, especially during our lowest phases. This was the case for one of my students who came to me for Product Manager interview preparation. Desperate for a PM role, he had previously been a founder, having built a beautiful product for user testing. Unfortunately, he couldn't secure funding, ultimately lost his resources and having to sunset his creation. When he joined my classes, I was surprised by the number of interviews he had lined up—more than any other student I mentor. Yet, despite his efforts, he couldn't convrt these opportunities into offers. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲? Confidence. The toll of his previous setbacks had shaken his belief in himself. With focused guidance, we worked on rebuilding his confidence and mindset. The result? He cracked a PM role at a leading eCommerce company, starting on July 1st! This journey reminds us that skills and opportunities matter, but the right mindset is crucial. Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective and a boost in confidence to turn things around. 𝗝𝗮𝗯 𝘁𝗮𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗸𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗵𝗶 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘁𝗮, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝗶 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝘁𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝗶. #ProductManagement #CareerJourney #Resilience #MindsetMatters

Have lingering questions about becoming a product manager? In this blog, we address everything you need to know to confidently navigate the exciting world of product management. Dive into our FAQs, career paths, essential skills, interview tips, and more. Take the leap towards your dream career by diving into our Blogs https://lnkd.in/dWCDNCSG #productmanager #Career #learningroutes

There are so many sources of information out there for product managers on their job hunt that it can be overwhelming. One of the best that I've found is Ari Janover's page over at: https://lnkd.in/g_-8kuVg Ari is about as thoughtful and genuine person that you'll talk with and he knows how to cut to the chase and provide you with solid information whether you're a seasoned pro, looking to give new life to your search and an apiring product manager who is looking for that first opportunity. Check out his page and newsletter. I'm using his thoughts about creating a Bespoke Resume to help facilitate the conversations that I'm having with companies. Thanks, Ari! #productmanagement