Join a professional association to meet people working in product management and development and to have access to educational programs and training. The Product Development and Management Association offers different levels of membership, including student memberships. Find information at https://www.pdma.org/page/join_renew?. Learn about the latest developments and trends in product management by reading industry-related articles on Web sites such as https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/product-management and https://productmanagement.buzz. Get a part-time or summer job in a product management department. This will give you opportunities to work closely with product management teams and to learn more about the daily tasks and activities of the various roles. Ask your schools career services office for job-search help. You can also conduct your own search by contacting companies directly and looking for job listings on LinkedIn, as well as on Web sites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and SimplyHired.

Product management directors are responsible for managing the plans for products, making sure deadlines are met, and overseeing the work of product management staff. They collaborate with directors and managers in other departments, including development, marketing, sales, advertising, and finance. They work for a variety of industries, including software and technology, human resources, financial services, insurance, and automotive/transportation, among others.

Product management directors help to establish the vision and strategy for the product, working closely with product development directors and product analysts. They establish the objectives and activities of the product management team, and create and monitor the schedule for various assignments and deadlines. Product management directors may oversee the improvement process of products or make sure existing standards are maintained.

The directors lead meetings throughout all phases of the products implementation so that all those involved are sharing their progress each step of the way and that problems and solutions are discussed. Directors also keep the products stakeholders up to date on the progress of the product. They review strategic plans, budgets, research and development reports, and financial reports such as profit-and-loss forecasts.