Product Manager- The Profile of a Jet Setter

The success of every product in the market depends on careful planning and strategy which is why a product manager has a crucial role to play in any industry be it manufacturing, transport, computers, and publishing, retail and data processing services and so on.

Right from product development to market research, sales, advertising and even public relations, product managers have a role to play in all these areas as they are the ones responsible to plan and develop the marketing strategy for any product or group of products.

A product manager’s job comprises of estimating the demand for a product and look for potential customers. They also keep a track of competing products in the market and develop pricing and product promotion strategies. A product manager is only second to the marketing manager or marketing director in corporate hierarchy.

The job of a product manager is a versatile one which requires the candidate to be creative and capable of communicating across various departments within the corporate. The person also needs to stay abreast with the latest technological developments so that he can handle any challenge in the modern competitive business environment.

Educational Requirements

You may become a product manager if you have at least a bachelor’s degree in any discipline and advanced training in fields like marketing, economics, business law, market research or advertising. Some employers look for an advanced degree in business administration also. Some industries like electronics and computers prefer candidates who have an engineering degree and an advanced degree in business administration as well.

A search in the U.S. university directory can be helpful in finding the right course for the job.
A qualified candidate can seek an entry level position in the corporate world as a sales representative or market researcher or product specialist and then, as they gather experience, they may be promoted to the level of product manager.

Career Development

The job of a product manager is high profile one and also involves a lot of work. This is a stressful job, complete with numerous meetings and tight deadlines. The earnings from the job are also equally handsome and vary according to the manager’s experience and responsibility and the role he plays in the organization. Many successful managers have turned out to become successful entrepreneurs or top executives.