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Software product manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

7 min read

Quoted experts

Davide , Ph.D. Bolchini Ph.D.,

Matthew Lopresti

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical software product manager skills. We ranked the top skills for software product managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.6% of software product manager resumes contained product management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a software product manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 software product manager skills for your resume and career

1. Product Management

Product management is a part of an organization's function that deals with product development, planning, pricing, forecasting, launching, and marketing the product.

Here's how software product managers use product management:

Manage software licensing lines from purchasing to product management, interacting with sales and vendors to satisfy relationship expectations.
Understand the business strategy and customer needs to ensure product functionality supports product management goals.

2. Software Products

Here's how software product managers use software products:

Gathered detailed specifications from end users to create functional and technical specifications for future enhancements to the existing software product.
Streamlined software production process and designed quality assurance schedules to stabilize and enhance IT/IS performance and meet business objectives.

3. Software Development

Software development is the mechanism by which programmers create computer programs. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework for developing applications that follow technological needs and consumer requirements. It consists of many stages. The SDLC establishes an international standard that software developers can use to enhance and create their programs. It provides a well-defined framework for software developers to pursue in the production, maintenance, and design of premium quality software. The aim of the software development process is to create high-quality software on time and within budget.

Here's how software product managers use software development:

Gathered customer feedback analyzed data and reported back to software development teams.
Implemented full Agile SCRUM software development allowing monthly customer enhancements.

4. Scrum

Scrum is a lean structure for communicating, designing, and promoting complex products, with a focus on programming development. It has been applied to a variety of areas, including manufacturing, testing, new technology, and marketing techniques. Scrum is a simple framework that helps people, organizations, and teams generate value by providing many solutions to complicated problems.

Here's how software product managers use scrum:

Certified Scrum product owner managing adaptation from phase-gate to Agile Scrum methodology
Managed UI development across local, international and 3rd party engineering resources using Agile Methodology (SCRUM).

5. User Stories

Here's how software product managers use user stories:

Write user stories, use cases, behavioral, and business process flow diagrams via UML Methodology.
Write all the user stories defining the application that the developers follow.

6. 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 software product managers use product development:

Supervised product development, product marketing and legal compliance for start-up venture offering web-based consumer and B-to-B software applications.
Established market requirements, product development direction and successfully launched products in support of industry leading strategies.

7. Lifecycle Management

Here's how software product managers use lifecycle management:

Manage strategic planning, project idea generation, product development, project prioritization and product lifecycle management of several products concurrently.
Managed product portfolio encompassing multiple product lines including lifecycle management of products and identification and prioritization of new product introduction projects.

8. Product Roadmap

Here's how software product managers use product roadmap:

Maintained product roadmap, negotiating feature trade-offs as necessary based on business and customer needs.
Implemented testing of competitive products resulting in improved product roadmaps and enhanced competitive positioning.

9. Product Vision

Product vision is a vision statement that gives an idea about a product. It tells about what the product is, for whom, and how it will benefit the targeted consumers. It gives the employees a bigger perspective on what they're working on and helps in achieving the long-term mission of a product.

Here's how software product managers use product vision:

Define and communicate product vision and strategy within the organization and to the market.
Perform market research and author customer and product requirements to support product vision and roadmap for targeted product releases.

10. Project Management

Here's how software product managers use project management:

Represented Systems Engineering while participating on the Enterprise Project Management Team.
Created Project Office from the ground up and developed and instituted project management procedures and methodologies where there was none previously.

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 software product managers use market research:

Conducted market research and identified particular market requirements for the region to influence future products.
Conducted market research and competitive analysis to develop product specifications

12. User Experience

Here's how software product managers use user experience:

Collaborated with engineering, technology architecture, and user experience teams to guide implementation of marketing requirements.
Ensured products met performance (quality metrics, KPI) & user experience benchmarks.

13. Architecture

Here's how software product managers use architecture:

Designed the site taxonomy and architecture for a global SharePoint 2010 deployment.
Prepared Software Architecture Description, and identified and plan for technical risks.

