Brendan Flannery

As someone who made the transition from CPG/Retail into Tech without an MBA (I was still pursuing mine at the time), here’s a couple other thoughts on “making the jump”: 1) Don’t try to fit a square peg (you) in a round hole (the opportunity) - When I made the transition from CPG/Retail into tech, I had to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. Eventually, I found a role in tech that was looking to leverage my experience with retail operations. I also know colleagues who tailored their job search towards tech companies that have a foot in the CPG space. Don’t be afraid of getting more targeted in the roles you’re applying for. You are going to be far more successful in landing the job that needs your CPG/Retail experience - target your search based on your experience, rather than trying to repackage your career to a hiring manager. 2) Less “what”, more “how” - CPG Brand Managers/Marketing Managers end up playing the role of both PM+PMM in their orgs. Find ways to draw parallels between the work you drive in CPG to the work you will be driving in tech. The products are different but the fundamentals of how you develop and market the product are the same. Talk less about what you did, and more about how you did it to bring a hiring manager along and connect your experience to the job description. I’m clearly biased, but like Valerie, I also think the best marketers come from CPG because they come with a strong foundation of brand and product management that supplement their PMM role. And hiring managers: Don’t be lazy in your job search! CPG/Retail candidates can add a different and valuable perspective to your teams.