For Jeff Yeager, product management isn’t just a job title — it was a journey of continuous growth.

By completing the Certificate in Product Management at the School of Continuing Studies, Jeff discovered new ways of working, expanded his professional network and gained the confidence to step into a senior leadership role. Hear from Jeff on how this program changed the way he approaches his profession. 

What motivated you to take the Certificate in Product Management? 

I had come up through the ranks as a business analyst, then a product owner and finally a product manager. My experience was my only guideline — learning as you go.  

I wanted to formalize that, because it’s easy to do things a certain way that you’re accustomed to, but it may not always be the best way. That’s what I found the program really helped me with — it really enhanced my performance and my effectiveness as a product manager. 

What experiences resonated with you in the program? 

Being able to interact with the other students who were taking the program and the instructors. The instructors came from a variety of backgrounds, as did the students. They’re all in different industries and at different stages in their careers, which made for a great learning experience because it crossed a whole layer of different dynamics, products and industries.  

So it expanded not only my knowledge but also the scope of possibilities in product management. 

How did the program impact your career? 

When I completed the program, I was working as a product manager. I had a company reach out to me that was looking for a senior product manager. I hadn’t updated anything on LinkedIn in terms of “I’m looking for work,” but I had updated my LinkedIn to say “I’ve completed the certificate.” So, I interviewed them, and they hired me on. That definitely made a difference. 

Could you describe how the work-integrated learning prepared you for the challenges of a real-world work environment? 

Yes, the capstone was the final project of the program. Each course we went through built up to the final project. So it was like, “Okay, now you’ve got the theory and done some practical applications through it. Now what can you do with all of that?” And that was really good; it was definitely challenging, but when it was all said and done and I looked back, I went, “Wow, I can see a difference in who I am as a product manager, from how I started to where I’m at.” One of the great things about the capstone is that you experience challenges that aren’t found in a textbook. There are things you’re going to have to deal with. 

What advice would you offer to someone considering this program? 

As much as you know, you can always learn more and you can always learn better ways to do it. If I’m my product, then I need to invest in my product to make it better, to make it more effective and make it more marketable, which is just what you would do with any product. If I don’t invest in myself, why should other people invest in me? 

Are you ready to invest in yourself? Learn more about the Certificate in Product Mangement and get ready to unlock new ways of thinking, expand your network and gain the confidence to step into senior leadership roles.