Mastering the Product Manager Job Search With Colin Murphy

Teresa Torres interviews Colin Murphy, a former account manager who moved toward product management and shares lessons from his job search. His core argument is that career switchers must actively sell their applicable skills, since hiring managers only assume what is visible at first glance. He recommends building a portfolio and website even from modest work, choosing companies that fit a clear goal, and using networking selectively. The advice matters because product management has no single entry path, so candidates must create their own evidence and direction.

01Key takeaways

• Make relevant skills explicit on your resume rather than expecting reviewers to infer them from job titles.
• Assemble a portfolio from whatever public work you have, such as videos, projects, or a simple website.
• Build something small, even a personal site, to demonstrate critical and creative thinking.
• Research which companies realistically hire externally for product roles before applying.
• Define your primary goal, such as skill-building, to filter opportunities and decide tradeoffs.
• Take networking advice as one input and keep pursuing your own path.

02Key sections

Sell your skill set

Colin argues that job titles alone don't signal product ability, so candidates must surface relevant skills directly on their resume. He found that hiring managers were often surprised by technical skills he hadn't made obvious.

Build a portfolio and website

Even without formal product artifacts, Colin pulled together public videos and a simple personal site to show his work. He suggests that any demonstrable building shows critical and creative thinking.

Choose companies and opportunities wisely

Colin realized that some top companies hire primarily from within or favor technologists with business sense, so targeting should match realistic fits. Company size, industry and role should all be weighed.

Solidify your goals

Defining the primary goal of building PM skills helped Colin filter distracting postings and make informed tradeoffs on salary and company.

Network with judgment

Networking can surface opportunities, but advice about breaking into product management was inconsistent, so candidates should weigh input against their own goals.

03From the post

“This post is part of the So You Want To Be a Product Manager series. I have a few more interviews lined up for what's turned into an ad hoc series on how to find a product manager job. After that, I'll shift focus back to writing about”

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.