Hello to all aspiring product managers! If you’re pursuing a business degree like me, or just curious about the field, you may find the vast number of PM (product management) career possibilities overwhelming as you think about life after graduation.
Whether you’re wondering what a product manager actually does day-to-day or looking to start networking with professionals in the field, this guide will point you to some great resources to help you get started in the world of product management.
– Puja Yadav, MSBA’26
What Does a Product Manager Do? A Career Overview
The best place to start is understanding who a product manager is. This guide from The Product Manager covers typical responsibilities, required skills, salary ranges, work environment, and day-to-day activities. It includes insights about different PM specializations and career progression from associate to senior levels.
Cracking the PM Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell and Jackie Bavaro
This book serves as both a comprehensive guide to acing PM interviews and a crash course in PM fundamentals. McDowell and Bavaro break down what top companies look for, common interview formats, and provide frameworks for tackling product design, strategy, and analytical questions. Perfect for understanding the interview process at major tech companies.
Decode and Conquer by Lewis Lin
Lin provides an industry insider’s perspective on conquering the most difficult product manager interview questions. The book covers proven frameworks for tackling product design questions, metrics problems, and strategic thinking challenges. It includes real examples and step-by-step approaches to the types of questions asked at companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
Essential Tips to Build a Standout Product Management Portfolio
Your portfolio is your product story—it’s where you demonstrate your thinking process, not just your results. This comprehensive guide from CareerFoundry offers actionable advice on showcasing user research, feature prioritization, and impact measurement in ways that resonate with hiring managers. Perfect summer project to work on between beach days.
Summer Project Ideas to Build Your PM Portfolio
Put your learning into practice with these hands-on projects:
Product Teardown Analysis – Choose 2-3 products you use regularly and conduct detailed analyses of their user experience, business model, and potential improvements. Document your findings with wireframes and strategic recommendations.
Competitive Analysis Project – Pick an industry you’re interested in and create a comprehensive competitive landscape analysis. Identify market gaps and propose new product opportunities.
Mock Product Launch Plan – Develop a complete go-to-market strategy for a hypothetical product, including user research, positioning, pricing strategy, and launch timeline.
Enjoy your summer and some well-earned relaxation time!
The 2025 Summer Reading Resource Round-Up Series has been brought to you by the Business School Captain team.
