Holly Xiao

This can be tricky, especially if cross-functional leaders and stakeholders have never worked with a PMM team in past roles. So, I’d emphasize educating the organization on product marketing and how it can drive value across the business.  First 30 Days: Learn, build relationships, and start educating In the first month, I’d focus on understanding the business, product, and team dynamics, but I also make it a point to begin the internal education process. Many people in the organization may not ...Read More

My former manager, Christy Roach, taught me the importance of the following skills, which I've applied to my PMM career to date. (Thanks, Christy!) So copying and pasting one of her previous Sharebird answers around this below: Soft skills: Cross-functional excellence: As a PMM, you have the opportunity to lead without being a manager of people. A strong product marketer is someone who takes others along with them, rather than telling people exactly what they want them to do. They’re able to cre ...Read More

Go-to-market strategy and execution is probably one of the most sought-after hard skills for PMM. But a Product Marketing role varies from company to company. When hiring, I start by evaluating two things: 1. What are our business objectives? When writing a job description, I like to work backward. I always start by considering our business north stars and what pillars a new hire should be responsible for to help us achieve our strategic goals. From there, I break down the pillars into tactical ...Read More

I love this question! It’s so important to develop transferrable skills even if you aren’t in a PMM role. That proactive attitude goes a long way in interviews since it shows you're a go-getter. And that’s a quality that can’t really be taught. Here are six ways you can develop product marketing skills: 1. Tell people you're interested in Product Marketing: This doesn’t directly tie to developing PMM skills. But if you’re genuinely interested in PMM, my biggest advice is to let those around you ...Read More

I touched on this topic in one of the questions above. That said, I think it’s wise to take a deliberate approach. Otherwise, you're just creating work without getting the output you want. I'd recommend making a list of the core PMM skills hiring managers are looking for. You can find a lot of this information in job descriptions. Once you have the list, map out what skills you can build in your current role and what those projects/responsibilities are. Assuming your manager is supportive of you ...Read More

In my experience, taking your career into your own hands is key. There will be managers who are great about having career conversations with you, and there will be managers who aren't. Be bold and bring it up on your own. Here’s what you can start doing today: 1. Know your strengths, gaps, and aspirations: Sounds basic, but it's important. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses gives you a better sense of how you operate - and a starting point for career development. If you need to figure out wha ...Read More

The most important thing I can tell you is that your first job out of college won't define your career forever. So don't be afraid to take risks! Several large companies have associate product marketing manager programs or rotational programs that you can apply for. Make sure you check when applications must be submitted, as the programs follow a biannual (I think) schedule. With that said — generally, it's rare to start your career in product marketing because it’s often a more specialized role ...Read More

It's common for people to move from one industry to another. If you're in eCommerce right now, don't feel like you have to apply for only eCommerce jobs. At the end of the day, it’s really about how fast you can learn and hit the ground running in a new role. I'm a firm believer that you'll learn 70% of a new role while on the job. If you’re making it to the 2nd and 3rd rounds, that signals to me that the hiring manager thinks you have the right experience/skills from your resume. Many factors c ...Read More