We’re currently certifying the new program according to AZAV regulations, which we expect to be completed by the end of May 2023, so please bear with us a little while longer.
Please note that this program, and eligibility for a Bildungsgutschein is only available for residents in Germany.
Sign up for our waitlist and be the first to know when you can apply for your Product Management Program Bildungsgutschein.
Why product management?
The future is looking bright for aspiring product managers, with the field of product management often cited as one of the most in-demand tech jobs. According to the most recent World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Survey published in 2020, the WEF identified product management as one of the top emerging jobs.
What’s more, an increase in the number of products and devices produced in an increasingly competitive market has also driven product manager demand. According to Forbes, the IoT (Internet of Things) already includes more than 20 billion objects, and that’s projected to reach 75 billion in 2025. Market competition requires companies to find an edge in making products that meet consumer demand, where product managers excel.
CareerFoundry’s mission is to make career change universally accessible and effective. Our Product Management Program closely aligns with those goals.
Since 2014 we’ve proven that we can successfully train beginners with an online, asynchronous, project-based program. In as little as six months, we help students become job-ready professionals in tech fields including UX design, UI design, web development, data analytics, with product management up next! The success of our tech graduates over the years shows that students need neither experience in a related role nor extensive funds to flourish as a career-changer.
When it comes to the Product Management Program, you’ll work through every step of the product improvement process as you complete a hands-on project with the support of two product management experts—a tutor and a mentor.
What will you learn from the program?
The CareerFoundry Product Management Program will take you 3–6 months to complete and is broken down into four thematic units.
Our hands-on, project-based program means you’ll learn about the world of product management by working through one of two possible project topics. Both projects put you directly in a product manager’s role, where you’ll be responsible for suggesting improvements for a product.
You’ll explore the research, solution-creation, testing, and iteration phases of the product improvement process, gaining skills necessary for any product management position along the way.
The first introductory phase of the program revolves around building a solid foundation in product management by tackling the key skills to set you up for success as a product manager and creating a plan for your continued development.
This is followed by the immersion phase, where you’ll work and think like a product manager—learning the ropes of understanding your product and aligning your team, initiating your research and defining solutions, validating and refining your idea, and finally launching and iterating your product.
When designing our programs, we group our learning outcomes into the following skill areas: technical, non-technical, and ethical. First, the technical skills. You’ll develop a broad range of on-the-job skills to:
- set a product vision
- conduct user and market research
- develop strategic plans
- create and maintain product roadmaps
- familiarize yourself with visual design through creating low-fidelity prototypes of your solutions
- use data to make informed product decisions
However, we’re preparing you for a real job, which also requires domain-specific non-technical skills related to communication, collaboration, and project management. So, you’ll also learn how to:
- manage a project effectively, including the ability to prioritize and organize workload, create detailed documentation, and deliver to deadlines
- collaborate with others, including in cross-functional teams
- present professional, convincing, and engaging presentations or pitches
- work to an agile methodology
- independently and proactively learn new tools, concepts, trends, and platforms
- manage stakeholders and align the team
- practice problem-solving skills
Finally, ethics. We want you to graduate from our program and enter the workplace responsibly with your skills. That’s why you’ll also learn about what it means to be an ethical product manager, creating ethical and beneficial products, and protecting user data and privacy.
What sets the CareerFoundry Product Management Program apart—in addition to our one-of-a-kind dual mentorship model—is an emphasis on relevant industry topics and real-life case studies to truly immerse you in the product management mindset.
Most importantly, you’ll finish with a product portfolio–something unique to CareerFoundry’s program–that includes a set of product-specific documentation and templates for each stage of the product development lifecycle. You can use these documents on the job hunt and even after you’ve landed your first product manager role!
What can you expect once you’ve finished the program?
You’ll finish with one extensive project for your portfolio that will demonstrate your knowledge of—and experience with—the product improvement process.
By the end of the program, you’ll learn all the technical and non-technical skills, best practices, and industry-standard tools you’ll need to know to find your first job as a product manager. You’ll also have the foundational knowledge and skills for further specialization in the field.
You will be prepared for entry-level product management jobs in various industries, for various products/services, and in different organizational settings (small, large, or an agency).
What should you do next?
If you’d like to learn more about product management and what you can expect from the field, take our free short course for beginners, which will introduce you to the key areas of product management through five 10-minute tutorials.
If you’re already excited about the program, and you’d like to be added to a waitlist, simply fill out this form—we’ll let you know the moment the program is available with a Bildungsgutschein!
Want to learn more about the world of product management? Check our product management blog here.
About the author
Olivia