Self-test: Is the "Product Manager" course the right one for me?
Analysis of the activities of product managers
What does the day-to-day work of a product manager look like?
Product managers work in all companies and organizations in which products are manufactured and sold or services are offered. Within their organization, they have the cross-functional and cross-departmental task of managing their product groups as a whole and placing them successfully on the market. Their most important main tasks are Product marketing, product analysis, product concept and product optimization. And in order to achieve their strategic goals, they must be able to coordinate the various departments and bodies involved in a product.
The strategic responsibility for the product groups covers the entire product life cycle from planning and production to marketing and the discontinuation of products. In order to offer optimal product groups, the Product Manager focuses on the market, customer requirements, production/purchasing costs and sales/profit figures.
For market and product analysis, Product Management collects information about the market situation and trends, buyer behavior and competitor products. From this, they work with the development department, sales and marketing to identify trends for new product lines. Or they define the need for improvement and renewal of existing products. During the subsequent conception and planning phase, the product manager often has the role of project manager. He or she ensures that everyone involved is well informed and monitors the progress of the work. Together with the marketing department and controlling, they then decide on the prices and conditions at which the new or renewed products should be offered on the market.
This is followed by the important task of repositioning the new products on the market, creating marketing concepts and monitoring the market launch.
According to the job advertisements, the tasks are distributed roughly as follows:
| Supervision of the product group, defining product and pricing strategy, monitoring product range, cooperation with GL market observation and analysis, development of new products, planning and controlling of implementation | approx. 30% of the time |
| Market observation and analysis, development of new products, planning and controlling of implementation | approx. 30% of the time |
| Internal and external contact person, customer and supplier support, purchasing and procurement | approx. 25% of the time |
| Marketing, advertising, promotions, POS activities | approx. 15% of the time |
The distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the job profile and type of company.
What is usually required in job advertisements for Product Managers?
- Completed training and further education or studies. Depending on the position, e.g. in the business, technical or scientific field
- Relevant professional experience appropriate to the position
- Experience in project management
- Good communication skills
- Business fluent in German, good knowledge of English
- Independent, flexible and strong organizational personality
- Networked thinking with good analytical and conceptual skills
- Willingness to travel
Question 1:
Would I like to work as a Product Manager?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent or only individual parts of it, you could think about what interests you the most. And then look at subsequent training courses to see if there is one that appeals to you even more:
Certificate courses:
- Change Management (Cert.)
- Event Marketing (Cert.)
- Store manager (certified)
- Key Account Management (Cert.)
- Logistics Management (Cert.)
- Marketing Communication (Cert.)
- MarKom certificate exam (cert.)
- Organizational development (cert.)
- Public relations (cert.)
- Purchasing and Procurement Clerk (Cert.) (formerly Purchasing Assistant)
Courses with a federal diploma:
Who is the "Product Manager" course suitable for?
Target group:
- Product managers, marketing managers
- Product range and product managers, employees in research, development, marketing, purchasing/sales
- Small business owners
Personal requirements:
- Communication and coordination skills
- Interest in constant renewal and innovation
- Initiative and assertiveness
- Negotiating skills
- Organizational talent
Course description:
Important features such as the duration, costs and content of the "Product Manager" course are described here:
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Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the course but not certain parts of the job, you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
If you like the job description under question 1 and have marked "No" here, you can look under the following further training opportunities at other levels or in related fields to see if you can find something that better matches your interests:
Postgraduate courses at universities of applied sciences:
- CAS Food Product and Sales Management (FH)
- CAS Product Innovation and Leadership for Engineers (FH)
- CAS Sales & Product Lifecycle Management (FH)
- MAS Product Management (FH)
Courses with a federal diploma:
Admission to the courses
- Apprenticeship diploma with federal certificate of competence
- Or completion of a higher vocational education/university degree
- In some cases, a certain amount of professional experience is required
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your training at the earliest possible date.
If you are not sure whether your apprenticeship qualification will be recognized for admission, find out directly from various providers.
If you do not have the required professional experience or a higher professional qualification, ask the provider directly whether you meet the requirements for admission "sur-dossier".
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Product Manager" course are to be paid either at the beginning of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to agree individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to pay between CHF 3,500 and CHF 8,400 for the course fee and the additional costs for materials and examinations, depending on the provider and other general conditions?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No": First ask the schools about the actual costs you would have to expect. And ask your employer about cost sharing. And then ask your school about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time spent on classroom teaching and learning (homework)
The part-time course lasts an average of two semesters. Depending on the provider, classroom teaching takes place during the week in the evening or on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
The amount of learning and practicing required in addition to school lessons is around 4-6 hours per week.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for the face-to-face lessons and homework?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Will I graduate?
The courses usually conclude with an oral examination and a written diploma thesis. Admission to the examinations requires attendance of at least 80% of the classroom lessons and completion of the case studies and intermediate examinations.
General success factors for successfully completing an apprenticeship and the final examination are
- Interest in the topic and attentive participation in class
- Regular preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, case studies etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Practise exam situations by working on previous exam tasks
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the final exams?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this course and ask the school management for information about support options. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} you will find an overview of schools that offer the "Product Management (Cert.)" course. You can request detailed documents with just one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the "Product Manager" course, you should be convinced that you really enjoy a marketing and sales-oriented job with product responsibility. The course description should also appeal to you. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external counseling center. If you contact a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to enquire about course or training documents, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin