The hard truth: In 2026, your PM certificate gets you past HR. Your portfolio gets you the interview.
Most companies now use AI to screen resumes before a human ever sees them. A certificate from Google or Product School signals interest. But these systems are looking for evidence of execution. They're scanning for keywords like "PRD," "roadmap," "user research," and "prioritization framework."
If you don't have these artifacts, you're invisible.
This checklist gives you exactly what to build, how to build it, and where to put it so recruiters actually find it. If you need to learn the fundamentals first, start with our best Product Management courses—then use this checklist to prove you learned them.
The 3 Documents Every PM Portfolio Needs
Document 1: A Product Requirements Document (PRD)
What it is: A PRD defines what you're building and why. It's the single most important document a PM creates.
Why recruiters care: Writing a clear PRD proves you can translate user problems into actionable specs that engineers can build. It's the core PM skill.
What to include:
- Problem Statement: What user pain are you solving? Be specific.
- Goals & Success Metrics: How will you measure if this worked? (DAU, conversion rate, NPS, etc.)
- User Stories: "As a [user type], I want to [action] so that I [outcome]."
- Requirements: Functional (what it does) and non-functional (performance, security).
- Out of Scope: What you're explicitly NOT building. This shows prioritization.
- Timeline & Milestones: A rough phasing of the work.
- Risks & Mitigations: What could go wrong and how you'd handle it.
The 2026 upgrade: Show that you used AI to accelerate your PRD process. Add a section called "AI-Assisted Research" where you explain how you used ChatGPT or Gemini to:
- Generate initial user stories from interview transcripts
- Identify edge cases you might have missed
- Draft acceptance criteria faster
This signals you're not just a traditional PM. You're an AI-native PM.
Template length: 3-5 pages. Don't over-engineer it.
Example project ideas:
- Redesign the checkout flow for an e-commerce app you use
- Add a new feature to Spotify, Notion, or LinkedIn
- Build a PRD for a side project or fake startup idea
Document 2: A 12-Month Product Roadmap
What it is: A roadmap shows what you're building, in what order, and roughly when. It demonstrates strategic thinking and prioritization.
Why recruiters care: Anyone can generate feature ideas. PMs decide which ideas to pursue and which to kill. A roadmap proves you can make those calls.
What to include:
- Now / Next / Later columns (or quarterly breakdown)
- Themes: Group features under strategic themes (e.g., "Improve Onboarding," "Increase Retention")
- Prioritization rationale: Why is Feature A before Feature B?
- Dependencies: What needs to happen before each item can start?
- Success metrics: Tie each roadmap item to a measurable outcome
Prioritization frameworks to mention:
- RICE: Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort
- MoSCoW: Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have
- Value vs. Effort matrix: Simple 2x2 for quick decisions
Pick one framework and show your math. Recruiters love seeing the actual scoring.
Format: A visual roadmap (use Notion, Miro, or even a clean spreadsheet). Include a 1-page written summary explaining your prioritization logic.
Example project ideas:
- Create a 12-month roadmap for an app you use daily
- Build a roadmap for a hypothetical AI feature rollout
- Map out the first year of a side project
Document 3: A User Research Report
What it is: A summary of what you learned from talking to real users (or potential users). It shows you can do customer discovery, not just product delivery.
Why recruiters care: The best PMs are obsessed with users. A research report proves you've actually talked to people, synthesized their feedback, and turned it into insights.
What to include:
- Research objectives: What questions were you trying to answer?
- Methodology: How many people did you talk to? What format? (interviews, surveys, usability tests)
- Key findings: 3-5 insights, each supported by direct quotes
- User personas: If relevant, create 1-2 personas based on your research
- Recommendations: What should the product team do based on these findings?
The 2026 upgrade: Use AI to help analyze your research. Mention that you:
- Fed interview transcripts into ChatGPT to identify recurring themes
- Used AI to generate initial persona drafts, then refined them manually
- Cross-referenced findings with public reviews (App Store, G2, Reddit)
How to get research if you're not employed:
- Interview 5-10 people who use a product you're analyzing (friends, LinkedIn connections, Reddit communities)
- Run a quick survey using Typeform or Google Forms
- Do guerrilla usability testing (watch someone use an app and take notes)
You don't need a research team. You need 5 conversations and a willingness to listen.
Template length: 2-4 pages plus any supporting visuals (charts, persona cards).
Where to Host Your Portfolio
Option 1: Notion (recommended for beginners)
- Free, easy to use, looks professional
- Create a single page with links to each document
- Make the page public and shareable
Option 2: Personal website
- More impressive if you can pull it off
- Use a simple template (Carrd, Webflow, or basic HTML)
- Include your portfolio as a "Work" or "Projects" section
Option 3: Google Drive / Dropbox
- Functional but less impressive
- Use only if you're short on time
- Make sure permissions are set to "anyone with link can view"
Pro tip: Put the link in your LinkedIn headline and resume summary. Make it impossible for recruiters to miss.
The Checklist (Copy This)
Use this to track your progress:
PRD
Roadmap
User Research Report
Portfolio Setup
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Writing a PRD for a feature nobody cares about. Pick a real product with real users. "An app that reminds you to drink water" is not impressive. "A retention feature for Duolingo's lapsed learners" shows strategic thinking.
Making the roadmap too detailed. A roadmap is not a project plan. Keep it high-level. Quarters or Now/Next/Later, not weeks and sprints.
Faking user research. Don't make up quotes. Recruiters can tell. Five real conversations beat fifty imaginary ones.
Hiding your portfolio. If the recruiter has to dig for it, they won't. Put the link everywhere: LinkedIn, resume, cover letter, email signature.
Overdesigning instead of shipping. A clean Notion page beats a half-finished custom website. Done is better than perfect.
How Long Should This Take?
If you're starting from scratch and working on this part-time:
- Week 1-2: Choose your product, conduct user research (5-10 interviews)
- Week 3: Write the User Research Report
- Week 4: Write the PRD
- Week 5: Build the Roadmap
- Week 6: Set up your portfolio page, add links everywhere
Six weeks to a portfolio that puts you ahead of 90% of applicants.
If you need to learn the fundamentals first, start with the Google PM Certificate or a Udemy course before building your portfolio. The courses will teach you the frameworks. This checklist tells you how to prove you learned them.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, the PM job market rewards proof over promises.
A certificate says "I'm interested in PM."
A portfolio says "I can do PM."
Build these three documents. Host them somewhere public. Put the link everywhere a recruiter might look.
That's how you beat the AI filters and land the interview.
Ready to become a Product Manager?
Get the full roadmap, role breakdown, and interview prep in our comprehensive guide.
Become a Product Manager →Want the Templates?
I've created Notion templates for all three documents (PRD, Roadmap, User Research Report) with example content you can customize.
Tim O. helps professionals pivot into tech careers without coding. Follow CareerPivoting.com for salary guides, certification roadmaps, and career change strategies.