Unsure where your Product career is heading?

This is a common feeling amongst product managers. We get into Product because we're super excited to be making a difference and having an impact. But then sometimes we get stuck because we want more challenge, and it's not always clear what's next or available.

In this video, I walk you through the different career progression pathways available in Product.

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n7dHCmvNZSowV4yUhHpO4JdUNOtIxyOo/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n7dHCmvNZSowV4yUhHpO4JdUNOtIxyOo/view?usp=sharing)

Please note, this video was originally created for Women in Product UK community.

You can also take a more detailed look at the Miro board.

https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKlgl6Vw=/

It’s worth noting that Product roles don’t always neatly map on to this model, as the example I’ve used shows. In fact, there can be significant variation in where the role name is mapped to the zone of influence, as the image below highlights:

This is particularly important to understand when you are going for vertical progression (promotion or new job). You can ask clarifying questions to understand the zone of impact such as:

• How many teams will I be directly responsible for? (Associate PM to Group PM)
• How many functions will I be directly responsible for? (Group PM to Director of Product)
  • A function is also known as a job family, e.g. Product, Design, Research, Data, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Operations, and so on.
  • It is very typical for Product to work with, and therefore for Function level roles to have direct responsibility over Design and Research. It is less common but not unheard of for Product to have direct responsibility over Data, Engineering and Marketing. It is rare for Product to have directly responsibility over other functions.
  • It is also fairly common for Product to have a reporting line into another function, such as Marketing or Engineering. One way to assess this is to ask, what is the reporting line of Product at the C-suite level?

Exercise 1.1 - charting your next step in Product

This exercise will help you reflect on where you are in your Product career and identify your next step, whether it’s progressing vertically, moving laterally, specialising, or deepening your expertise. Use the prompts below to gain clarity and create your plan.

1. Reflect on your current role

• What excites you most about your role?
• What feels challenging or frustrating?
• How satisfied are you with your current zone of influence (e.g., team, multiple teams, function)?

2. Explore your ambitions