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  • 1.  Change is good - but not easy.

    Posted 08-01-2018 16:36
    Hello,

    Wondering if I can solicit some brief feedback. I'm new to the group.

    I found myself in the tech industry for almost 18 years. Mostly because I fell into it in the late 90's, it paid well and at the time that's what was necessary having just gotten married, then two kids with two more on the way. Selling software and hard ware solutions to health care entities was a good job.  

    18 years later - I realize I should have been an engineer involved with product development and operations. I have successfully designed and  launched two retail products as a weekend warrior, acquired manufacturing in China mostly just because I didn't need that much capital and now also manage logistics of the supply chain and vendor negotiations as my weekend hobby. But I cant do this full time, it doesn't pay enough, maybe someday it will but not right now. I was fun at first but now it occupies my life.

    What I would really like to do is work for a company that could provide some sort of  product development assistant/apprenticeship for working my way into a position where I could learn the internal/external processes and workings of manufacturing products and someday be a director of operations or manage product development. 

    Would someone be able to tell me what type of jobs I could search for where I could get in the door and work my way up through the food chain of manufacturing and product development.  I've tried to find them on linked in and places like ladders but I don't know what to call them. Almost all product dev requirements ask for some type of an engineering degree and I don't have one. I was hoping that being a member of PDMA someone could provide some advice and possibly help steer me in the right direction. I am passionate about this kind of work - I just need to find it.

    Thank you in advance!

    Doug

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    Doug Krentz
    Business Development - New Product's
    DRK INTL LLC
    Long Valley NJ
    908-343-5382
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  • 2.  RE: Change is good - but not easy.

    Posted 08-02-2018 09:58
    Edited by dave barnard 08-02-2018 10:27
    Hi Doug -
    It seems like you'd be a good fit for Product Manager positions. Have you already looked into openings with that title? They seem to vary pretty widely - as you might expect - but with the right manufacturer, it could be the segue you're looking for.

    - Dave Barnard

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    dave barnard
    owner, product designer
    PEER Product Design, Public Spoace Furnishings LLC
    st paul MN
    612.281.6454
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  • 3.  RE: Change is good - but not easy.

    Posted 08-02-2018 10:14
    Doug:

    I agree with Dave.  You sound like an ideal candidate for a product management position.  In the IT products world, the product manager sits between sales, marketing, and product development, and based on their understanding of markets and technology, helps define what an offering needs to be, how to position it, and how to sell it.  In the past, when hiring product managers, I would prefer to hire someone with field experience, usually sales or technical sales support, as they have first hand knowledge of customer problems, and challenges in advocating solutions.  This (Product Management) is a knowledge based role, that sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines.  Things like development and manufacturing can often be outsourced as they are not core/critical activities.  But product management sits are the heart of the business and usually cannot be outsourced.  The challenge with these types of positions is the term Product Manager is applied to a wide diversity of activities, and thus the role varies a lot depending on individual companies.  In some it is more development focused, in others it is more sales support and marketing focused, while yet in others it can be more program management focused.  Therefore you have to due appropriate due diligence on the position, but the general role of product management is probably a good fit.

    Fell free to call me if you wish to discuss further.

    Dan Lewis

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    Daniel Lewis
    President
    Product Acuity
    The Woodlands TX
    281-292-3477
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  • 4.  RE: Change is good - but not easy.

    Posted 08-03-2018 10:15
    I feel your pain Doug. I have a background in Product Management for manufacturing, but I took a role as a Project manager in a tech company, it was a good opportunity. Now I am struggling to transition back into a product role as my title and industry is not aligned.

    Have you tried reaching out to recruiters in the industry? Sometimes they can help open doors and get past the auto-scanning barriers.

    Keep us posted, happy to share any good openings I come across in NJ.

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    Adam Hart
    Product & Brand Manager
    Uniondale NY
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhart12/
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