Building an Evidence-Based Certification & Career Roadmap for Product Managers

A repeatable, five-step method for deciding which certifications are actually worth your time and money, instead of chasing whatever ranks first in a listicle. Covers how to extract real requirements from target job postings, build an evidence database tagged by source strength and recency, keep a judgment-call log, verify true certification costs (including prerequisites and renewal), and convert a shortlist into a time-boxed study plan tied to a SWOT/SMART/5W2H personal development plan. Includes a bonus section on directing an AI research assistant rigorously so its output stays trustworthy.