Most Important Skills for a Senior Product Owner at Pacific Gas and Electric
Jake, a Senior Product Owner at Pacific Gas & Electric, emphasizes that while technical skills are listed on job descriptions, "adaptability, excitement for learning, and people skills" are far more crucial for success. The ability to handle changing responsibilities, maintain a positive attitude, and navigate interpersonal dynamics effectively are key, as these "softer skills are a little bit more difficult to…acquire."
Adaptability, Communication, Problem-Solving, Growth Mindset, Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jake Carlisle
Senior Product Owner
Pacific Gas & Electric
UCLA
N/A
Anthropology, Sociology
Energy & Utilities
Cyber Security and IT
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Adaptability is crucial in a constantly evolving field. Be open to new challenges and responsibilities, even if they fall outside of your initial job description.
2. Cultivate a growth mindset. Demonstrate a hunger for learning and continuous improvement, and actively seek out new opportunities to expand your skillset.
3. Strong people skills are essential for effective collaboration and communication. Learn how to navigate difficult conversations, manage conflict, and build positive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
This is something I've observed, and it's difficult because I think it will impact, or it probably is impacting, your generation a lot. On paper, if you look at a job like mine, you're going to see a lot of skills. They want you to have a degree in this and years of experience.
They want you to know not only the product you're being hired or interviewed for, but also the previous two products that aren't even around anymore. They want you to know the whole ecosystem and cloud computing. Essentially, they want you to be an expert for a career or entry-level position.
It's super daunting. It makes you not even want to apply because you feel like you don't fit the criteria at all. However, if you're not applying for something too specialized, and if someone learned how to do it in a year or two, there's likely not that much technical knowledge required. I know they want it, and it would be ideal.
But I personally believe the most important areas you need are adaptability. Whatever is thrown at you, whatever direction your job goes, you can't be too stuck or protective. I've seen people say, "Hey, we have this new responsibility, this new concept, like AI language models, like GPT. Hey, we want you to take that on and own that."
And they respond, "Oh, well, that's not part of my job. I screenshotted my responsibility list when you hired me. That's not on there. I'm not going to do it." Those people are never anyone's favorite. They might be good at what they do, but it's just so difficult to work with someone like that.
This applies not only as a boss but also as a teammate. You want to be able to rely on people, and you want people to be able to rely on you. You want people to be excited to work with you and have confidence in you.
So, I think adaptability, that excitement, and that hunger for learning new things are key. Don't get too comfortable or overly satisfied with what you're doing. Always have a hunger to learn more, push yourself, and grow.
And I think people skills are important. Knowing how to talk to people, how to ask for things, and how to respond when someone comes at you with negative energy is crucial. Understand not to respond immediately and keep it professional. You can talk to that person afterwards or handle it yourself.
You can realize that a lot of things aren't personal. Maybe they're having a bad day or aren't a communicator at your level. You can turn a bad situation into a good one that will make you look good. Whereas if you just come back at somebody, you both look bad.
So, I think people skills, attitude, mindset, adaptability, and hunger are essential. I'm not saying technical skills aren't important. They are, but I think those are more easily attained and can always be strengthened. Those softer skills are a little more difficult to teach and acquire. I would always recommend putting those at the forefront of your focus.
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