How can you evaluate the fit between your career goals and product management roles?

1 Assess your skills and interests

Before you start looking for product management roles, you need to have a clear understanding of your own skills and interests. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a product manager? What are the areas that you enjoy and excel at, and what are the ones that you find challenging or boring? What are the skills that you want to develop or improve? You can use various tools and frameworks, such as the Product Management Skills Matrix, to help you assess your current level of competence and confidence in different aspects of product management.

3 Compare the role and the expectations

After you have done your research, you need to compare the role and the expectations that the company has for its product managers. What are the main responsibilities and tasks that the role entails? What are the skills and qualifications that the company is looking for? What are the goals and metrics that the role is measured by? How do they match with your skills and interests? You can use various methods, such as job descriptions, interviews, case studies, and trial projects, to get a better sense of the role and the expectations.

4 Consider the trade-offs and the benefits

Finally, you need to consider the trade-offs and the benefits that the role offers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in that role and that company? How do they affect your career goals and personal life? What are the opportunities and risks that the role involves? How do they align with your risk appetite and growth mindset? You can use various criteria, such as salary, benefits, culture, flexibility, autonomy, impact, learning, and feedback, to weigh the pros and cons of the role.

Evaluating the fit between your career goals and product management roles is not a one-time process, but a continuous one. As you gain more experience and insight, your goals and preferences may change, and so may the roles and expectations. Therefore, you should always keep learning, exploring, and adapting to find your best fit in product management.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?