I actually did find a place with junior product manager positions. I was working in QA and impressed some of the product managers, so they asked if I wanted to transfer to their department as an assistant product manager. I made the transfer and over the next 2 years I helped out on basically all the different parts of a product lifecycle, but was never the actual PM of any particular thing.
Last year they started giving me smaller, low profile products of my own to manage, and at this point I'm full into it.
I'm not the only one, either. One girl started at age 23 as an administrative assistant and after proving herself capable they kept giving her more stuff until now she's a full blown product manager at age 29. We actually do this pretty often because our current management takes the stance that it's easier to train smart people into the job over the course of a couple years than it is to find good people with relevant experience who are willing to relocate here (I'm in Shenzhen).
Last year they started giving me smaller, low profile products of my own to manage, and at this point I'm full into it.
I'm not the only one, either. One girl started at age 23 as an administrative assistant and after proving herself capable they kept giving her more stuff until now she's a full blown product manager at age 29. We actually do this pretty often because our current management takes the stance that it's easier to train smart people into the job over the course of a couple years than it is to find good people with relevant experience who are willing to relocate here (I'm in Shenzhen).