Meet 33Across Director of Product Management

Meet 33Across Director of Product Management Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner 33Across, and published on March 16, 2018. Go to 33Across page on PowerToFly to learn mora.The best products are a result of a team who knows project management well. Alison Connard, our Director of Product Management is no exception to this rule. Bringing a wealth of experience, Alison works closely with a number of teams including our Engineering and Marketing teams to ensure that 33Across product offerings are competitive and commercialized successfully. For this edition of Friday Fives, Alison gives us insight on how she got into product management, the skills needed for the role, and where her last vacation was.How did you get into product management?I started my career in various ad operations roles, some of which worked very closely with publishers. I learned the ins and outs of advertising technology and decided that I wanted a role that involved developing products that would help publishers effectively monetize their content.Is there a certain skill-set you have that you believe makes you great at product management?Starting out in ad operations has helped shape my product management skills. In order to holistically manage a product you need to be able to wear various hats and not be afraid to dig into other areas of the business that arent necessarily your focus. This is something ad ops teams know all too well.Is there an ideal product that you would like to see developed?I would like to see products developed that mora effectively address the problem surrounding capturing quality consumer attention. This is critical as digital consumption becomes increasingly fragmented. Truly reaching consumers at the right time, with the right message, is ultimately the solution. Using myself as an example, I do most of my browsing on my smartphone. I prefer to be reached there, with contextually relevant product offers and a limited number of quality ad exec utions that dont disrupt the overall experience.In your experience, what factors make a project successful?Carefully curating who needs to be involved, knowing the goal of the project as well as the expected results makes a project successful. Its also important to not just move on to the next project once the current one is complete. While nothing is ever perfect, incomplete products are sometimes launched. Taking a step back to figure out the things which guarantee long-term success is key. In all, I enjoy the complexities of product management. Its a delicate balance between revenue, business needs, user experience, and resources. Never a dull momentHow did you spend your last vacation?ur yearly family ski trip to Stratton Mountain with my siblings, nieces and nephew. Its the one week a year I typically ski, so I make the most of it and usually return very tired and worn out, but totally worth it One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is ach ieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid c hange. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contr actors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.