14. Saas

Here's how software product managers use saas:

Identified SaaP and SaaS software solutions/partnerships to differentiate Motorola's device and accessory portfolio.
Managed deployment and integration of industry leading SaaS billing and e-commerce processing systems.

15. Product Line

Product line is a collection of similar or related products that may be under a single brand manufactured by the same company. It may include different varieties of a specific product of a brand which comes in different categories. In other cases, the product line may differ in some characteristics despite being from the same manufacturer.

Here's how software product managers use product line:

Managed the development and delivery of several major software product lines including Destinations Internet, SuccessMaker Internet and SuccessMaker Enterprise.
Engaged and developed relationships with wireless technology provides to help integrated into laptop product line.

What skills help Software Product Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on software product manager resumes?

Davide , Ph.D. Bolchini Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Director, Human-Computer Interaction Program, Indiana University

In my experience, our most successful MS HCI graduates (https://soic.iupui.edu/hcc/graduate/hci/masters/) take the time to put together a compelling online portfolio that showcases their project experience and skill set in action, as applied to specific research opportunities they had with faculty or projects they worked on during their UX internships in the industry. The personal brand of UX junior professional can be greatly enriched when the portfolio includes not only what the student has done, but why and what was the design rationale behind the process and the results, what was the larger context and goal of the project (especially in large collaborative projects), and what was the specific role and contribution of the student. The discussion about the portfolio of a candidate has become a key ingredient of the interview for UX jobs, besides other important activities such as UX design exercises or remote assignments.

What software product manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Matthew Lopresti

Associate professor of Philosophy and humanities, Hawaii Pacific University

Captains of industry are often asked about the traits they look for in new hires. Critical thinking is always a must, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.

These are the core competencies of the discipline of philosophy. Top-notch communication abilities begin with a depth of ability to understand nuanced, complex details, and then turn around and clearly communicate these complex ideas in easily digestible bits of information. It is no coincidence that students who graduate with philosophy degrees repeatedly dominate graduate and law-school entrance exams like the GRE and LSAT; they are often the sharpest thinkers with the quickest minds

What technical skills for a software product manager stand out to employers?

Patrick Lindsay

Assistant Lecturer, Miami University

Most all employers expect full competency in creatively using technology for communications. By that I don't mean mobile devices or social media usgae. I mean a widespread working knowledge of technology tools (apps, software, etc). Employers are seeking those candidates who can convey thoughts, ideas, responses in a multi-faceted way. Basic competency in written correspondence is no longer enough. Employers want to see daily business communication not only contain demonstration of good writing (grammar, syntax, formatting) but also being able to create embedded images, video, and relevant web links to better communicate. And not just for a big fancy client presentation, but consistently in regular communication. Further, they want words supported by data; support words with numerical evidence. As such, advanced excel skills and real experience in data sources and extraction stand out to employers.

Similarly, they expect professional virtual audio-visual communication. It is not enough to just be on the Zoom call. The expectation is to be prepared, to be engaged, to be aware of the audio and video angles and backgrounds. To demonstrate active listening as well as enthusiastic, energetic, even animated talking. Body language and facial expression are even more enhanced in virtual communications.

If there was a positive outcome from being thrust into an academic world that was all virtual, it was the need to learn new technical skills, not only for classwork, but also for social interaction. This will not only be appreciated by employers, but for many, expected.

Do you want to know more?

List of software product manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a software product manager resume and required skills for a software product manager to have include:

Product Management
Software Products
Software Development
Scrum
User Stories
Product Development
Lifecycle Management
Product Roadmap
Product Vision
Project Management
Market Research
User Experience
Architecture
Saas
Product Line
Competitive Analysis
Product Strategy

Business Development
QA
Visualization
Business Cases
C++
UI
Software Solutions
Java
API
Market Analysis
Customer Satisfaction
Product Life Cycle
Cycle Management
Windows
ROI
Customer Support
Confluence

SDLC
Technical Support
Linux
Emerging Technologies
Product Launch
Prototyping
PC
Pricing Strategy
Product Planning
CRM
User Interface
Product Releases
Trade Shows
Software Applications
Code Reviews

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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