The career path for a product manager can vary depending on the individual’s experience, skills, and goals. Here are some common steps and milestones that many product managers follow:

1.     Entry-level roles: Many product managers start their careers in entry-level roles such as marketing, sales, or customer support. These roles can provide valuable experience in understanding customer needs and how to communicate with different stakeholders.
2.     Junior product manager: After gaining some experience, individuals can transition to a junior product manager role, where they work alongside more experienced product managers and focus on specific tasks such as market research or feature analysis.
3.     Product manager: A product manager is responsible for the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to launch and beyond. They work closely with cross-functional teams such as engineering, design, and marketing to ensure the product meets customer needs and achieves business goals.
4.     Senior product manager: As a product manager gains more experience and demonstrates strong leadership and strategic skills, they may be promoted to a senior product manager role. In this position, they are responsible for larger and more complex product portfolios and may manage a team of junior product managers.
5.     Director of product: The director of product oversees the product management function within a company and is responsible for developing and executing the product strategy. They work closely with other senior leaders such as the CEO, CTO, and CMO to ensure the product portfolio aligns with the company’s overall vision and goals.
6.     Vice president of product: The vice president of product is the highest-level product management position in a company. They are responsible for driving innovation, growth, and profitability of the entire product portfolio and work closely with the executive team to ensure alignment with the company’s overall strategy.

It’s important to note that the career path for a product manager is not always linear, and there may be opportunities to move between different roles or functions within a company. Additionally, many product managers may choose to specialize in a particular area such as user experience, data analytics, or technical product management. Ongoing learning and professional development are also essential to stay current in the field and continue to advance in your career.