Level Up: How this product manager deals with imposter syndrome

In today’s episode, we have Ijeoma Okoh, product manager at Heroshe. She talks about how she went from being a digital marketing intern to being a product manager.

🔎 IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH IJEOMA OKOH

Tell us about your journey into the tech industry. What initially sparked your interest?

My tech journey began shortly after graduating in 2018. I started as a digital marketing intern (focused on SEO) at Hotels.ng. My sister, already in tech, had been encouraging me to learn coding. While I appreciated her guidance, I knew coding wasn’t where my passion lay.

During the internship, however, I realised I wanted to be more involved in the tech space, specifically in a role that allowed me to shape products. That’s when I started researching other career paths in tech that didn’t revolve around coding. Product management caught my attention, and I dove in.

After taking some courses, I reached out to a company during my NYSC year. The CEO took a leap of faith and offered me a PM role after I completed a 3-month internship with them. All these set the foundation for my journey as a product manager.

What has been the most challenging aspect of your career growth?

The most challenging aspect has been overcoming perceptions tied to years of experience. While experience is valuable, I've found that people often overlook the skills and capabilities of those with fewer years in the industry. This has created hurdles for me regarding career growth, as there have been opportunities I wasn’t considered for due to my number of years in the field, even though I knew I could contribute effectively.

Can you walk us through a typical workday for you?

My workday varies but generally revolves around documentation, including strategy documents and PRDs (Product Requirement Documents). I usually start with daily standups, followed by meetings with different stakeholders to align their needs with the product team. I spend much of my time syncing with cross-functional teams to ensure that the product's direction aligns with business goals. On some days, I also dive into product data to better understand user behaviour and guide decision-making.

What are some of the most common challenges you face in your work?

Imposter syndrome is a significant challenge I face. There are times when I question whether I'm doing well or if I'm on the right track. It’s something that many people in this field experience, and it can be a constant internal battle to remind yourself of your capabilities.

How do you deal with imposter syndrome when it shows up?

I focus on building a strong foundation of knowledge and celebrating my accomplishments, no matter how little.

If you could switch careers with anyone for a week, who would it be and why?

It would probably be with a developer, so I can complain about product managers! But on a more serious note, I would love to experience life as a data analyst. I dabble in data on the side, and it would be fascinating to see what it’s like to do that daily.

What are some of your favourite resources for learning about product management?

It depends on what I’m trying to learn at the time. I enjoy listening to the Product Manager and Lenny’s Podcasts, as they offer great insights into the industry. I also follow Product School for its wealth of resources. When it comes to more structured learning, YouTube and Udacity have been incredibly helpful. The platform or resource I use often varies based on what specific knowledge I want to gain at any moment.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I’ve ever received is that continuous learning is the only way to grow. I also learned that no matter where you are, if you set your mind to something, you can achieve it.

Tech News: Are Job seekers rejecting unlimited PTO?

A recent report from Revelio Labs has shown that fewer employees are advertising unlimited paid time off in their job postings. Many job seekers are now less interested in unlimited PTO offers. While it sounds appealing, the lack of clear guidelines and the potential for abuse has made it less attractive. Employees often feel unsure about how much time off they can take and are not using all their allotted time.

Companies with unlimited PTO policies also tend to have lower ratings compared to their competitors, especially in terms of work-life balance, according to the same report.

While the unlimited PTO policy in African companies is not as robust as that of companies in the U.S., the lack of clarity around this policy is starting to make employees prefer a specified amount of time off instead.

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