Product Gym by Elevate

I was really struggling taking the next step in my product manager career when I discovered Product Gym. I  interviewed for a lot of product roles in the past, however was not able to convert those interviews into offers.  I had studied on my own, joined product communities as well as read many product manager interview books, however none of these produced results.

When I started Product Gym, I was nervous that this approach would not work either, however I was wrong. They really set you up for success for every step of the product manager interview process, giving you the tools and support you need. This includes resume optimization, FAQs, and even how to build confidence (this was a big one for me). Product Management interviewing is a journey and they provided me with the stamina I needed.  Through this process I have interviewed with companies that I never thought would be options and ultimately landed a job offer that was better than I could have imagined. I am very excited to start my new journey. 

Thank you Rich, Cody and the entire team!

Even though I already was a Product Manager at my current role, I never had to interview for the job.  Trying to change jobs, for over a year, I was bombing every single second round interview.  My pitch was not conveying my experience, and I was interviewing so rarely that it was hard to understand where I was making a mistake. The second week at Product Gym I had 5  interviews lined up, and 8 weeks later I had and offer.  I was able to build up my confidence by interviewing and improving constantly.  At the same time, attending Product Gym classes I was filling in my Product Management knowledge gaps, I started to speak, think and walk like PM.  Rich, Cody and PG instructors are so open to share knowledge and so eager to help you achieve your goal of finding the right PM role for you.  That being said, nobody will do the work for you.  It is hard and painful, but in the process you’ll get the training and backbone to become a better Product Manager.. and that is the point!

Out of all the programs that I’ve taken before, this is by far the best. Rich, Cody, and the team really care about all their students and do their best to help you get the job. Can it be rough sometimes? Yes. Is it easy? No. But if you’re willing to put in the work and follow their process, you will get the job. What I like the most about this program is that they literally walk you through every part of the process and are there to help you and answer any questions. There is no extra fee for coaching or anything stupid like that. Once you sign up for the program, they will do their part in helping you. Also, when I was first considering this program and comparing it to others like General Assembly, I liked that this one actually helps you get the job which is why I signed up. But it’s important to remember that it’s not just job search help, they also teach you all the fundamentals of product management that you need to know to do the job well once you’re hired.

This is a long due review that I personally felt the need to write. I met Rich at one of his events where he introduced the pm career. Shortly after the event we had our consultation call and I was convinced that Rich is the kind of person I needed to make the biggest jump in my career.

Here’s a little bit about me – me before Product Gym. I worked for a big bank as an Equity Analyst with a degree in finance and absolutely had no knowledge of anything technical or managerial. I wanted to get into the tech scene and have a job that would grow me and give me the opportunity to make my voice heard. I knew what I wanted but I didn’t know where to start and here’s where Rich and the PG community stepped in.

After sharing these concerns, Rich told me to attend a full day of class for free (!) and observe the level of knowledge I gained in a day. He was right; 6 hours of class and I was basically halfway through a traditional MBA curriculum. I attended Allison Whaley’s “Product Marketing vs. Product” class and was so inspired to see that I could become a kick-ass woman like her one day if I put in the hard work and showed dedication. After the course, I enrolled in the program. Along with the great content, I also learned how to apply, how to get more interviews and how to DOMINATE those interviews. The first few weeks were tough but after that initial period, you gain incredible momentum. The PG community, which consists of PG members who have either graduated the program and now are in PM roles or people who are in the process of interviewing and job hunting, keep you motivated 24/7. Nobody leaves this program without a pm job and this community empowers you to reach your goals. I gained very valuable knowledge about interviewing, company specifics as well as very specialized technical information as there was always someone to answer my questions. Trust me, Product Gym is an MBA and a Master’s Degree on steroids!

Two months after this marathon, I finally landed a pm job at a fast-growing company and said goodbye forever to my corporate job. I am extremely thankful that I now work at a role where the work I do has an impact and my opinions are valued. The PG community has been giving me the strength to put myself out there and to fight for the career that I dreamt of. So do yourself a favor and instead of incurring debt in pursuit of a nonsense MBA or a Master’s Degree, join the Product Gym community today. You’ll NOT REGRET IT!

