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How do I get into a US company from India as a PMM? What are the major skill based requirements?

I have been working as a product marketing manager for the past few months and I feel the PMM role in India is not in a mature state and honestly am extremely exhausted of that immature job role. I am doing A to Z but not able to take ownership on the revenue part as much as I want to or even in the strategic part. I feel US is a more mature market in this aspect that's why I wanted to know. Thanks!
Jon Rooney
Unity Vice President Product Marketing | Formerly Splunk, New Relic, Microsoft, OracleAugust 1

Assuming you're most interested in switching locations (India to the US) rather than changing industries, the fact that you're a PMM today at your current company gives you an advantage in pursuing opportunities at US-based companies. There are 2 primary ways to get hired into a non entry-level PMM role at a given company:

  1. You're moving over to PMM from another related function (Product Management, Content Marketing, Sales Engineering, etc) at the same company

  2. You're an experienced PMM somewhere else and you get hired into the PMM team from another company

The vast majority of PMMs I've hired over the years have fallen into the 2nd category, so you're in good shape. If you know you're ready to make a move and have targeted a handful of companies that are related to your current employer, then I'd focus on work samples and your "story" for interviews rather than skill-based requirements. PMM certifications are helpful, but are very new and not generally expected by employers while MBAs, in my experience, don't hold the same weight (at least in US tech) as they did much earlier in my career. Work samples, particularly ones that are publicly accessible, are critical. People need to see examples of your writing, your strategic thinking and, in many cases, your presentation skills. Catalog any blog posts, whitepapers, web pages, etc where you can claim sole or primary authorship. Also, take every opportunity you can to present to people externally, whether that's on a podcast or at a vendor conference or even at an informal local meet-up. Having a YouTube clip of you presenting or discussing a related topic could give you a strong advantage. Finally, think about your own career story - what you're most proud of, what you've learned, how you'd describe your strengths and weaknesses - so you can go into interviews prepared and ready to put your best foot forward. Good luck!

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