![](https://svpma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cropped-SVPMA-Oct-Meeting-Invite-Image.jpeg)
Moderator and Panelists
- Albert Qian, Founder, Albert’s List (moderator)
- Laura Labine, Chief Talent Officer, LaBine & Associates
- Rita Scroggin, Executive Search and Founder, FirstBoard.io
- Shari Chakravarthi, Sr. Recruiter, CareDx, Inc
Summary
As busy product professionals, we sometimes struggle to focus on career development and manage the growth and progression of our own careers. Career management during periods of upheaval also presents additional unique challenges. The past few years have certainly presented more change and uncertainty than any period in recent memory. During this event, we will learn from recruiting professionals about the shifting marketplace for PM skills, tips for crafting your online profiles, new interview trends, and other important market changes that have career planning implications.
Join Albert Qian of Albert’s List as he moderates a discussion of trends and factors likely to impact your product management career. Albert will present his annual findings on the State of Hiring. He will be accompanied by a panel of recruiters who will offer diverse perspectives.
The conversation will focus on:
- This year’s “State of Hiring” jobs report, including the biggest takeaways, surprises, silver linings, potential warning signs, and what to expect in 2024.
- How the economic numbers are impacting those in the San Francisco Bay Area and the technology industry
- Job-hunting techniques in the face of a possible recession
- Managing your career in 2024 – how is it different from the past?
- Career development – what are the most important skills right now and for the next 5-10 years?
- Which types of companies are hiring: startups, public companies, FAANG?
- Are product managers in demand?
- What’s going with salaries? Have increases slowed down?
- Should you be a generalist or specialist? Are employers prioritizing domain knowledge or general product management skills?
- How many years of experience is the sweet spot for individual contributor product managers? Managers of product managers?
About the Moderator
Albert Qian is the founder of Albert’s List, a job search community and Facebook group serving 48,000 professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. It offers mock interviews, job listings, events, and bootcamps. Albert has organized career fairs featuring organizations including Amazon, Franklin Templeton, and Robert Half, averaging 800-900 RSVPs per event. Built partnerships with organizations including the University of Phoenix, Coffee Meets Bagel, TechCode, and Coding Dojo. https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertqian
About the Panelists
Laura Labine – Chief Talent Officer, LaBine & Associates
Laura LaBine has 20 years of progressive experience in recruiting. She expanded into more generalized IT recruiting for other industries and eventually gained momentum in identifying a wide range of talent for various industries. This always involves product management, and she has placed all levels of product management professionals, up to Head of Product.Laura founded LaBine and Associates in 2013 to provide more diverse and creative solutions for her clients. LaBine joined the global recruiting cooperative NPA Worldwide, a 60+ year old global network of highly specialized recruiters. In ten years, Labine has placed more than 600 people. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralabinerhymeswithqueen/
Rita Scroggin, Executive Search and Founder, FirstBoard.io
Rita has been an Executive Search Partner since 2010. She has partnered with leading Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists, Founders and Members of the C-Suite on critical searches ranging from Director to Board level. Her clients are fundamentally changing the world through rapid innovation and range from Fortune 500 companies to early-stage Startups. Rita has hosted several leadership events discussing topics like How to join a company Board, Managing Board Expectations, Attracting Talent with Stock Options, and Startup Acquisition CEO roundtable among others. Recognizing the need to create more diversity in the Boardroom of her clients, she founded FirstBoard.io® in 2020. FirstBoard.io® is a curated Collective of diverse female Founders, CXO’s, and VP level Operating Leaders in technology and health tech across multiple verticals; disciplines working together to increase female representation on company Boards. Rita began her career at Philips in Hamburg, Germany and holds a B.A. Degree in Business Management from University of Hamburg Applied Sciences and completed the MBA Coursework at Henley Business School in the UK. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritascroggin/
Shari Chakravarthi, Sr. Recruiter – Talent Acquisition, CareDx, Inc
Shari brings 10+ years of experience in technical recruitment, having worked at respected organizations like Omron Robotics, which produce robotic automation equipment; CareDx, which produce transplantation medical devices; and Glass Point Solar, which manufactures solar steam generators. During her tenure, Shari has been instrumental in building highly skilled and diverse technical teams as a Corporate Senior Recruiter and an agency Staffing Specialist. Hiring Product Managers, Senior Product Managers, and Product Owners where she gained valuable insight into the product development process. Over the past few years, Shari has honed effective interview skills and offers career coaching services to help candidates navigate the job search. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharichak1/