What do you do if you want to transition into Product Marketing using your previous experience?

Take stock of your transferable skills that can be valuable in product marketing, such as communication, research, and strategic thinking. Fun fact: According to a study by LinkedIn, the top skills for product marketers include product positioning, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis. Identify the skills you already have and the ones you need to develop to make a successful transition.

Many experts have already suggested that your ability to read, interpret, and derive insights from a given data set is the cornerstone of breaking into product marketing. I recommend cultivating storytelling talents like copywriting and content writing along with your presentation skills. These skills will highlight your resume in front of hiring managers. Product marketing demands extensive stakeholder management across functions. Your ability to build relationships will distinguish you from the crowd. I've seen people from diverse backgrounds transition into product marketing -- individuals from engineering, sales, account management and customer success. Becoming a product marketer is a journey. Be patient and keep learning.

To move into product marketing from another field, start by understanding what product marketers do, like researching markets and crafting messages that highlight a product’s benefits. Think about how your past work can fit into these areas. For example, if you’ve been in sales, you know what customers like, which is great for creating messages that resonate. If you’ve worked in a tech role, your knowledge of how products are built can help explain their benefits to customers.

Utilisez un SWOT personnel qui vous permettra de visualiser quelles sont vos forces et compétences. Cela vous permettra d'avoir une vision d'ensemble des vos capacités et des compétences à acquérir par rapport à la concurrence. C'est un allié important quand on cherche à mieux se conna?tre et à vouloir développer de nouvelles compétences. Exactement comme le swot est utile à la stratégie d'entreprise, il vous permet de construire votre stratégie personnelle pour développer votre carrière.

It is important to start by taking stock of what skills are needed and what you already have. For example, you may have some skills from previous work experience. If you are marketing a software product or solution, prior experience as a software engineer or developer can be helpful. Other skills or expertise can come from a passion or hobby. You may be an excellent creative writer, but you did not do any professional work in that area. In that case, getting into content creation can be easier with some training because you are a natural writer. Thus, by researching and thinking through it well, you can get a good idea about how much more you have to learn and how long it can realistically take before you jump into it.

Je pense qu'aux le mix marketing n'est plus au 4P la personnalisation étant un levier essentiel du marketing produit. Des auteurs comme Seth Godin propose des nouvelles version du mix marketing plus en phase avec les nouvelles pratiques et le marketing digital.

At least one course is essential. Also, working on projects as a volunteer or intern is an excellent way to get hands-on experience. Then, working on small projects or short-term projects as part of a team is an excellent next step. Then, after gaining some experience, it is time to get longer-term contracts or full-time permanent positions.

Diving into product marketing starts with the 4 Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. These basics guide what to sell, pricing, where to sell, and advertising strategies. Also, learn the product life cycle—the journey from idea to decline, crucial for tailoring your marketing at each stage. Online courses and resources make learning this easy. They teach you to spot customer needs, analyze sales data, and follow marketing trends. Mastering these essentials is key for effective product marketing, offering real-world impact on product success.

It is a good idea to start by taking a course on basic marketing principles. Plenty of good courses are available online these days on platforms like Coursera. They are self-paced, and the cost is quite reasonable. In addition to that, check for opportunities for hands-on experience, short-paid projects, or internships for some real-life experience.

Depending on skills assessment and gaps, decide which routes are best to learn the art and science of product marketing. If you want to learn the basics, then taking a formal training and certification is best course in addition to joining 1-2 key communities. For more hands-on transition into the PMM role, I have found that taking well-defined special projects where you can add value and shadowing works. Having a mentor or guide is very helpful especially in large organizations. Ultimately all of these resources are of no meaning unless you are very clear on your career goals and why do you want to jump in product marketing.

Seek out those that hold the position you are looking to transition into and ask them questions. Join online and local communities relating to product marketing - Product Marketing Alliance (PMA) for product marketers is an excellent resource and network of product marketers. Listen to podcasts and webinars. Immerse yourself in the world of product marketing and absorb as much information as you can from the people who have made the transition and formed the path before you. Keep learning and never stop being curious.

Networking has helped me tons! I have met plenty of like minded people and those with career paths I hope to follow. Remember when you reach out to them don’t sound too salesy.

Networking is key in moving to product marketing. Connect with industry professionals online or at events. They provide valuable advice and may help you find jobs. Engaging with this community offers insights and a deeper understanding of product marketing. Attend webinars and join groups to stay on top of trends. The connections you make can lead to mentorships, collaborations, and career growth, enriching your journey into product marketing.

Joining groups and attending podcasts and webinars is a great way to enter the community. While attending in-person events, seminars, and conferences are often expensive and time-consuming, online events are not. It helps with learning and also with meeting people who are hiring. Sometimes connection of your connection is hiring. You can reach out directly to them and move faster in the hiring process. It is much better than applying for a job and being one applicant in a large pool of candidates.

Networking is always useful irrespective of whether you are transition into a new product marketing role or not! Networking is time consuming and requires patience. Identify people and coworkers or advocates who can support and guide you in your career progression or journey. Ask about the PMM role types and where do they see this role evolving in 5, 10, 15 years and what impact AI and automation will have on it. Based on the gaps you are aware of ask what are the best ways to fill those. Finally remember networking is a two way street - share your progress, steps, results, and adjustments you have made to support your career transition into product marketing.

