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AFTER THE CERT is the career podcast for product managers who have collected all the certificates and still feel stuck. Hosted by product management career coach Jess Sherlock, each episode features practical advice, relatable guests, and real-world lessons from PMs navigating the messy middle of their careers. No fluff. No theory. Just the stuff no one teaches you in a course.
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I get it - not all Product job descriptions are created equal. It can be super tough to figure out which job is likely to accelerate your career growth 🚀 and which job is setting you up for failure and burnout. 🫠 In this episode, I run through the top 5 things I look for to spot a good PM job description so you can find the best of the best on your…
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From Theater School to Solopreneur to Product Analyst: This is Amanda's Story
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1:12:02
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Meet Amanda - She's a SHINE alum who felt lost in her Product career but found the courage to test out a stint as an entrepreneur, then take an unexpected (but perfect!) role once she got clear on her unique career vision. She's an absolute star and it was so fun to catch up and hear how her new job has been going. We talk about: How she transition…
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You know you need to be more strategic to grow as a Product Manager, but not sure what that actually means in practice? You don't want to miss this episode. I cover the three most common mistakes I see PM's make that hold them back: Not staying updated on market and industry trends Failing to think long-term and big-picture Lacking the ability to s…
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Why you should have a vision for your career
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32:18
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You have a vision for your product, so shouldn't you have one for your career? A clear, compelling, personal career vision helps you say yes to the right things so you can move closer to your definition of success, FASTER. In this episode, I share real stories about how a career vision helped me and one of my clients leverage opportunities that we …
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Listen to this before your leave your current PM job
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17:59
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Don't wait until you're job searching to capture accomplishments, work samples, and success metrics related to what you've been working on. Getting into a habit of documenting your successes can not only help you prepare you for a future job search, it can ALSO be an early signal if you're not growing in your PM career. Bonus: This episode includes…
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In this episode, I show you a better way to get alignment quickly so you can make better decisions, faster. The 'Safe to Try' approach is one of my go-to techniques for decision-making and has been an immediate level up for so many of the Product Managers I have coached over the years. If you're feeling stuck on a project or can't quite figure out …
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How to Job Search in a "Bad" Market (without burning out)
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LinkedIn will convince you that the job market for Product Managers is at an absolute standstill. Good news - that's not the full story. The current job market is tricky, yes, but there ARE techniques that are working for job searchers and I break them all down in this episode: The importance of having a clear job search strategy Avoiding the pitfa…
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How to Make a Great Impression in a PM Interview
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7:06
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A little prep and a dash of initiative goes a long way. In this episode, I share a story about a candidate who didn’t just say they were excited about the role I was hiring for - they showed it. They managed to get a demo account of my company's hard-to-access enterprise SaaS app and come to the interview with actual insight and questions. This per…
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My Top 5 Tips for Standing Out in PM Interviews
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19:51
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These five tips can be applied to every single interview you may encounter as a PM - the recruiter screen, the hiring manager interview, a panel interview, or even the case. I give this advice so often that I finally wanted to capture it in a podcast so you can apply it in your own job search. I talk about: Winning the easy stuff Being authenticall…
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Why learning SQL is a waste of time (and what to do instead)
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36:23
There's no "perfect" set of skills for a Product Manager. By definition, product management is a generalist role and the most important skills you need at any given time will vary based on your product, your team, and your tech stack. Instead of trying to become an expert in every skill (which, c'mon, is cray cray!), I'll talk you through what I re…
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From EMT to BA to Sr Product Manager: This is Yolanda's Journey
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1:27:24
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Meet Yolanda - She's a SPRINT alum who leveraged the program to land her first official Product Manager title after nearly 10 years working in and around software teams. She's one of the kindest, most ambitious Product Managers I know and it was a joy to reconnect with her. 🫶 If you're trying to transition into Product Management or you're on the j…
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How to Tell If You're Growing as a PM (regardless of your job title)
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30:21
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Confused by all the different Product Manager titles? 😵💫 Not sure which job titles to target in your job search? 😩 Unclear on how to get a promotion to Sr. Product Manager or higher? 😰 This episode is for you! 🫶 I decode everything there is to know about growth in your product management career, regardless of job title! What is standard in product…
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Better together: The Story Behind the Acquisition of SPRINT & SCALE
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1:41:42
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Today we have a very special guest on the show! Blair Presley is joining us - she is the original creator of the SPRINT and SCALE programs. ICYMI: in October 2024, I officially acquired the SPRINT and SCALE programs as the absolute perfect compliments to my SHINE program for Product Managers. Many of you have been asking for the deets on how this a…
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2025 Product Management Job Market Rundown
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17:05
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Stuck in your product management job search? I gotchu. 🫶 Here's my insider take on the current job market, including 5 ESSENTIAL tips to increase your chances of success. ✨ Plus, I've includes 4 bonus insights about hybrid roles and the evolving product interview process you'll only get here. Have a question? Send me a text Connect with me on Linke…
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How I (Accidentally) Landed in Product Management
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30:31
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Think your journey into product management is unique? Join the club! 😜 Most of us (myself included) have had a unique path into Product. Hear about my journey and learn 3 MAJOR takeaways that will help you advance successfully on your own path in product management. Have a question? Send me a text Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-s…
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Let me guess… you got the certification, you took the course, maybe you even have the PM title – but you still feel stuck in your Product Management career? It’s not just you, I hear it from product folks literally every day. I’m Jess Sherlock and I’m a Product Management Career Coach. Over the last decade, I built and led product teams at a handfu…
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