I now manage a team of ten (I initially was managing three engineers) and just negotiated a raise and a new title. None of this would have been possible if I got stuck in my old career and didn’t meet with Rich.

   

I just want to start off by saying THANK YOU to Rich, Cody, and everybody else at Product Gym!! I went from an RN who sadly wasn’t making as much as I would’ve like to landing Product Manager offers of almost TWICE my old salary. A friend of mine got a recent job as a PM after attending Product Gym, and I asked her how the bootcamp was. She actually recommended the bootcamp to me, because she thought I would like Product Management. So, I went to go look at what Product Management was, and it sounded interesting. So I figured changing my career, and I enrolled in Product Gym. Rich was a bit harsh, but I could tell the things he said were definitely truthful and he KNEW what he was talking about. Not THINK, but KNEW what he was saying. Cody was amazingly helpful, and helped me land interviews, and work on my resume. I didn’t even know my resume needed so much improvements until they told me about all of my flaws, and the stuff that I could and should add. Anyways, I couldn’t have landed my current PM job if it weren’t for the great coaches Rich and Cody, and everyone else at Product Gym!! 

 

I was hesitant to spend my money on a bootcamp where I wasn't even sure if I was going to get a return. But I've been applying non-stop and haven't heard back from anywhere at all. And the places that did an interview with did not last past the third round interview. So I decided to take the risk and signed up for Product Gym. Right on the first day, they fixed my resume cover letter and linkedin for me. They gave me the support and knowledge I needed to continue applying to more positions and eventually pass the interviews. All I can say is that there is no need to be hesitant with this bootcamp. The only thing you need to do is listen to their instructions and advice and you will land that job.

 

If you’re considering being a Product Manager, I suggest you sign up for this class. It was super helpful, insightful, and the smartest decision I made. I was so worried when first trying to transition into Product Management because I wasn’t getting interviews at all, but that all changed when I went to Product Gym. Rich and Cody kept it real with me and told me they can help me every step of the way only if I worked hard. I did and it really paid off! They helped me every step of the way of the process from preparing my resume and cover letter to negotiating offers. After taking the classes and applying to several hundred PM roles, I ended up with 3 offers! If you’re seriously considering transitioning into Product Management, don’t even think about it, just do it!

One thing you should know is that your background doesn’t matter. Product Gym teaches you how to sell yourself and your background in a way that showcases that you have the skills to be a Product Manager. If you’re skeptical about joining, they actually set you up with other alumni that you can talk to about the program.

The Product Gym team knows what they’re talking about. Rich comes from a tech recruiting background, so he knows exactly what companies are looking for, and the lecturers are current Product Managers in different companies who can talk about the field how it is today. Their advice is always up to date and relevant. 

In the future cohorts, I hope that they improve the experience for students watching the classes online since the audio quality isn’t the greatest sometimes. However, it’s worth mentioning that Cody and the rest of the PG team troubleshoots it right away!

When I first started with Product Gym, I thought that it would be structured like any other curriculum. I was attending every class session that Product Gym provided, but realized that learning about Product Management is simply not enough, since I was barely applying and interviewing.

I started attending the weekly coaching sessions that Rich hosts, and learned that my fellow peers were applying to 30+ A DAY and were landing 10+ interviews A WEEK! Rich kept it real with me, and told me that I’m not showing that I really wanted the PM position, and he was right, I was way too passive in this program.

Afterwards, I started applying to 40+ positions a day, and begun to get some call backs for interviews. Within a month, I had converted half of my interviews to on-sites and got 3 offers!

Thank you to Rich for his no BS mentality and the rest of the team for their continued support!

I decided to join Product Gym after attending one of their events. The amount of resources and coaching you receive from the team is honestly incredible, though at first a little intimidating. You can’t find what they teach you online like some other PM courses. Getting to personally speak to Rich and Cody, the founders of Product Gym, was another bonus. I was never left hanging with my questions unanswered. This isn’t an easy course where you can slack off and still expect to get a job at the end of it. They don’t hand out jobs. You have to really dedicate time to it and the results you get will represent your efforts.