Wherever you work in the organisation, think about how the skills you have been using in your current role can be useful for product marketing . I initially made the switch from CS to PMM. The way I saw it, I was now marketing the product 1-to-many instead of 1-to-1. This was the initial appeal to me: a much bigger impact on the company. In my CS years, I quickly developed product expertise, user research, competitive intelligence. I was extremely close to my customer and their needs. This helped me deliver from day 1 as PMM. I have now coached several people in their transition from sales, product and CS to product marketing. Every time, their previous experience has been leveraged to find their path to PMM.

When applying for product marketing roles, emphasize relevant past experiences in your resume and cover letter. Tailor your application to demonstrate how your skills align with the company’s marketing needs. Highlight leadership and organizational skills from managing projects or leading teams, as these are crucial in product marketing. Showcasing your ability to guide a team and manage tasks efficiently can set you apart and illustrate your potential value to the company.

Waiting tables = customer service, product expertise, agility, collaboration, communication. Lifeguarding at a summer camp = customer service, providing a safe product/experience, communication. And both demonstrate that you are committed to working. While there are some positions that require specific expertise (medical, legal, tech, utilities), others can allow you to move fluidly from job to job if you find the hot button. Engineers can make great marketers. Marketers can make great sales people. Figuring out how your former work best fits the future opportunity comes down to looking a job descriptions and finding specific examples where what you did in your past matches the needs of the future position.

Pivoting rights are very crucial for transitioning to a new career. It would help if you tailored your resume well to show what you can bring to this position from your previous experience, recent training, hobbies, and passion. This is particularly important, as you are not bringing years of experience and success in similar positions as you are new to the field. Recruiters must see that you can bring value to their company without bringing years of experience. You have to show how that is your value proposition.

Look for opportunities to gain hands-on experience in product marketing, even if it's on a small scale. Volunteer to assist with market research, competitive analysis, or product launches in your current role. Fun fact: According to a study by PMI, professionals with hands-on experience are 20% more likely to be hired than those without. Building a portfolio of relevant projects can demonstrate your skills and initiative to potential employers.

Getting out the comfort zone is usually one of the keys to grow. In this case, probably you'll be passing from a corp communications dept. or services marketing area to a product one. Use your strenghts as communicator, don't be affraid and try. Some of the steps you're going to apply are the same you already know, but with a cliduct approach, where you've to consider constantly that there are three types of products (structure, margin and image) which have to match with different kind of consumers. Take this in count, amplify you information sources and your contacts in the product marketing area and you'll gain experience, influence and leadership amoung your pairs due to your growth in knowledge, skills and experience.

John Lennon once said "I'm an artist, and if you give me a tuba, I'll bring you something out of it. We have become over-obsessed with the segmentation marketing roles. Any marketer can be a product marketer. We are led to believe that marketers of brands, growth, and products require radically different skill sets and education. Product marketing, at its core, is about representing the voice of the customer/user. This requires the simple ability to research and represent how a target audience thinks, feels and behaves, which all marketers should be able to relate to. The Product Marketing Alliance offers great resources that can help any marketeer become more experienced in the processes and approaches to modern product marketing.

As someone who actually made the transition from design to product marketing, I can say it is possible, you just need someone who can see the value you bring from your previous experience. As a designer you need to be connected to the consumer, be able to do research, understood what their motivations and struggles are, know what past products worked and didn’t work, and how to assess the market to look for new opportunities for product creation to create a compelling story to sell in to your internal stakeholders. Taking experience from design, you should be able to map out a product range plan, understand cost, pricing and positing in the market to make sure you have a compelling product while ensuring you deliver a clear GTM plan.

Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, tools, and best practices in product marketing. Attend webinars, workshops, and conferences to learn from industry experts and peers. Did you know that the demand for product marketing skills is growing rapidly, with job postings increasing by 30% year-over-year? By continuously expanding your knowledge and skills, you can position yourself as a valuable asset in the field.

A mentor can be a great resource for learning opportunities and identifying gaps in your skill set. If you can find someone with experience in Product Marketing, see if they will be willing to connect.

Learning and practice. First you would need to know what is the product marketing role is about. For this reason it's good to conduct research to identify boundaries and difference between other roles, like solution marketing and product management. I'd also suggest following Product Marketing Alliance to get some pro tops and more knowledge, as well as industry leaders. Then I'd suggest going with small steps and get more practice, gradually increasing yiyr zone of responsibility. But learning is essential part anyway.

I have been a Product Support Analyst, a Developer, a Product Management person. If you want to transition into Product Marketing like I did, I’d recommend the below. 1. Know your strengths - It’s important to know what you’re good at. I love to write but I discovered I’m good at making connections and identifying technical solutions. So, I focus my work around that. 2. Stay curious - Watch around for how people express their views. Learn how stories are told and what works and what does not. I learn from people and content that inspire me 3. Be ready to go all in - I was unsure if I’m a good fit for Product Marketing. But I kept firm and am refining my approach as I go. I’m determined to do whatever it takes.

It is beneficial to keep track of modern tools and trends, especially in digital and social media marketing. Also, it is a good idea to keep track of styles and trends in branding and content creation.

Be Patient and Persistent: Transitioning into a new career path takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you face rejections or setbacks along the way. Fun fact: According to a study by Indeed, the average job search takes around 6 weeks, but can vary depending on factors like industry and experience level. Stay focused on your goals, seek feedback and support from your network, and celebrate your progress along the way.