Choosing the most important cases
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 8:17 am
The digital product management market has been increasingly valued by companies looking for professionals capable of driving the success of their businesses. When we start in this area, an effective way to highlight our skills and knowledge is by creating a solid product experience portfolio. But what is this and how do we do it?
When we talk about portfolio in the context of product management, we refer to the experiences and impacts related to the development and improvement of products, in the most diverse phases of their life cycle: whether in their introduction, developing and launching an MVP , working on defined projects; or during their growth and maturity, aiming for measurable impacts.
It is worth noting, however, that a product portfolio is not necessarily like a design or development portfolio, which focuses on technical and visual aspects. It can and is even recommended that it be included on websites, LinkedIn or as a plus on a regular resume. But that does not mean that you necessarily need to spend a lot of time making it visual. In fact, the quality of the content of what you have built is what matters most.
A well-crafted portfolio, with a cool problem-solving storytelling, not only highlights the deliverables made, but also demonstrates our ability to act as Product Managers in a strategic and efficient manner. In this article, we will explore a little about how to think about a portfolio in product management to stand out in selection processes, based on my personal experience since my career transition.
Mapping relevant skills and experience to your portfolio
The first step to creating a portfolio is to map out your most rele why do vietnamese people use zalo vant skills and experiences for product management. In my case, the experience I had in law before my career transition helped, but I recommend making a list of things. For example, team leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, data analysis , knowledge of agile methodologies, project management, and all the skills you have that you believe are related to the competencies needed to work in product management.
For each skill highlighted, providing concrete examples of how we have used them in previous situations is essential. If you have already worked on projects, describe your specific participation and the results achieved. If you do not yet have professional experience, share academic, volunteer or personal projects that demonstrate your skills and passion for the area! At this point, taking the lead is essential. If you still do not have anything to mention, it is good to think and structure how to start doing this. Remember that a portfolio needs to be fed with actions, and without them, it is not possible to put together a portfolio. Example:
“During my academic experience, I had the opportunity to lead a mobile application launch project with a specific purpose. Thinking about the project, I collaborated with the team involved in the development at each stage… As a result, we were able to launch the application ahead of schedule and achieve the goal…”
Another tip for those who don’t have experience is to start creating and practicing personal projects that demonstrate your skills and passion for the field. Personal cases can be fictitious projects related to a specific interest you have in product management, or even acquired from other selection processes. Describe the process of creating the project, from identifying the opportunity to implementing the proposed solutions. Include any feedback or learning gained along the way. Example:
“To hone my product management skills, I created a personal project to develop a financial planning mobile app. I conducted market research to identify user needs and created a detailed roadmap for the app’s development. I used wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes to better illustrate the interface and user experience .”
One important point to highlight is that, as we advance in our careers and work on different fronts and projects, these experiences can be many, extensive or, worse, forgotten or fall off our radar. To keep these experiences in our history, it is a good idea to start organizing a written portfolio, even if it is on LinkedIn itself. Starting to organize a written portfolio, even if it is on LinkedIn itself, is a good idea to keep these experiences in our history. It is essential to review and define the most important and impactful ones, to be used in alignment with a position in a specific selection, for example. Having organized this beforehand helps when preparing!
Plus: STAR Technique for Storytelling
A technique widely used, especially in interviews, to improve your performance in telling relevant career impacts is the STAR Technique . STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. In Portuguese, the acronym is the same, translated as Situation , Task , Action , Result .
This technique can be used in any area, but bringing it a little closer to our reality as product people, it is easy to relate the Situation to the problem we want to solve. Talk about what needed to be done or improved, if there was any specific Task that was your own responsibility, especially related to converting difficulties and limitations into value. The Action would be the “how” you managed to solve the situation, what actions you took. And finally, the Result , which, if possible, should be described with data, what impact was actually achieved from what was planned. If there was success, you should describe how much. If there was no success, it is still good to mention what was learned with an emphasis on continuous improvement, as well as agility .
Conclusion
When creating a product management portfolio, the focus should be on highlighting your relevant skills, knowledge, and experience related to product management. Remember to showcase your ability to solve problems, analyze results, and work strategically. A well-organized and professional portfolio will certainly increase your chances of standing out in job opportunities and open doors to a promising future in this exciting field.
