Greg,

I agree with your assessment and the comments that it is harder to make an
industry switch in a down market. One technique that has worked for me is to
put in the time to do a small project for a prospective employer. For example, I
once did a four person usability study (four hours of total work) for a new
online service for a company had no current openings and was in an industry in
which I had not worked. The study was insightful to the company and addressed a
pain point they were having. The study landed me an interview with the CEO who
later called me when they had a product management opening.

At a minimum, expect to spend some time researching whatever new industry you
are pursuing so that you can be conversant about strategic issues in the
interview. I would also suggest investing more time preparing for fewer
opportunities than trying to play the numbers game by applying to every open req
you see.

Also, phone screens, especially for candidates who are not in the area, are
becoming much more rigorous. You may be asked the types of questions you would
normally have received during the second or third rounds of interviews.
Preparation is everything!

Lastly, I'd recommend picking-up "Don't Send a Resume: And Other Contrarian
Rules to Help Land a Great Job" by Jeffrey J. Fox. It has a number of great
techniques to get your foot in the door and open up the conversation.

Best of luck,

-greg

280 Group: The Product Marketing & Product Management Experts
Consulting, Contractors, Training & Templates
*************************************************************
Greg Cohen | Principal Consultant
280 Group LLC | www.280group.com |650 776-4734



--- In PSPM@yahoogroups.com, "Greg Council" <greg@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been in product management for about 10+ years and have always wondered
what prospective employers value most: prior product management experience or
industry experience (i.e. for the industry the employer serves).
>
> Obviously "both" would be the desired goal for any employer but, going over
numerous postings it would appear that there might be a preference to industry
experience. Am I reading it wrong?
>
> I have always believed that a really good product manager can learn a new
industry and apply their know-how over the other way around. I've seen companies
try to "finesse" the role with industry experts with subpar results. Personnaly
I've learned 4 new industries as a product manager and had very positive results
each time.
>
> As I'm looking to relocate to the PS area, I am interested in the group's take
on this topic with regard to the area's employers.
>
> Thanks.
>