Hey Spencer L.! Just checked out your resume.
Here’s what I like:
• The bold metrics with real numbers and measurable goals. As someone who has reviewed a bunch of PM resumes, this is my #1. Big fan🤘
• Clean layout. Legible font.
• Powerful language with a clear understanding of a product managers day-to-day. You demonstrate your communication skills well.
Here’s what I don’t like:
• Brevity. Unless you’re shooting for a VP role, I suggest IC PM roles or even early manager roles, limit the resume to 1 page. Here’s what I would eliminate:
◦ Only your first 2 roles should have 4-5 bullets. Every other role should have 2 bullets, especially ones that were under the same company.
◦ Convert your paragraph intros for each job into bullets. Unclear what metric constitutes an intro vs. a bullet. If you really want some paragraph intro, add just one to the top of your resume describing yourself qualitatively with something unique about your approach to product.
Nits:
• The Hanover Insurance Group is cut off from the roles.
• Need some UI distinction for when it’s a role at the same company. Product Manager, Conversational AI confused me.
Spencer, really like the way you quantify your accomplishments, and leverage simple tools to make your resume very readable for a hiring manager.
I’d love to see this all on one page - hiring managers don’t have a lot of time. Also would love to see a portfolio called out, if you have one. If you don’t, would love to see one!
Zach H. Thank you the feedback. Interesting about one page and removing intro paragraphs- this is the OPPOSITE feedback I received from 2 others that reviewed my resume. This has been the most challenging part for me, which feedback do you act on or not?
Derek I am not sold on creating a portfolio. I am open to your perspective on why you recommend
There are a couple of reasons it’s helpful, in my opinion, to have one.
The first is simply that a fair number of companies want to see them. And for that reason it’s easier just have to have one at the ready.
Second, and related to the first, is that it can head off the impulse for the employer to give you an assignment to see how you work. The portfolio helps satisfy that need.But the final is that it is a much more effective way for you to tell the story of what you can do as a PM - a resume is a poor substitute.
It does require effort to create. So if you aren’t ready for that quite yet, why not get a draft set up? That can help you think through how you want to tell your story in terms of the products you’ve built, and you can add to it as you work, knowing the key pieces of data to capture about new projects.Thank you for the context and insight Derek, very helpful. Lesson learned for me though, I did save or keep record of my work and now I don't have access. I will start building it back up and revisit this. Thanks!
I can relate - I’ve had to reach back into previous jobs and try to recreate a product portfolio at times. It is painful.
To be honest, the first couple times, I gave up on it. After a while I started forwarding things to my personal email from my work email that seemed portfolio worthy, and had to go through a couple of mediocre iterations of portfolio/case study decks.I appreciate you sharing you have been through it too! Thank you Derek It is hard to remember to promote yourself and keep record of your work while getting work done