What Is a Certified Product Manager (and How Do I Become One)?

Becoming a certified product manager has many benefits, from making you a stronger candidate for new opportunities to increasing your wages. To become a certified product manager, you must have several skills: communication skills, technical skills, analytical skills, product knowledge, customer service skills, and business knowledge.  

In addition to these skills, having a solid educational background is important. Numerous certifications and training courses are available. We will walk you through your options and share information on picking the proper accreditation for you and your career.

Description of a certified product manager  

A certified product manager is an expert on the entire product lifecycle. As a certified product manager, you'll develop and manage products from conception to launch. You'll work with cross-functional teams to ensure products are delivered on time and within budget. A certified product manager’s job may involve:

• Requirements gathering

• Competitive analysis

• Market research

• Positioning and promotion

• Requirements definition

• Design planning and development

• Validation of hypotheses and release into production.

Key skills of a certified product manager

As a product manager, you’ll need strong analytical and technical skills. You’ll also need to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Some key technical skills that you’ll need as a product manager include:

• Strong analytical skills: As a product manager, you’ll need to be able to analyse data to make informed product decisions.

• Technical expertise: You’ll need a good understanding of the technology used to develop the product.

• Project management skills: You’ll be able to effectively manage the development of the product from conception to launch.

Here are some essential workplace skills you should possess:

• Communication skills: A product manager needs to effectively communicate with different stakeholders, such as developers, customers, and upper management, in written and verbal form.

• Interpersonal skills: You need to build relationships with various people within the organisation to complete objectives.

• Organisational skills: You’ll organise and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines and have strong time management skills.

Types of product manager certification

Different certifications help build the competencies suitable for product management positions.

To help determine the best certifications for different product management roles, network with professionals on LinkedIn to discuss what they value in product managers. Here are some popular product management certifications to consider:

1. IIM Kozhikode Product Management 

In this programme you will gain a thorough understanding of product management from the basics of product strategy to the detailed analysis of consumer behaviour, pricing, execution of product development and more. Once you reach the end of the programme, you will also have a completed capstone project to add to your portfolio that showcases your first-hand knowledge and expertise in product management [1].

Duration: 39 weeks, 4–5 hours/week

Cost: ₹1,84,500 + GST

2. Indian School of Business Professional Certificate in Product Management

This is a flexible project management certificate that combines product development strategies and competitive analysis while also teaching you how to utilise the latest technology to achieve success, this certificate is for you. You will not only learn the fundamentals of product creation. You will also leave a firm understanding of developing products and implementing machine learning and artificial intelligence for analytics [2]. 

Duration: 12 weeks online, 4-6 hours/week

Cost: ₹1,40,000 + GST

3. Xavier School of Management Executive Development Programme in Advanced Product Management

This programme is right for you if you want structure and a holistic view of product management. You can connect directly with your cohorts and instructors with weekly, live online sessions. This programme doesn’t just cover product development and management. It also includes training on incorporating marketing, branding, and sales into your product development strategy [3].

Duration: 40 weeks, 3 hours/week

Cost: ₹1,62,500 + GST

4. IIT Delhi Certificate Programme in New Product Development and Management

Here is another example of a structured programme with weekly scheduled live sessions. This programme is unique because it includes product management strategies and tools for both physical and digital products. You will also learn about the manufacturing process and how it impacts product development [4]. 

Duration: 20 weeks, 8 hours/week

Cost: ₹70,000 + GST

5. IIT Bombay Certificate Programme in Product Management

Focused on teaching a customer-centred approach to product management, you will gain the skills to brainstorm and develop products and test and track your results in this programme. With the growth of the digital sector, you will also leave this programme with a thorough understanding of digital product development from methodologies and algorithms to UX design and interactive prototypes [5].

Duration: 24 weeks, 3 hours/week

Cost: ₹1,14,000 + GST

Product management certification guidance 

When choosing a certification, you'll also want to consider cost, duration, programme structure, and course content.

Cost 

The price of certification can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Researching the certification costs and comparing them to similar programmes is essential before deciding. If a certification is out of budget, it may not be worth the time and financial investment if it doesn’t directly affect your career progression. 

Duration 

Some programmes can be completed in weeks or months; others may require several years of product-related experience to take the exam. Consider how much time you can commit to a programme.

Programme structure 

As you look at programmes, you’ll discover some are self-paced, while others have strict deadlines and are in-person. Some programmes are entirely online, and others require attending a specific campus. Consider your learning style, availability, and preferences when choosing a programme structure.

Course content 

Ensure the certified product manager training programme covers topics relevant to your career goals. Many certified product manager courses include the following topics as a guide.

• Product management and marketing

• Marketing mix

• Product lifecycle management process

• New product development

• Commercialisation

• Understanding goods and services

• Product decisions

• Strategic planning

• Market research

• Product positioning

• Product management toolbox

• Value creation

• Pricing

Job outlook and salary for certified product managers 

Certified product managers are in high demand since they help companies create products that meet consumer demand. According to Glassdoor, the average annual certified product manager’s salary is ₹46,24,000. It also rates a product manager's career opportunity and work/life balance at 3.8 out of five in India [6].

Benefits of certifications 

Product management certifications can benefit your career in several ways:

• Improve your career mobility and progression 

• Make you a more attractive candidate

• Help you to learn in-demand skills

• Gain valuable knowledge and expertise

Next steps

If you're still investigating the product manager career path, consider a Professional Certificate to learn more. A Professional Certificate in product management gives a glimpse into the role and helps develop job-ready skills and knowledge for product roles. Consider the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate on Coursera.