No pedigree/ No Tech background
I have no tech undergrad, although I do have an MBA from a tier 2 college and I have been working as a PM for the last 5 years with an asset management company. However I feel like I have set myself up for failure, all the product first and huge companies seem to be hiring people with an IIT/NIT/BITs/IIM/ISB background. Is my career dead?
Certainly not dead but you must understand the shifts happening within the PM space. Financial services/Fintech is such a vast industry yet very few PMs actually understand the business.
Sharing my perspective when we are interviewing for Product analysts or PM-I level.
IIT/IIMs is just a way to get polished candidates but it’s never a hiring criteria. Play to your strengths-
#1 build a solid business understanding. Understand what are the profit & cost drivers for your business units.
#2 work hard on your people skills. Can’t emphasise enough on this.
#3 Work up your Data skills - it will soon become an expectation from PMs.
Lots of great companies are looking for these qualities. Don’t stress, keep learning & remember that most of us keep having similar thoughts.
