Get a PM internship in 4 months

About This Event

Melvina started her Product Management journey 4 months ago. She posted her Product Management learning journey on LinkedIn for more than 42 days.

The result?

She landed a job in Product Management - and inspires others to do the same. Hear her story at this event!

The Panelist:

Chisom Melvina Ugochukwu - Entry-level Product Manager

Melvina Ugochukwu started her journey in Product Management 4 months ago.

She recently got an internship role with a startup company and is working her way through gaining more experience and landing a full-time time role.

Her consistency with posting on LinkedIn and her engagement in the tech community helped her stand out.

Note: this event will be recorded and snippets may be posted publicly on our social media. The event recording will be on our website: https://www.entrylevel.net/events

About us

EntryLevel helps you learn and get experience so you can get hired. Our 6-week programs are taught by world-class mentors, so you can learn and build a portfolio of work.

You'll learn with a cohort of driven peers, and each lesson is unlocked after a set time so you stay accountable and finish the program.

Resources

Whatsapp product community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KTkd1I8bsjIDnI9PjH48Rh

Resources hub: https://bit.ly/PMStarterKit

Tell us your story. How did you get started in PM?

Started as virtual assistant - wasn’t certain she was going to be in PM at first

Took courses on project management

Spoke to a mentor - said to take a few courses on product management

Spoke to someone who took EntryLevel course - took the course

Made it easier - explaining task, asked questions

Most jobs were product manager → less for project management

Where did you find your mentor?

Someone introduced her to me

Sent official message - application, no response, and followed up

• Had 1on1 call, totally changed everything

How did you land your internship?

Gave timeframe to take courses, but didn’t feel ready

Came across a tweet - sending cold outreach (20-30 messages)

• Felt like weren’t ready, but wanted to learn

30 days → employers looked at LinkedIn page

Used VA skills to help the team (positioned previous experience)

Response from others: thought the profile is cool, rejection, but got feedback to improve

Got interview through cold messages

• Weren’t really recruiters
• Searched for PMs on LinkedIn to learn from

Had to search (location, role, startup)

Wasn’t just a normal job hunt

• Got to see when they viewed profile
• Maybe should start another conversation respectfully
• Was straight to the point in messages
• Talked about content posted on LinkedIn (daily challenge)
• They referred Melvina to jobs, sent her resources

What kind of virtual assistant skills are transferrable to PM?

You have to offer something to get someone to respond to you

You need to have something when reaching out to people - to maintain the conversation

Project management classes helped more

Example message sent to company?

Sometimes sent emails if couldn’t message on LinkedIn

Tried the product from a product manager

• Gave feedback on that product - Melvina said she loved the product (downloaded and registered)
• Had to go through profile, research

How do you find people on LinkedIn?

Search product managers

See their profile, what they were doing

The daily LinkedIn challenge/posts - did they help?

Yes A LOT.

Saw friend on Twitter doing 100 day code challenge

There was no strategy or plan

Every event advice said “show yourself” - this was a way to do that

Could share what she’s learning in classes and portfolio

Recommended resources or next steps for beginners?

EntryLevel.net

YouTube - product management

Joining a community - Twitter and LinkedIn

• Hearing their experiences

Follow people in the space

Lots of ebooks

Podcasts

Twitter spaces, events

Any portfolio/CV tips?

LinkedIn had all portfolio details

Just had to send resume

No specific way to do portfolio - you get to collaborate with others like designers

No matter how crazy you think your idea is, just make it into a project

Side project, writing your learning

It’s your journey, you have to own it

Most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?

Making mistakes

The first cold outreach message wasn’t certain, not concrete

Then learned, take classes, went to events

Learning every day, making mistakes - knowing next day will be better

Daily challenge

Do you ever feel lazy, not sure what to post daily?

Have to watch a video, ebook, podcast to learn

Can just listen - and one line can stick in your head

Challenging yourself to do it is the purpose of the 100 day posting challenge

Now can’t stop, have to finish it

Take it 1 day at a time - read 1 chapter, listen to 5 mins, take it by small steps

Feels more interesting - can discuss learnings with people

What do you think would be valuable for our audience to know?

Thank you to everyone

Joining a community - ask questions

• DM people
• Ask questions
• Accountability partner
• Working with other people, communication

Research everything

• There’s Twitter, Facebook groups

Recommended communities

• Type product management communities on LinkedIn and Twitter

Resources

Melvina’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chisom-ugochukwu/