Becoming a director of product requires years of experience managing products and working with other product managers. Over time, potential product directors need to show an ability to lead the entire product team. On top of that, they need to show success in every product strategy they own.
Excellent leadership skills, a fundamental understanding of product management, and a strong portfolio of success are the recipe for success.
That’s because some of the primary responsibilities of a Director of Product are:
- Managing and collaborating with product managers, design teams, product engineering teams, and various external partners.
- Working with the product marketing department to drive new marketing campaigns based on customer feedback analysis.
- Identifying new market trends, consumer preferences, and industry opportunities to drive new product initiatives.
This article provides a comprehensive list of five steps to help you get to that level.
- Fulfill the Educational Requirements (If You Don’t Already)
- Organize Your Experience and Portfolio
- Take Up Additional Responsibility
- Move Ahead from Individual Contributor Responsibilities
- Polish Your Skills and Take Initiative
Let’s get started.
Step One – Fulfill the Educational Requirements (If You Don’t Already)
Almost every product director job requires a bachelor’s degree at the very least. Whether it’s in product management, product engineering, or any other relevant field matters little if you have a decent amount of experience backing you.
However, many organizations require an advanced degree. A master’s degree in a relevant field may not be a necessity at times, but it still goes a long way.
Therefore, relying on experience and certifications alone isn’t the answer. If you’re looking to move forward from a product manager position, you need to have a formal degree.
If you don’t, you need to start with one. At times, companies that require a master’s degree also accept people currently enrolled in a master’s program.
That said, it’s still a good idea to get as many certifications as possible. Career progression boosts a lot if you have the right certifications from renowned product organizations and institutes.
All of this helps build your credibility and provides you with a solid background and foundation. This makes it somewhat easier to showcase your experience, expertise, and skills.
Step Two – Organize Your Experience and Portfolio
If you have a decent amount of experience; it’s best to start organizing it if you haven’t already. For example, if you want to start applying for a product director job, you have to organize your CV according to it.
That means taking out unnecessary previous experience and projects. You only keep projects and proper experience relevant to product management and your industry.
This is crucial when creating a relevant resume. Your experience and portfolio need to show that you’re ready for more responsibility beyond day-to-day activities.
Furthermore, you also have to show a career path with your experience. For example, a proper career path starts from a junior product manager to a product manager to a senior product manager.
It’s possible that a company calls its junior product managers associate product managers. It’s best to use the exact title you have. However, make sure you show a proper career progression.
That said, it’s best to avoid adding any entry-level position if you want to keep your resume on a single page.
Step Three – Take Up Additional Responsibility
Every promotion depends on how much additional responsibility you’re able to take. Working beyond the scope of your job is a surefire way of moving forward.
That means if you’re a product manager, providing recommendations for improving business strategy is beyond the scope of your job. However, if you give good recommendations that improve the entire product organization, it means you are ready to take more responsibility.
At times, you have to ask for additional responsibility. Going to the project manager, senior director, or even the Chief product officer to ask for additional responsibilities plays well.
It shows initiative and offers you a chance to show your soft skills and hard skills. At times, it also shows your potential for a product leadership role.
Product leaders always take point in managing products. For example, if it’s a data product, they work with the data science teams, offering support, overseeing product vision, and ensuring everyone’s working towards the business goals.
Step Four – Move Ahead from Individual Contributor Responsibilities
Keep in mind that a director of product management focuses on product planning and strategy. They move ahead from all individual contributor responsibilities.
As product managers, you have to work in a hybrid setting where you manage the strategy and also act as an individual contributor. Therefore, to move to a director position, you must show how good you are with the strategy.
That means a better grasp of market research, a deep understanding of the bigger picture, and an understanding of how it affects the product management department.
The best way to do that is to understand the company’s portfolio better. Offer product ideas, give recommendations for new features, and provide ways to improve sales.
Step Five – Polish Your Skills and Take Initiative
At the director level, your people, communication, and analytical skills need to be top-notch. A good director has a strong work ethic and is excellent at people management, allowing them to lead product teams.
They also understand product management at the core to create robust product strategies and drive better product design.
The most important thing is to take the initiative at every chance you get.
What is the Director of Product Salary?
According to Glassdoor, the average Director of Product salary in the US is $184,104.
The typical salary range is between $111,000 and $336,000.
How Do You Become a Director of Product Without Experience?
Getting to the director level without experience is not possible. You need to have ample experience as a product manager to have an idea of what a product director’s typical day looks like.
Working with group product managers, product marketing managers, and other teams gives you an idea of how to oversee each team and manage them.
That’s because, as a director of product, you overlook the entire product organization while answering to the Chief Product Officer.
You need to learn about building teams from scratch, scaling products, and you need a strong track record of managing products.
Since you’re responsible for all product-related activities, you need ample experience, expertise, education, and skills.
Therefore, the best way to fast-track toward a product director position is to get ample experience as a product manager. After that, it might be a good idea to apply to an SME or startup.
What Does It Take to Become a Great Director of Product
While experience and expertise are crucial to getting to the director position, the following are some characteristics and skills that set you up for success.
- Leadership – Since directors manage multiple product teams and oversee them, it’s crucial to have excellent leadership skills. They allow you to guide your team better, motivate them, and steer them toward product goals.
- Problem-Solving – As a director, it’s possible to face new challenges every day. You need to be ready to tackle them, offer solutions, and lay down the foundation for long-term sustainability.
- Strategy – Product directors oversee product and business strategy. They need to use strategic thinking to drive long-term goals, adjust backlogs, and make informed product decisions.
- Networking – Networking skills prove to be essential, along with excellent communication skills. You need to have good relations with not only internal teams but also external stakeholders.
Understanding budgeting, marketing, and research methods also go a long way.
Bottom Line
Becoming a product director is not an easy feat. It requires years of experience, learning, knowledge, and consistent effort.
The most important of those factors is relevant experience. It’s best to stick to a single industry, and product niche is best to build experience faster.
That said, an aspiring director of product needs to adopt a habit of consistent learning and reading for steady growth.
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