When we talk about portfolio in the context of product management, we refer to the experiences and impacts related to the development and improvement of products, in the most diverse phases of their life cycle: whether in their introduction, developing and launching an MVP , working on defined projects; or during their growth and maturity, aiming for measurable impacts.
It is worth noting, however, that a product portfolio is not necessarily like a design or development portfolio, which focuses on technical and visual aspects. It can and is even recommended that it be included on websites, LinkedIn or as a plus on a regular resume. But that does not mean that you necessarily need to spend a lot of time making it visual. In fact, the quality of the content of what you have built is what matters most.
A well-crafted portfolio, with a cool problem-solving storytelling, not only highlights the deliverables made, but also demonstrates our ability to act as Product Managers in a strategic and efficient manner. In this article, we will explore a little about how to think about a portfolio in product management to stand out in selection processes, based on my personal experience since my career transition.
Mapping relevant skills and experience to your portfolio
The first step to creating a portfolio is to map out your most rele why do vietnamese people use zalo vant skills and experiences for product management. In my case, the experience I had in law before my career transition helped, but I recommend making a list of things. For example, team leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, data analysis , knowledge of agile methodologies, project management, and all the skills you have that you believe are related to the competencies needed to work in product management.
For each skill highlighted, providing concrete examples of how we have used them in previous situations is essential. If you have already worked on projects, describe your specific participation and the results achieved. If you do not yet have professional experience, share academic, volunteer or personal projects that demonstrate your skills and passion for the area! At this point, taking the lead is essential. If you still do not have anything to mention, it is good to think and structure how to start doing this. Remember that a portfolio needs to be fed with actions, and without them, it is not possible to put together a portfolio. Example:
“During my academic experience, I had the opportunity to lead a mobile application launch project with a specific purpose. Thinking about the project, I collaborated with the team involved in the development at each stage… As a result, we were able to launch the application ahead of schedule and achieve the goal…”
Another tip for those who don’t have experience is to start creating and practicing personal projects that demonstrate your skills and passion for the field. Personal cases can be fictitious projects related to a specific interest you have in product management, or even acquired from other selection processes. Describe the process of creating the project, from identifying the opportunity to implementing the proposed solutions. Include any feedback or learning gained along the way. Example:
“To hone my product management skills, I created a personal project to develop a financial planning mobile app. I conducted market research to identify user needs and created a detailed roadmap for the app’s development. I used wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes to better illustrate the interface and user experience .”
One important point to highlight is that, as we advance in our careers and work on different fronts and projects, these experiences can be many, extensive or, worse, forgotten or fall off our radar. To keep these experiences in our history, it is a good idea to start organizing a written portfolio, even if it is on LinkedIn itself. Starting to organize a written portfolio, even if it is on LinkedIn itself, is a good idea to keep these experiences in our history. It is essential to review and define the most important and impactful ones, to be used in alignment with a position in a specific selection, for example. Having organized this beforehand helps when preparing!
Plus: STAR Technique for Storytelling
A technique widely used, especially in interviews, to improve your performance in telling relevant career impacts is the STAR Technique . STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. In Portuguese, the acronym is the same, translated as Situation , Task , Action , Result .
This technique can be used in any area, but bringing it a little closer to our reality as product people, it is easy to relate the Situation to the problem we want to solve. Talk about what needed to be done or improved, if there was any specific Task that was your own responsibility, especially related to converting difficulties and limitations into value. The Action would be the “how” you managed to solve the situation, what actions you took. And finally, the Result , which, if possible, should be described with data, what impact was actually achieved from what was planned. If there was success, you should describe how much. If there was no success, it is still good to mention what was learned with an emphasis on continuous improvement, as well as agility .
Conclusion
When creating a product management portfolio, the focus should be on highlighting your relevant skills, knowledge, and experience related to product management. Remember to showcase your ability to solve problems, analyze results, and work strategically. A well-organized and professional portfolio will certainly increase your chances of standing out in job opportunities and open doors to a promising future in this exciting field.