How to have a successful product management internship
I interned with Microsoft during summer of 2019 in the Program Manager (PM) role. It was my first opportunity to switch tracks to product management. After a successful internship, I am joining Microsoft as a full-time PM in June 2020. I want to share few pointers to maximize your chances of having a successful PM internship.
0. Communicate
First, understand the expectations of the project. Keep track of the progress. You can do this by scheduling recurring one on one meetings with your mentor and manager. Keep no surprises. Always communicate. Let your mentor or manager know what you are working on. Your early weeks will involve a lot of communication, that is normal. Mismatch of expectations can happen if you do not communicate often. A good PM will be an excellent communicator.
1. Respect others time
Your mentor and manager will be busy. Do not overwhelm them with your queries. Please respect the time they spend with you. Do some research on your own before reaching out to them. Always channel your work through your mentor to the manager. Mentors will help you avoid making rookie mistakes. Keep a notepad. Always take notes during the meeting and collate your queries in the notebook. A good PM will make the interaction productive for everyone.
2. Seek feedback
Feedback is vital to growth. Feedback comes in various forms-appreciation, criticism, suggestion. Seek all types of feedback and put efforts into using them in work. A good PM should be coachable.
3. Talk with data
Always seek metrics that will support your research, assumptions/hypothesis. Analyze the telemetry dashboards of your product. Read customer reviews and call transcripts. Go through the industry reports and presentations of your product in the team folder. A good PM should be data (evidence) driven.
4. Talk to your engineers
Until the fifth week of my internship, I did not talk to the engineers in my team. I took every question to my manager or mentor. Manager asked, "why don't you ask this to your engineers". It struck me then, "why am I taking all my questions to him; instead, I can ask the engineers". I set up a few meetings with the developers, and they helped a lot in getting the technical perspective. Try to utilise all the resources at hand, including the engineers in the team.
5. Make connections
Talk to fellow PMs in your organization to understand the work-culture in the company. It's essential to find a good fit for you and the company. The company is evaluating you via the internship. Set up lunch or snack time one on ones with senior PMs. Understand how their careers pan out, seek advice or suggestions for your PM career. You may even get a mentor beyond the internship.
6. Be Proactive
Finally, you want your internship to be successful. Show the intent on your action. If you don't have an assigned mentor, ask. If you don't have access to a tool or a channel, ask. A good PM will be proactive in getting things done.
All the very best on your PM internship.