Using an online networking platform—for example, LinkedIn—network and connect with someone in product development. Explain that you have a college project and that you’d like to interview them. There are hundreds of product development professionals, and you will quickly find that professionals in this field love to talk about their products and ideas.
Use the following questions as a guide to dig deeper into their job responsibilities.
- Could you please outline your career and how you got started on this path?
- Please outline for me your current job responsibilities.
- Do you specialize in a particular product concept (food, fashion, etc.)?
- How do you interact with and support your team or clients in this role?
- What product have you worked on that you are most proud of or excited about?
- What product did you work on that failed? What did you learn in that process?
- What advice can you offer me if I choose to pursue product development as my career path?
As always, follow up with any questions that you have, being respectful of their time, and be sure to thank them for their information and help!