The biggest mistake that blocked my PM career, Group Program Kickoff, & more!

What’s new with Coach Pri?

👋 Hey there,

Hope you had a fantastic long weekend if you’re here in the U.S.! As you come back to the post-long-weekend work madness - let me ask you this:

Are you ready for SEPTEMBER? 🙃 (And, how did we get here so fast?!)

As you get busy updating your Q4 product roadmap, & strategy at work - don’t forget -

You also need to think about YOUR CAREER ROADMAP for the rest of 2024! 

ARE YOU ON-TRACK to dive back into that last cycle of promotions, or up-skilling yourself, or landing an external PM job?

The biggest mistake I made in my career is NOT TAKING ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN IT!

I thought I was delivering results, working hard, and my team liked me - so I would be next on the promotion list, or I’d be able to land external offers easily - and I was SO WRONG!

And here’s something I learned the hard way - it’s not your boss’s job to manage your career - it’s yours!

As you head into Q4…ask yourself - “what actions can I take to plan out and achieve my career goals before the end of the year?”

😅 What’s helping me stay motivated and step out of the holiday slump? 

💙 We have 7 amazing PMs geared up to dive into career strategy, resume, interview prep & more with me over the next 8 weeks (Sept 5th - Oct 22nd)!
We are kickstarting the PM Level-Up Program together THIS THURSDAY Sept 5th - at 6 pm PST! (In case you still need help with your PM career, but missed the registration deadline, see the bottom of this email).

The Mindset Aspect of PM Careers…
The more clients I work with - the more it reaffirms my belief - that mindset is a key part of PM career growth - be it internally or externally!

That’s why I’m making sure my clients (and YOU, as part of the “Product-with-Pri” community!) get all the support YOU NEED in this area.

💥 New Workshops on Mindset/Personal Development:
We’re going to have a few different experts and coaches in the mindset, wellness and personal development fields come and talk to us! Group program clients get priority, but as a thank you for being a subscriber, these will be open to YOU too! More info coming up in the upcoming Newsletters.

💟 Short Meditation course: I’ve started a 4 week meditation course last Friday - led by an ex-Salesforce colleague turned Coach - Marni Heinz who’s completing her meditation teacher training under the guidance of Tara Brach, and Jack Cornfield - I’m looking forward to getting better at it! 🤪 And also, exploring the possibility of a similar workshop for clients!

🫶 Community Building & Networking: I’m doing a poll to learn more about your preferences for Networking & Community Building Events! Please click on the option you prefer the most:

(P.S. In case you do not wish to receive this email, you can unsubscribe using the link in the footer).

PM Career/Interview Tips of the Week

Do you feel you are constantly working on your PM interview skills, have made some progress, even worked with a mentor or coach, and somehow still struggle to succeed? Self-sabotage (aka Mr. S.S.) might be in your way!

Here’s an example:
You get a leadership question - “Can you share a little bit about your experience managing a team of PMs?”

The JD (job description) says “6-8 direct reports” - but - in your current role, you only manage 3 direct reports. 

The moment you get that question - some anxiety and self-doubt creep in…

Instead of talking about the amazing leader that you are, how you got one of your team members promoted, you delivered x metrics despite a small team…

You say “Well, I’ve managed people before and in my current role, but only small team sizes, of 2-3 PMs. I’m comfortable managing small teams”.

Did you know that if you are an effective leader managing a team of 3, you would also be effective managing a team of 6-8 (sure, with some added skills - but those can be learned on the job)?

But of course, Mr. S.S. wants you to stay stuck in your “shame spiral”, as Brene Brown calls it, so - you’re not going to talk about your amazing leadership skills, and you’ll miss that opportunity to grow in your leadership journey!

So…what can you do instead?

Step 1: Start to recognize and be aware first - how do you self-sabotage in interviews?

Step 2: Be honest - and ask yourself - what am I afraid of? And finally ask - are my fears legit and valid?

Step 3: Discuss them with a friend, trusted team member, a mentor or coach!

Hiring Updates

Who’s hiring for PM roles in the U.S.?

I know that looking for a job is hard! So here are specific links to hiring manager or recruiter posts, that give you an edge while applying.. 😉 

• Prometric is hiring for a PM role - here’s the HM’s post.

• If you’re into the growing space of cyber-security, Zscaler is hiring a Principal Product Manager. Here’s the recruiter’s post.

• And if you’re into junk food (he he, just kidding! 🤣) - then Grubhub is hiring for an exciting Principal PM role :) Here’s the HM’s post.

• Diana Chen - who I had the opportunity to work with - as part of my diversity career panel last year - is back at Amazon(AWS Billing), and hiring for Principal Technical PMs in Seattle. Here’s her post.

• Hiral Shah - who was also our guest speaker for the last group PM cohort - is hiring for a Sr PM role, & there are other openings outside her immediate team at Docusign too. Here’s her post.

• Microsoft is looking to hire Principal PMs in the open-source-software (OSS) space - the HM’s post is here.

Check out this job board for more open roles.

Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help fast-track your PM career:

1. My PM Level-Up Group Coaching Program (Sept 5th to Oct 22nd) starts THIS THURSDAY 9/5 with 6-7 amazing, experienced PMs from different backgrounds - from startups to big tech! 
   
   Enrollment ended last week, however I had a few people reach just out last minute, and will be meeting with them TODAY to assess fit :-)! We have room more just 2-3 more PMs, and then doors are closed to this 8-week Program (for experienced PMs) - until next year!

In this 8-week group cohort, you will gain the skills and confidence to navigate the job market and learn to tell your story effectively through your resume and PM interviews across all topics.

💥 All with one end goal: Fast-track your way to your next PM role, increase your income & impact, without stress & overwhelm!

You'll get the best of both worlds - Group & 1:1 coaching support: Twice-a-week group coaching, a sense of community, my best content, and three (3) sessions of 1:1 coaching directly with me!

Bonus: 2-4 guest lectures or career AMA (ask-me-anything) sessons with Product leaders (in the past we had a Founder, Sr PM & Director of Product join us!).

AI/ML Focus: We will have 1-2 guest speakers talk about building AI/ML products from 0-1 and answer your questions on what interviewers look for when hiring for these roles!

What’s exciting: I’m dialing down on the mindset and wellness aspects which are soo important as you work on your career growth or job search!

To support clients - I’m bringing in a self-care/wellness coach and fellow Columbia University alum Ebonee Ragins, and also an awesome personal development/life skills coach & author Dr. Shiny Unsal - who’s learned from Tony Robbins, Brendon Burchard, and the best of the best!

You can check out what my group program participants from the last cohort are saying on my testimonials page, or watch a client case study here.

Book a 15-min brainstorm call ASAP or before EOB TODAY, so we can assess fit - it’s your last chance to fast-track your career, AND be part of this amazing group of PMs, and achieve your goals for 2024!

2. Not ready to consider a group PM program yet? Totally get it!

Take this comprehensive 20-question PM Skills Quiz that I created to test your PM skill level, your superpowers & skill gaps 😁 

Inform your interview prep based on the clarity of knowing which parts of the Product Development Lifecycle you are strong at, and which parts you need to get better at!

Once you get your results, book a free 15-min call and I can help you craft a clear career strategy and action plan, so you can get to your next PM role faster!

Until next time,

Coach Pri.