Our exciting, new Digital Product Manager apprenticeship is now open for professionals to embark on their new careers or upskill in their current field.
Employers and decision-makers can often struggle to find the time or resources to train existing and new colleagues when bridging skills gaps in the business. This may lead to problems with retention as well as staying up-to-date and ahead of emerging trends.
However, our Digital Product Manager apprenticeship will provide all the skills, training, support, and knowledge so that decision-makers can focus on other priorities while our expert tutors ensure apprentices can successfully upskill and fill those gaps.
What is a Digital Product Manager?
Essentially, a Digital Product Manager is a role that sits at the intersection of technology, business and user experience. The Digital Product Manager will usually be the leader of a digital product - steering it from conception to completion.
Therefore, it is the Digital Product Manager’s responsibility to understand the market, customers, and the specified product inside and out so that this knowledge can be used to create a vision and strategy for the product. Other teams that work closely with the Digital Product Manager may include software engineers or developers, marketers, and designers.
Significant skills to have in this job role include problem-solving, critical thinking and great communication.
A day in the life of a Digital Product Manager
The daily tasks and responsibilities can vary depending on factors such as your colleagues, the workplace, and the nature of the product. However, some of the typical responsibilities that come with the role include:
- Product road mapping - This involves planning and prioritising product features. It is usually a strategic document that maps out the vision and direction of your product over time
- Coordination with other teams - It’s expected that a significant part of the day in the life of a Digital Product Manager will be spent liaising with different teams of engineers, designers, marketers or sales to ensure that everyone is aligned with the product vision and goals
- Market research - It’s important to keep an eye on market trends, competitor products, and customer needs. This information is used to make informed decisions about the product
- Data analysis - Digital Product Managers often dive into data to understand how users interact with their product. This may involve analysing user behaviour, engagement metrics, and much more
- User testing and feedback - The Digital Product Manager will usually work with users to get feedback on the product and understand their needs so that they can make necessary improvements
- Product launch and updates - from planning and overseeing the launch of new features to rolling out updates and improvements, the Digital Product Manager’s responsibility is to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
What experience is needed?
If you’re considering a career as a Digital Product Manager, you’re likely looking to transition into this role from another background or job role. Therefore, Digital Product Managers usually bring a unique mix of skills and experience.
Many executives at leading global companies began their careers in technology as product managers. And some entrepreneurial product managers have even leveraged their expertise to launch their own startup businesses.
With the role having lots of benefits, other current job roles for future Digital Product Managers may include:
- Software engineer or developer
- Business analyst
- UX/UI designer
- Data analyst
Such job roles can allow professionals to use their diverse experience to help bring great products to life. Roles like the above can also require skillsets such as understanding user needs and translating them into features or a greater understanding of trends and customer behaviours.
How to become a Digital Product Manager
There is no ‘set path’ on how to become a Digital Product Manager, but our apprenticeship programme will certainly provide a great starting point.
For those seeking a career as a Digital Product Manager, it is good to prepare through:
Education - There are many ways you can educate yourself. Familiarise yourself with product management tools and learn about user experience and market analysis. A great way to do this is via an apprenticeship programme which will teach you all of the knowledge while you gain practical experience.
Seeking relevant experience - Look for roles in your current job that involve aspects of product management. Speak to your line manager about potential professional development opportunities that they may be able to offer. Alternatively, you can browse our current vacancies and see if any of these options will be suitable for a product management role.
Networking - Connect with other Digital Product Managers via LinkedIn, or join product management communities on other social media platforms. You may also find networking events within the industry. A great place to start is by looking on websites such as Eventbrite - you may also find online networking events if preferred.
Mentorship - Everyone has to start from somewhere. Feel free to reach out to others who have been in your position or are now in a similar role or position that you’re looking to go into. Whether you know how to reach your goals right now, or if you need a bit of advice, mentorship can be a good step to make. You can find many mentors online on websites such as MentorCruise, Meet a Mentor, or One Million Mentors.
Final thoughts
The journey to becoming a Digital Product Manager is less about ticking specific boxes and more about developing a well-rounded skillset and passion for creating outstanding digital products.
Upskilling is more important now than ever to reach your career goals and stay ahead of any trends or technological advancements. Apprenticeship programmes can help you upskill, gain practical and relevant experience, meet like-minded people, and help your career rapidly progress.
If you’re interested in upskilling, browse our new Digital Product Manager apprenticeship programme. If you are a professional interested in starting an apprenticeship yourself, you can also read more about how to speak to your current employer about starting an apprenticeship.
Alternatively, if you are an employer and are looking to upskill your workforce, find out more by getting in touch with our team.