Myth of the Magic Course

#4 Career Navigation Series

One recurring question that I keep getting in my Linkedin inbox is which course certification I would like to recommend to get into product management. I have seen a lot of professionals from early to mid years of experience in pursuit of the perfect course to help them get an entry into product management or a different domain of their interest for that matter. This highlights a widespread belief that enrolling in the right course is the key to unlocking career advancement. However, relying solely on courses can lead to misplaced expectations and overlooked strategies necessary for genuine career growth.

In today's competitive job market, courses and certifications are highly sought-after credentials. Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer a myriad of programs tailored to various industries and roles. For professionals, these courses promise:

1. Skill enhancement

2. Boosting Credentials

3. Networking opportunities

4. Career Transition

The accessibility and variety of these courses make them attractive, especially in a diverse and rapidly evolving job landscape like India’s. While courses undoubtedly offer value, relying purely on them and the belief that a course alone can seamlessly navigate one's career trajectory is where the myth begins.

Why courses are not the ultimate solution :

1. Lack of practical experience

Think from a hiring manager mindset, will a working experience in a particular job role appease or just a certification on the resume without any relevant job experience? Job experience always holds priority before any certification. Product management for example is a hands on role - if you haven’t done requirement gathering, made roadmaps, written user stories, crafted wireframes, etc, its difficult to gauge whether you have this skill from a mere certification.

2. Over saturation of certificates

With many professionals enrolling in similar courses, the job market can become saturated with candidates holding the same certifications. This diminishes the unique value that a single course can provide, making it harder to stand out.

3. Neglect of soft skills and personal attributes

Product management isn’t just about technical know how, it’s about communication, leadership, and adaptability. Courses might touch on these areas, but true proficiency comes from navigating real world interactions and challenges.

4. Importance of networking and genuine mentoring

Building a robust professional network and having access to mentors are vital for career growth. While courses can facilitate some networking, genuine, meaningful connections often stem from diverse experiences and proactive industry engagement. During your course you might end up realising that you know little beyond your classmates and online instructors. You will miss out on the rich, real-world connections that could propel your career forward.

Beyond the course : What should one do then?

Here is a more effective path you could consider if you are in the same boat of dillema to opt for a course thinking it of as a magic pill to help you transition in career :

Step 1 : Assess your current role better

Ask yourself, why are you looking for a change? Its best to write down the reasons why you think this current role is of no good to you. Ask your manager, your colleagues, mentors in the field to assess your potential thoroughly. A very common phenomena is to have a blind spot to your real strengths - which you think are above average but in reality you might be doing better than 90% of the folks in your domain. You just don’t know it yet. Before you get to weaknesses validate your strengths thoroughly.

Step 2 : Research the role you want to transition into

Clearly outline what aspects of product management appeal to you and set specific career objectives. Don’t go by what you have read or heard on internet. Talk to product managers who are doing it day on day. Try to understand the role better and see if your strengths are having any overlap with the role.

Step 3 : Identify opportunities to gain practical experience for the role

Start from your current org. Lookout for projects internally where you could work closely with the desired role folks to understand day to day working closely. Talk to your manager and express your interest in the role or project that provides you hands on experience. Spend some time with those in the desired role in the company and sound board with them your thoughts and ideas.

Step 4 : Continuously upskill yourself

Learn and grasp the basic concepts of the desired role. Follow blogs, podcasts, books etc of leaders from the domain to build your own understanding of the domain.

Step 5 : Start Building a portfolio

Beyond learning concepts and talking to folks, start building something tangible as if you were in the desired role. For example, those seeking to transition into product roles, can start to write product cases, build wireframes, publish teardowns of apps, etc. Volunteer for a friend’s startup to do some product work (build landing pages, help them roadmap, user research, setup analytics etc). This would aid in your showcase to outside world that you just don’t know the concepts but you can actually do it.

Step 6 : Work on your resume

Beyond the course or certification you need to rework your resume from professional summary to projects, accomplishments etc to highlight any product related work you have done to help the machines recognise you as a product manager in their algorithms and also the HR managers to shortlist you seeing the keywords.

Step 7 : Craft a compelling story

One big question you will keep getting in your interview is - why transition to this role? You need to absolutely nail down this question. My advice would be to prepare a strong script to answer this question. Your story should connect the dots and should come out as a logical outcome of the conversation that you are best suited to get into product management.

Step 8 : Do Mock Interviews

Test everything above you have done by applying to jobs and preparing to crack the interview. Don’t shy away in applying to jobs even if you don’t wish to work there - treat them as a practice mocks. Checkout platforms like topmate and do mock interviews with industry folks.

Step 9 : Choose wisely

So you have landed a offer from a company for the desired role. While you should be happy you nailed it but be cautious of opting for the one which best suits your aspirations. Evaluate between good brand, good money, good work - mostly you will end up getting any two of these and will have to compromise on the third. Choose wisely as per your career goals as you see them today!

Navigating a successful career transition requires a holistic approach that integrates practical experience, soft skills development, strategic networking, and continuous learning. By moving beyond the myth of the magic course and embracing a comprehensive career development strategy, professionals can navigate their career paths with greater confidence and success.

If you would like to chat about your next move, I am available to help you navigate - book a session here : https://topmate.io/neerajsharma