Switching back to product management

As one who has switched back and forth between product management and product marketing, I thank you for your question!

The first question I would ask you is why you wish to change to product management.  Eight years in the same function is a significant investment in time, and so what is it that is driving you to go to product management?

Once you have your why, resistance to your taking on a product management role is likely coming from that time you’ve spent in role to date.  While I have no knowledge or experience of working at Cisco, in general the more senior you become, the more difficult it can be to switch between functions.  It’s that expectation that the more senior the role then the less coaching the individual will need for that role.

That said, it’s not impossible to switch, and I’ve seen many former colleagues make the transition both ways successfully.  What you must do is instill confidence in the hiring manager (and their team) that you are able to do the job successfully. 

What may be on your side is that, while there are often distinct differences between the product management and product marketing functions, there is often overlap in certain disciplines.  For example, engaging with customers, market research, development of business cases, and more. In many cases you’ve likely been exposed to, or even participated in, activities with your product management counterparts and so it’s good to think through those experiences.

I would approach this in a pragmatic way, not unsimilar to any job application:

1. Understand the roles and responsibilities for your target position.  I like to use the Pragmatic Framework here (see Product Management Framework | Pragmatic Institute) which is a good overview of things covering product management and product marketing.  If your company has a framework they use, then I would refer to that. 

2. Identify areas where you have strong competence, and list out how, when and where you could give an example of meeting the expectations of that area. For example, maybe you’re strong at market research or helped interview customers to bring problems to light.  Using Amazon’s STAR mechanism is a good one to prepare your answers and ensure you can highlight these experiences.

3. Identify areas you need to develop, and go off and learn more about expectations here, whether through colleagues or a mentor. 

4. Continue to learn and stay informed!  If there is training available, or even a certification you can take, then taking that path shows your aptitude to learn.  Listen to blogs or podcast series like Lenny’s Podcast (see https://www.youtube.com/@LennysPodcast) or Melissa Perri’s Product Thinking (see https://www.produxlabs.com/product-thinking). Or you could join a forum or local product management community, where you may even make some great connections!  But the key here is learning.

Finally, you may have to be honest with yourself and it may take longer than anticipated to get to where you want to be.  But if you’re not successful the first time, try to get feedback as to why you weren’t successful, as this can help hone your approach.  Key is that if product management is your dream, don’t give up on it!