In this Series, we bring you a special conversation with Shruti — a Chartered Accountant turned Product Manager — who successfully transitioned her career with the help of Jobaaj Learnings’ Product Management Program. In this podcast-style interview, Shruti shares her honest experience, challenges, and how the program helped her land a permanent work-from-home role with a 15 LPA package.

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Podcaster:
Hi Shruti, my name is Harshit from the marketing team at Jobaaj. First of all, thank you so much for joining us today and taking the time from your busy schedule. Let’s begin with a little about your background — your education and professional journey so far?

Shruti:
Sure! I’m a qualified Chartered Accountant — I cleared my CA exams in January 2020. During the COVID-19 period, I joined TCS and worked there for 4 years. My role there involved a lot of work similar to product management — I was developing financial products. Eventually, I decided to make a formal switch into product management to get a better hike and grow in this direction professionally.

While preparing for interviews, I realized that I had the knowledge but not the right words or structured way to present it. That’s when I joined Jobaaj Learnings’ Product Management course — the recorded version — and it really helped me level up. Currently, I’ve joined a company as a full-time product manager.

Podcaster:
Where are you currently based, and what’s your current work setup like?

Shruti:
I’m working permanently from home, which was exactly what I was hoping for.

Podcaster:
That’s great to hear! So how did you come across Jobaaj Learnings? Did you find us online?

Shruti:
Yes, I was actively searching for product management courses. I looked on Google and YouTube and found some really good reviews. I connected with your team, had a couple of calls, and they explained the course content and placement process thoroughly. I was impressed with the structure and the job guarantee — and it delivered exactly what was promised.

Podcaster:
Since your background is in finance, was it difficult for you to transition into product management — especially for students who might not be from a tech or product background?

Shruti:
That’s a great question. Traditionally, Chartered Accountants are expected to stick to audit and taxation. But with the rise of tech and AI, I believe there’s a great opportunity to blend finance with product roles. For example, one of the products I worked on was based on invoice discounting — a concept we studied as a small chapter in CA, but here, I helped build a complete platform for it. So yes, finance concepts are very applicable. The key is learning how to present that knowledge like a product manager — and Jobaaj helped me with that.

Podcaster:
So the product you’re currently managing is also finance-based?

Shruti:
Yes, it’s an ERP product, completely financial in nature. The domain knowledge from my CA background is a huge advantage here.

Podcaster:
That’s amazing. So how was your overall experience with the Jobaaj Learnings course and trainers?

Shruti:
It was really great. The course was divided into manageable modules, so even with my full-time job, I could learn at my own pace. The weekend live sessions were incredibly helpful — our mentor discussed real-life case studies and company examples. That practical exposure helped me present myself better in interviews. I even picked up key phrases and frameworks from the sessions, which impressed the interviewers.

Podcaster:
Sounds great! How was the exam experience and the placement support?

Shruti:
The exam was well-structured — it couldn’t be passed by just Googling answers, which I appreciated. And the placement support was top-notch. I was in touch with Himanshi and Vishakha from your team. Vishakha especially went above and beyond — she got my LinkedIn access, messaged recruiters, and even helped me prepare for interviews by sending sample questions.

Podcaster:
What’s your current compensation package, if you don’t mind sharing?

Shruti:
It’s ₹14 LPA fixed plus ₹1 LPA variable — so ₹15 LPA overall.

Podcaster:
That’s wonderful! And with four years of experience, this is a solid jump. If I asked you to rate the entire Jobaaj Learnings experience — from training and mentorship to placement — what would you rate it out of 10?

Shruti:
10 out of 10 — without a doubt.

Podcaster:
That means a lot. Finally, any message for students who are still on the fence about enrolling — especially those coming from non-tech or non-product backgrounds?

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Don’t miss the full conversation—watch the podcast now and get inspired by Shruti’s journey!

 

General interview questions answered by Shruti during her selection process

Why do you want to transition from Chartered Accountancy to Product Management?

Sample Answer: As a CA, I gained deep insights into financial processes and business systems. But I realized I enjoy building solutions more than just auditing them. Product Management allows me to combine my financial domain knowledge with technology and strategy to build meaningful financial products — like the invoice discounting platform I worked on at TCS.

What is one financial product you’ve worked on and what was your role in its development?

Sample Answer: I worked on an invoice discounting platform. As a functional expert, I defined the user workflows, ensured regulatory compliance, and collaborated with developers to align features with core financial principles. My CA background helped validate the logic behind vendor-buyer transactions and risk parameters.

How did your CA knowledge help you in product development?

Sample Answer: It gave me an edge in understanding financial products deeply — whether it’s compliance, accounting flows, or customer behavior. For example, while developing the invoice discounting platform, I ensured that interest calculations, discount rates, and invoice validation adhered to industry norms.

How do you gather and prioritize requirements for a new product feature?

Sample Answer: I follow the MoSCoW technique (Must, Should, Could, Won’t). I start by conducting stakeholder interviews, analyzing current pain points, and referencing real user stories. Then I work with tech and design teams to align feasibility with business impact before finalizing sprint plans.

Tell us about a time you resolved a conflict between technical feasibility and business needs.

Sample Answer: Once, the finance team wanted real-time invoice validation, but our backend couldn’t support it due to performance issues. I proposed a semi-batch model that validated in 5-minute intervals. It balanced user expectations and technical constraints, and both teams agreed on it.

How do you measure the success of a financial product?

Sample Answer: Key metrics include customer acquisition cost, product adoption rate, average transaction value, churn rate, and revenue per user. For finance products, I also track repayment rates, fraud detection efficiency, and compliance adherence.

How would you explain a complex financial concept to a non-finance stakeholder?

Sample Answer: I use analogies and user scenarios. For example, explaining invoice discounting to a tech team, I’d say, “Think of it as getting early payment on your bills, but at a small cost. The system needs to calculate that discount dynamically.”