What are some surprising ways that candidates have stood out to you in PMM interviews? What are your biggest watchouts?

One of the main things I look for when interviewing PMM candidates is how they well they communicate their past experience - namely how they describe not just their roles but also what the company does, what problems they solve for whom, why they win against competitors, etc. Candidates who've stood out to me have been able to tell me a story about their former/current company in such a way that I get super interested and excited, especially it's in a space where I have no expertise or context (like, say, medical devices or semiconductors). Conversely, my biggest whatchouts are unclear, confusing or purely inside out explanations of what a company does and what a candidate did in a previous role. When I ask "so what does Company X, do? Who are your customers and what problems are they looking to solve?" and a candidate starts in on explaining the tech stack in great detail, those interviews don't tend to work out.

I'm always looking for PMMs that are excited to be there. It seems small, but if they have done research on the company and (even if they have never worked in the industry/space before) can point to something in their background that shows me they have a true interest, that's a standout candidate for sure.

My biggest watchouts are people who cannot answer the case interviews. I don't care too much about the "right answers" or even if they are structured (like consulting/PM interviews do), I just want to see how they think and if they have a solid understanding of building a GTM strategy. When people are unable to quickly rattle off some basic ideas, it really makes me question if they could hold their own in meetings or brainstorming sessions.

Stood out:

• Being innately curious and asking relevant questions

• Demonstrating excellent writing

I once took a chance and hired a product marketer who had no prior marketing experience. What did he have then? He was a self-published author. That tells you something about his ability to write and dedication to making things happen. He had a tech background. He was incredibly easy to talk to and quickly asked questions that were insightful to what I was sharing. He was curious about the products and the industry and eager to learn. He was an excellent culture fit and the product and sales members loved working with him.

Watch outs:

• Being distracted

• Being unfocused and unable to respond to questions related to previous work

• Not having work that can be shared as examples

Some of these things are just no-gos on any interview. A PMM needs to be able to focus and simplify a message. If they can't simplify their own message, that's going to be problematic. Not having example work that can be shared is worrisome. That being said, I don't hold it against someone if they don't have example writing content. Some companies have copywriters! Have them do a writing exercise.