The role of a product manager has become one of the most popular positions in many businesses. Product managers are responsible for numerous duties such as determining what new products to market and how to improve existing products. A product management role often demands a certain level of experience, so as a college student, getting an internship in product management may be challenging.
Product managers typically get paid very well, especially at big companies. As per indeed.com, the average base salary for a product manager at tech giants such as Meta is near $108,000-$200,000.
Several graduates are kicking off their careers with a product management internship. In this article, we will look at how you, as a college student, can find a good product management internship for yourself.
Skills requirements for product management roles
A product management intern needs to be a jack of all trades, soaking up information on fields ranging from data science, user interface design, and website building, to other customer-related business operations such as sales and marketing. The goal is to assimilate this information and provide insights that can help shape the direction of the product.
The primary skills you need to earn a product management internship are:
- Good understanding of data
As a product manager, there will be times when you will have to present data to prove a hypothesis. You need not be a data scientist to get your first product management internship; however, you must have a broad knowledge of how data is gathered, extracted, analysed, and presented.
- Knowledge of coding
Coding skills can be handy for product management interns, especially those working at tech companies. If that’s what you aim for, try taking some coding tests. Remember that different roles on a product team will require different skill sets. For example, some product team interns might focus on interacting with engineers while others would focus on customer relations. When applying for a specific product management internship, make sure your resume is tailored to the role you’re interested in.
- Prototyping
On the one hand, it’s always helpful to know as much as you can about how to create a software product prototype. However, it’s not necessary for an intern to be an expert when it comes to product design. That being said, having some fundamental knowledge can come in handy. For example, if you need to design a prototype for initiating a discussion or testing a hypothesis, being able to visualise your product in its most basic form can help you present your product better as well as save time doing it.
- People management skills
As a product intern, you’ll likely be heavily involved in cross-functional collaboration, pitching your findings to stakeholders, conducting successful user interviews, or simply participating in team meetings. As a product manager, you’ll need to be able to convince others that your ideas are worth pursuing. This means having strong soft skills and a sizeable capability to influence people.
- Understanding the market and customer
Understanding and interacting with clients is a key skill for product management interns. You will be expected to understand the pain points, needs, wishes, and motivations of your target users. If you have experience working on customer-centric teams such as sales, marketing, or business development, this will give you an advantage when applying for a product management internship.
How to land your first product management internship
- Prepare a strong resume and cover letter
Now that you know what skills you should highlight in your resume, let’s understand how to apply and land your product manager internship. Here are the important things to focus on:
When you’re applying for a product management internship, it’s important to put your best foot forward. That means preparing a strong, tailored resume and cover letter. Highlight your top skills, and make sure to emphasise why you’re the perfect fit for the position.
- Build a network, cold outreach, and leverage the alumni network
Building relationships and communicating effectively are two key skills that will serve you well as a product manager. One great way to get started is by reaching out to your schoolmates and other contacts in your academic and professional network. If you don’t have any established connections, don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to make some. Look for recruiters and human resource managers on LinkedIn and introduce yourself. When networking, be sure to express confidence and a willingness to learn.
- Read helpful books
If you want to be a great product manager, you should read books on the topic. One such book is Cracking the PM Interview by Jackie Bavaro and Gayle Laakmann McDowell. It’s a great resource to learn about what it takes to be a successful product manager and gives you great tips on how to crack a product management interview.
- Take up leadership positions
A product manager needs strong leadership skills. If you’re interning in product management, use every opportunity you can to practice your leadership skills. This way, you’ll be better prepared when it comes time to lead your team.
- Apply for internships
Talk to your college’s training and placement department to learn about internship opportunities. This is especially effective if you’re a student. LinkedIn and Indeed are great resources for finding internships. You can also send your resume to companies that are hiring product managers. Stay applying!
Conclusion
A product management internship can be a great stepping stone toward a future career in the field. Not only do you work in a real-world environment, but you also get to work on various products you use and see daily. However, finding a good product management internship is not always easy. Many students who want to pursue a product management internship do not know where to begin.
We at Seekho hope you enjoyed our post about how to find a product management internship as a college student! Your product management internship will help you land a good job after college. To get more insights and the latest updates, Download our App Today!
