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Why New Grad Product Managers Earn Six Figures (And How to Actually Become One)
The brutal truth about student recruiting and the 7-step playbook that actually works
I’ll never forget the conversation that changed everything. It was junior year, and I was sitting in my university’s career center, listening to an advisor explain why I should “follow my passion” instead of worrying about job market realities.
Meanwhile, my computer science friends were getting multiple internship offers with six-figure starting salaries, while liberal arts majors were being told that any job experience was good experience. The disconnect was jarring.
That’s when I realized that university career advice, while well-intentioned, often ignores the harsh realities of competitive fields like product management. The students who succeed aren’t just the ones who follow generic advice. They’re the ones who understand the actual game being played.
After helping hundreds of students land product management roles, I’ve learned that the traditional college-to-career pipeline is fundamentally broken for PM aspirants. But there’s a systematic approach that works, if you’re willing to be strategic about it.
