Hi everyone! I’ve been considering getting into product management and started researching different certification programs. After browsing through various discussions here, I noticed mixed opinions about certain popular certifications, especially the Google one that many people seem to advise against.
I’m curious about what the actual day-to-day work experience is like for PMs. Is the role really just back-to-back meetings all day long? Do you get any quiet time to focus on individual tasks and strategic thinking? I want to make sure I understand what I’m getting into before committing to a certification program.
Any insights about the reality of PM work would be super helpful!
PM work changes completely depending on where you work. Some days you’re stuck in meetings all day, other days you’re diving deep into research or working on strategy. You’ll definitely get time to think and focus - the job requires it. Don’t let all the meeting jokes stop you from considering PM - it’s a great career!
it’s really not as bad as pathfinder makes it sound lol. sure, there are meetings, but you’ll also analyze data, write specs, and talk to users. company size matters a lot - big companies mean more meetings, small ones you’ll do everything. don’t worry about certs, most PMs learn as they go anyway.
lol the “strategic thinking” part made me chuckle. Sure, you’ll get quiet moments between endless standups, stakeholder check-ins, and putting out fires that basic communication could’ve prevented. Most days you’re a glorified messenger bouncing between engineering (who thinks your timelines are unrealistic) and sales (promising features that don’t exist). But hey, at least you get to make fancy roadmaps that’ll change next week anyway.