Should you take that product management certification?
New year, new you. Whether you’re wanting to get into product, or already in the field and looking to expand your skills, you’re likely wondering what is the best way to move forward. I often get asked if taking a product management certification is worth it - so I’d like to take this opportunity to discuss a few things.
First off, I can’t actually tell you what is “worth it” or not. There’s quite a bit that should go into you making this decision, so let’s look at some of the things to look at before you make a choice.
Never spend money you don’t have
Rule one of being an adult: never spend money you don’t have. If you do not have a budget, or if you’re risking putting yourself into debt over a $2k+ course, don’t do it.
Look at other possible avenues first, like asking your company if they have a learning budget. At the end of the day, it’s beneficial for any organization to invest in your learning and growth, so don’t be afraid to ask!
No course or certification guarantees a job
With that in mind, once you have a budget available it’s important to understand that no certification or course can guarantee you landing a job. If anyone promises you this, it’s a major red flag 🚩🚩🚩
Courses can certainly give you a base to understand how things work, but the course alone will not *guarantee* that after upon completion you will miraculously join a company. Focus instead of how you can show you skills, work on your CV, and most importantly, be sure to network with product people.
Beyond methodologies and frameworks
The number one thing you need to know about product management is that there’s a lot more to it than methodologies and frameworks. It is a complex, dynamic, and often very difficult job that requires more than just how to put a template or framework together.
Three underrated but very important skills certifications tend to not bring to focus are self awareness, empathy, and writing and communication.
Self awareness
The best product people are those that are able to reflect on decisions, mistakes, successes, and take the time to learn from them. If all you’re doing is rushing through your job without taking the time to reflect on what you’re doing, you’ll likely miss hitting your goals. There’s a saying in product - slow down to speed up - this is when we take the time to be aware of how we might be able to improve, grow, and learn as we go.
Empathy
I am often asked what the most important skill to develop as a product person is, and my answer is always empathy.
A product manager leads through influence, not through authority. It took me a while to understand what that meant, but at the end of the day it comes down to actively practicing empathy for others (and for yourself!)
A good way of influencing people is to be empathetic about their problems. If someone comes to you with a problem and your answer is always ‘no’ (a term we seem to encourage product managers to use quite a bit,) you’ve now become a source of friction for them and the rest of your team. Change that conversation to focus instead on how you might be able to help them, and even if you cannot help them, be empathetic towards them about why instead of shutting them down.
Writing and communication
Another skill certifications tend to not focus on is writing and communication. Being able to deliver information clearly - and often in more ways than one - is a really key part of being in a product team.
This doesn’t just involve knowing how to write. Yes, that is important, nobody likes to deal with an unfiltered stream of consciousness at the end of the day. But it is also knowing when and how to communicate with others based on the context of information they might need.
I would definitely recommend taking a writing course, whether or not you choose to move forward with a particular course. My top tip for improving your writing skills is always to read more books!
Product management is a team sport
Networking, team dynamics, and build relationships with other team members are another set of skills no certification seems to touch on. There is often a lot of emphasis on the product manager and not a lot on the product team. It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as a “product management team.” There is the product team, which is comprised of product marketers, designers, researchers and of course, product managers.
You have a role that is part of a wider unit, and as such, you need to learn to work together and play on each other’s strengths.
Product managers are generally really good at negotiating
Product marketers have strength in writing and communication
Researchers have great insights and analytical skills
Designers excel at system thinking and bringing together complex visuals
You will work with other teams across your organisation to build solutions together. Perhaps focusing on a course that shows you all how to interact and work as one might be more beneficial than taking a course on how to set up a framework, especially if you’re looking to become a product leader.
Product management isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok.
Product is hard. Like really hard. It has also become a really popular role in recent years (particularly in the tech industry) but as we’ve seen there’s a lot more to it than frameworks and a piece of paper saying you passed a test.
Whether you’re a product manager, product marketer, designer, researcher or any other team member within the product team, there’s a lot more that is required than just working as a solo act.
If you don’t want to deal with people, negotiate, empathize, and even reflect on your own growth - product may not be for you, and that’s ok. Not everyone can work in an environment that requires such high levels of EQ, constant communication and socializing. It is extremely difficult, and it’s no wonder so many PMs suffer from burn out.
If you’re a product leader or looking to become one, certifications won’t give you what you need to become an empathetic, supportive, leader that can build a safe space for others to thrive. That takes years of practice and often starts with knowing how to be kind to yourself first.
Alternative learning: self-learning
I have seen a lot of hate for people wanting to get certifications. I totally get why, especially when these certifications promise a job at the end (which as we now know, is a red flag!)
Here’s the thing though, people learn in different ways, and often a supported approach can be extremely helpful. There is nothing wrong with this, and taking a course can definitely help you learn and grow as it sets you on a guided path to follow.
Others like to learn on their own and use a self-learning approach. This is also fine! Some people like to read, others like to watch Youtube videos, and others like to listen to podcasts. We live in an era where all of these options are available to us, so take the avenue that works best for you.
If you feel like self-learning might be better for you, I highly recommend taking a look at Mindstone. It’s a really neat app that helps you digest and retain what you’re learning with a variety of scientific approaches to learning, so you can upskill that much faster.
Be clear about your outcome
The most important thing to consider before making the decision of whether a course or certification is right for you, is to be clear about what your outcome is.
What do you want to do once the course is done? What do you hope to learn? How do you hope to apply your new skills?
Certifications do often tend to be quite generic in their approach. If your goal is to get a refresher course, or maybe get a primer in order to enter the field, this isn’t a bad first step to take.
However, if you’re looking to become a product leader to work a bit more in-depth on a specific skill, you might be better off with a product coach.
Coaches have a more hands-on approach to learning and can often help you over a longer period of time, ensuring that you’re able to apply what you’re learning to your job.
Below is a list of some of the best people I know (there’s a lot more out there, so be sure to research!)
Thanks for reading!