Updated: May 28, 2024 - 7 min read
If you're new to Product Management, you might be starting to put together your first PM portfolio (and if you've recently finished a Product School certification, then you're guaranteed to have a project to show off!). Maybe you've been in Product for a while and got your start when portfolios were less common for PMs.
Wherever you are in your Product journey, this article is here to guide and inspire. Below, we'll cover what portfolios are, how they differ from CVs, and the dos and don'ts of project management portfolios. We also feature 10 awesome real-life project manager portfolio examples to show you the range of possibilities out there and inspire you to make your portfolio your own.
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Portfolio Tips for Product Managers
Do:
Manage your portfolio like a product: Start with an MVP, consider the user journey, and establish success criteria.
Include data and highlight relevant metrics.
Include images and/or videos.
Tell a story: The choice of products displayed should reflect a narrative, whether it be expert knowledge on a single topic, or a particular professional trajectory.
Get creative! A unique portfolio is a great way to stand out from the crowd.
Don’t
Confuse your portfolio with a CV (see below)
Try to include everything. Portfolios aren't exhaustive lists; they are most effective when they show off your greatest hits.
Underestimate the importance of design. Even if you aren't a product designer with a flashy portfolio, good UX is still essential.
Product Management Portfolio vs CV: What’s the difference?
In Product Management, a portfolio is a place (usually a website or part of one) that highlights specific projects, case studies, and achievements. It offers a detailed, visual representation of hands-on experience and successes in product management.
A Product Manager's CV, or resumé, on the other hand, is a document (often a PDF) listing a professional's work history, education, and skills. CVs are often chronological, whereas portfolios might order experiences by theme or importance. Both portfolios and CVs are essential but serve different purposes.
10 Product Manager Portfolio Examples
Get inspired with these examples of some of the best Product Manager portfolios out there.
1. Product Manager portfolio website with highlights reel — Sherlain L.
What we liked: What’s not to like?! This product manager’s website has it all: excellent design, impressive projects to showcase, and notes on her process. On the homepage, Sherlaine features a highlights reel of her accomplishments. and a portfolio tab with more details.
Best of all, Sherlaine’s personality is everywhere—in the bright colors, snappy copy, and clips of her leading team planks!
2. Detailed PM portfolio with product images — Anita Valentinova
What we liked: Ani is an experienced professional with lots of great work to show off. She makes it easy to navigate her projects with a table of contents, and makes sure to bring the results to life with product images.
3. Product Marketing Manager portfolio — Marta Puerto
Marta first got our attention with her viral video about her job search for a Product Marketing Manager role. It ended with an invitation to check out her portfolio!
What we liked: Marta includes relevant marketing metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of her campaigns alongside context, images, and links.
4. Minimalist Product Management portfolio — Johnathan Zhou
What we liked: The deceptively simple portfolio section of this Product Manager’s website does a lot of heavy lifting: at a glance, you can see that Johnathan has impressive technical skills, mobile and web experience, business acumen, and an altruistic streak. Visitors can click on any of the cards for more details.
5. Product Management portfolio with case studies — Mark Progano
What we liked: In his portfolio, Mark makes a point of including previous projects alongside case studies that show how he approaches products and how to improve them.
Even though Mark has a lot of product experience—part of the reason we were so happy to have him join us as an SME at Product School—his portfolio serves as a helpful example for new PMs searching for their first jobs for two reasons:
His examples will help you prepare for a case study interview
If you have less experience to include in your portfolio, a case study is a great way to show off your product knowledge!
6. Product Manager website with a great homepage — Juan J. Ramirez
What we liked: The awesome animation on Juan’s website does three things at once:
Lists his technical skills
Shows off his design prowess
Gives a sense of his personality through a unique portrait
Further down the page, Juan highlights past projects and even pages from his notebooks to give a feel for his process.
7. PM portfolio with Select Work— Sri Ponnada
What we liked: Sri has a lot of experience in Product, but she kept her portfolio focused with the projects she’s most proud of. This “greatest hits” approach keep visitors to her portfolio focused on her most impressive accomplishments. She also has a separate page for her volunteer work, which gives insight into her values.
8. Project Management portfolio with an emphasis on process — Taylor McCaslin
What we liked: Taylor included the case study he submitted as part of his interview process with Indeed.com (spoiler alert, he got the job!). He includes images of his initial sketches, wireframes, and mockups to tell a story about his process.
9. PM portfolio that highlights metrics — Sam Dickie
What we liked: Numbers can tell a story, too, and Sam makes sure no one who visits his portfolio of impressive ventures misses out! If you’re expecting a bunch of spreadsheets, though, you’ll be disappointed. Sam’s portfolio is beautifully designed with plenty of visual components to compliment the stats.
10. Showcasing User Journey in a Project Manager portfolio — Rian van der Merwe
What we liked: Rian is a great example of a PM who values customer centricity. He has extensive experience designing user flows, journeys, and personas, which he makes clear with plenty of examples and images. He also includes photos of whiteboarding and storymapping sessions that offer an even closer look into his process.
Why make a product management portfolio?
Creating your own product management portfolio takes time and can distract you from other productive initiatives. Is it really worth the effort you ask? The short answer is yes, for the following reasons:
Creating a portfolio can help you when searching for a product management job, as it's very likely that a hiring company will ask to see it. If you already have a portfolio prepared, you can get back to that company in a short amount of time. What's more, since it's a reflective experience, it can prepare you for interviews and other challenges that require you sharing your achievements.
Aside from potential employers, it's also possible that conference organizers and public institutions (such as universities) will request that you provide some sort of summary of your life’s work – another reason product management portfolios are so important.
Another instance where a portfolio is useful is when you're aiming to elevate your public profile. After all, developing a personal brand is crucial for Product Managers. Remember, in this position, you are constantly trying to align both internal and external stakeholders around your product vision. If you are able to encapsulate your product perspectives in a single document, you can increase your ability to persuade others.
Be Creative With Your Product Management Portfolio
We've offered you some examples and criteria when developing a product portfolio, but the rest is up to you. Remember, your product portfolio gives you the chance to let your creativity shine! Some portfolios evolved from curated blogs. Others can take the form of an Instagram profile. The bravest PMs out there can even make a splash with some sort of physical proof of their work. So don't forget to experiment and have fun with it!
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Updated: May 28, 2024
