“I would just like some logic in our decision making.”

---

The following is an excerpt from After School. In one of my earliest interviews, I talked to a successful product manager about how work was treating him a year into his first job post-MBA.

 

When people ask you “What do you do?” what do you say?

I’m a Product Manager for a tech company.

 

What are your hours like?

Since I’m working at a big company I have a lot of spare time.

I’m happy with it because I wanted to do the product manager role.

Do you like it?

In general, I’m happy with it because I wanted to do the product manager role. But the problems…not problems…the issue I’m facing is that I work as a product manager at a big company. There’s a lot of politics in it, and as a product manager I want to see the market trends outside of my company.. But there’s a lot of politics, internal stuff. I would just like some logic in our decision making. Some people say, “Oh we used to do it this way for like ten years. Let’s stick to it.”

 

What’s the best part of the job?

As a project manager, I actually make stuff. I mean, I don’t code, but I do design how this project should be. I get to work on an actual tangible product.

With big companies I think there’s a lot of politics.

What’s the worst part of the job?

With big companies I think there’s a lot of politics. Some people left the company, not the team. I valued their work. Their performance was excellent, but they were not getting recognized as much, so they ended up finding a job some other place. I know a guy who had a positive impact; he worked hard. He wanted to get promoted to director, but he didn’t get it so he ended up getting a director role from another company. He came back to my boss saying, “If you match this salary I’ll stay,” but that didn’t happen because he had some conflict with another director. Those kinds of politics.

 

If you would like to participate/be interviewed for the blog, contact me at nkem.nwankwo@lifeafterschool.co.