2023-09-26 10:06:28
A pure product of the evolution of digital technology, it was even born within it. “The product manager is a conductor,” says Agnès Alazard enthusiastically. The co-founder of the school Maria Schools trains both young people and people undergoing professional retraining in this profession in its Parisian premises.
And he continues: “What differentiates him from a product manager is his proximity to the customer but also to future users. It is there from the design and creation phase but also in the production. He questions people to find out what they buy and how via digital tools. All this material gives him a precise vision of expectations and needs. It’s very valuable for the client who uses their services.”
This curiosity, this thirst for information does not make him a “digital inspector”, but rather an essential architect in the construction of a digital product. Today, many projects collide and overlap and it is essential to have experts capable of understanding the client’s idea, their desire and their goal. Finally, at the same time, of course, to compare all of this with the real expectations of future users.
“I’m in the fray with the sales side, marketing and other departments”
Élise, 30, product manager at En Voiture Simone (online driving school) for almost a year, confirms: “I was an e-commerce project manager in a large brand selling beauty products but here, my job is complement different. I work every day on the product that the customer uses. I am hand in hand with the developers, a designer,” she explains.
“What’s super interesting is that I’m in the fray with the sales side, marketing and other departments. Thanks to this connection, we help, we solve problems, we find solutions, rejoices Élise. In fact, it’s a very transversal profession because we also look at reviews on the Web. We help both the customer and the users. It is a very strategic position. »
This central role of the product manager therefore allows him to have an overall view of the project and to meet very different people. He himself expands his own skills over time. However, you still need the basics.
Training open to all
“Liking to communicate, exchanging and having the ability to adapt,” says Élise. With this job, we are both strategic and operational. All of this leads us to handle a range of different things. We never get bored, especially since from start to finish, we are alongside the teams or the client. We can also monitor the project once it is launched to make it evolve and improve its construction. »
“It’s a profession that’s on the rise,” continues Agnès Alazard. The product manager becomes the star of the company because he allows users to adopt a product and participates, with the customer, in creating a new use. »
The various training courses are open to everyone, whatever their educational level, even if a huge appetite for digital is (very) strongly desired for this type of position. “Often, we have an audience who already has ten to fifteen years of professional experience but without necessarily being an engineer. We select heavily on motivation for our full-time training courses, which last seven weeks,” she continues.
Open-mindedness, listening and relationships
Innovation, open-mindedness, listening, relationships are at the heart of this profession which suffers from a shortage of talent. “Many companies are still creating this position and 80% of our students find their first job within six months of leaving. Some even create their own company or enter a consulting firm,” underlines Agnès Alazard.
If having specific qualities is necessary, knowing how much you could be paid is fundamental when embarking on training, when you decide to change path. As in most jobs, it’s experience that makes the difference.
If you are a beginner, count on around 40,000 euros gross per year. This can rise to 55,000 with an already substantial experience. Remuneration that attracts digital lovers and often allows them to boost their career by working at the center of the company’s digital projects and therefore to have a real impact on decisions.
She recruits
Hermeline Mariel, human resources manager at 5degrees
A digital product consulting agency based in Paris, 5degrees is constantly looking for profiles in the role of product manager to develop its teams and respond to growing demand from its clients. Hermeline Mariel, the human resources manager, takes stock.
Profiles. “We are looking for people who are passionate about digital products to continue to develop while maintaining strong involvement from our employees. Curiosity, kindness and performance are really important things to us. Their aim is to strengthen the sharing of knowledge, creativity and freedom of expression. We are looking for people with higher education (university, business school, engineering school) with at least a first successful experience in project management or as a product owner on digital web or mobile solutions. »
Compensation. “It ranges from 40,000 euros (annual gross), for a young graduate upon leaving school, to 75,000 for someone with already solid experience of around fifteen years. We also offer, once a year, a full day to all our employees, who gather around product professionals. »
Evolutions. “Each career is unique and we are committed to supporting our employees in the role they wish to take. To meet everyone’s expectations, individualized meetings are organized each month and allow agile and dynamic monitoring. Everyone can develop their career by taking the lead on a task force, supporting practice leaders, becoming a mentor or helping the HR team to technically validate our candidates. In addition, we are able to support the career changes of our employees by encouraging mobility. We also offer external training with competent partners who understand our business challenges. »
Information : www.5degres.com/aventure-5d/nos-jobs.
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