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Product development assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Erin Dougherty
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical product development assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for product development assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.8% of product development assistant resumes contained tech packs as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a product development assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 product development assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Tech Packs

A tech pack is an informative sheet that designers create to communicate with a manufacturer all the details and components necessary to turn a product into a finished product. It also serves as a "product contract" between a person and the manufacturer throughout the sampling and production process. Typically, designers include dimensions, materials, sketches, size specifications, colors, illustrations, hardware, grading, labels/tags, construction information, and legends. The tech pack is essential for quality control and also ensures that the submitted samples meet ones specifications exactly and that one does not waste time and money reproducing them if they are incorrect.

Here's how product development assistants use tech packs:
  • Maintained communication with overseas factories to follow up on tech packs, status of development samples and to source new materials.
  • Accomplished day to day tasks including sketching and creating tech packs to better communicate design direction to oversea partners.

2. PLM

PLM stands for "product lifecycle management." This process is the management of a product's entire lifecycle, from when the product is first conceived and developed to when the product is sold and, eventually, disposed. A company may use PLM for a variety of reasons, most commonly to reduce the amount of errors in the manufacturing process and to ensure the product is sold more quickly.

Here's how product development assistants use plm:
  • Created technical packages for Women's Classic/Modern/Low CID using Web PDM and PLM.
  • Reviewed overseas fabric quality and tracked status in PLM system.

3. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how product development assistants use data entry:
  • Managed data entry to ensure all departments receive correct information to achieve optimal company productivity.
  • Maintain data entry into various systems and ensure the integrity of all information.

4. WIP

Here's how product development assistants use wip:
  • Monitored WIP reports with Product Development team, and Vendors to ensure on time delivery for all programs.
  • Updated WIP reports for department meetings with design and merchandising.

5. Overseas Vendors

A overseas vendor normally provides an outsourced part of a supply chain. It is vital that you carefully examine potential countries to trade with and individual vendors in those countries. Understanding shipping costs, trade laws, and critical regulations is a required part of vetting overseas vendors. You must be careful in assessing overseas vendors' reliability, solvency, and commitment to product quality.

Here's how product development assistants use overseas vendors:
  • Communicated daily with overseas vendors providing direction on projects to ensure quality and on time delivery to customers.
  • Communicated daily with overseas vendors to track production statuses and maintained the work-in-process spreadsheet.

6. Product Specifications

A product specification is a document detailing all the requirements and key features of a product that's about to be built. It's mostly called a blueprint because it's the product in its theoretical form which is also the preliminary stage of product design.

Here's how product development assistants use product specifications:
  • Negotiated all product specifications with domestic and international vendors.
  • Communicate with vendors to collect and gather all necessary package and product specifications, printing information, limitations, etc.

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7. Adobe Illustrator

Here's how product development assistants use adobe illustrator:
  • Executed flats in Adobe Illustrator for Women s, and Juniors sweaters as well as cut and sew.
  • Create flat sketches by hand or Adobe Illustrator for each delivery.

8. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how product development assistants use product design:
  • Travel internationally to retail/wholesale markets and work directly with factories on product design.
  • Provide input and support in the development of overall Product Design vision, strategic plans, and prioritization of initiatives.

9. Purchase Orders

Here's how product development assistants use purchase orders:
  • Respond to inquiries from cross-functional departments regarding requisitions, purchase orders and pricing information.
  • Created/coded purchase orders and MasterCard bill reconciliation.

10. Lab Dips

Here's how product development assistants use lab dips:
  • Coordinated and approved fabric and lab dip results for quality and regulatory performance.
  • Managed, organized, and filed lab dips, prints, and trims as well as update the fabric master list.

11. Market Research

Market research is a collective effort to collect information related to a consumer's needs and wants. It is a systematic approach that involves recording and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Market research helps a business to identify a target market correctly and identify the gaps in potential consumer's expectations.

Here's how product development assistants use market research:
  • Analyzed data collected through market research and other sources to identify trends and business improvement opportunities.
  • Assisted in market research and statistical analysis for reverse engineering potential aircraft parts.

12. Sketch

Here's how product development assistants use sketch:
  • Created sketch books for all garments prior to market to facilitate sales.
  • Sketch and execute flats & technical sketches for sample development.

13. Line Sheets

A line sheet is a sales tool for product marketing and sales to display important information about a product to potential buyers and retailer partners. It is commonly used by manufacturers, wholesalers, brands, and designers in the fashion industry.

Here's how product development assistants use line sheets:
  • Maintain up to date line sheets and product information for each item in conjunction with the daily changes of the collection.
  • Provide retail partners with available inventory to sell, item specs, line sheets, & provide any additional support.

14. Adobe Photoshop

Here's how product development assistants use adobe photoshop:
  • Photographed and edited pictures of new and existing food products with Adobe Photoshop.

15. Product Development

Product development is the complete procedure of creating a product from concept until release of the final product. Product development has many stages after which a product is released into the market. Identifying the need, creating the opportunity, conceptualizing a product, and providing a solution, all are different stages of product development.

Here's how product development assistants use product development:
  • Formatted, prepared and maintained reports, presentations and spreadsheets, facilitating increased productivity in the product development department.
  • Tracked ongoing product development projects by maintaining spreadsheets and effectively communicating with the design and engineering office overseas.
top-skills

What skills help Product Development Assistants find jobs?

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What product development assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Erin Dougherty

Associate Professor of Costume Design Costume Director, Catawba College

Skills that broaden communication, and your ability to be flexible. We're seeing design/rendering software and patterning really move electronically to programs like Procreate and even CLO 3D, and of course Vectorworks for Light and Scenic. Pay attention to industry standards. It's helpful to be familiar with technology and have a wide swath of skills in your technical area-people want you to wear multiple hats and be at least a partial generalist as well as your specialty. The other thing is, we really need Technical Directors. That's an industry gap, and if you can fill a gap, you're hireable.

List of product development assistant skills to add to your resume

Product development assistant skills

The most important skills for a product development assistant resume and required skills for a product development assistant to have include:

  • Tech Packs
  • PLM
  • Data Entry
  • WIP
  • Overseas Vendors
  • Product Specifications
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Product Design
  • Purchase Orders
  • Lab Dips
  • Market Research
  • Sketch
  • Line Sheets
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Product Development
  • Product Line
  • Strike Offs
  • BOM
  • CAD
  • Pre-Production Samples
  • Overseas Factories
  • Production Issues
  • Delivery Dates
  • Trade Shows
  • Trend Research
  • Presentation Boards
  • Photo Shoots
  • Product Lifecycle Management
  • Bulk Production
  • Color Standards
  • Market Trends
  • PowerPoint
  • POS
  • Sample Development
  • Facebook
  • Mood Boards
  • Travel Arrangements
  • Action Calendar
  • Embroidery
  • Product Categories
  • Sales Orders
  • International Vendors
  • PPS
  • Hong Kong
  • Overseas Suppliers

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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