Write online before you hit ‘apply’
93% of all employers look at your social media in the interview process. In three words, what does your LinkedIn say about your career pivot into product marketing? Hiring managers want to know too.
Work you create online speaks for you. More so when you’re not before your future boss in an interview.
I had no direct experience before my pivot to product marketing in October 2020. That’s like no online reviews on Amazon.
“HIRE MEEE!” My 13th application yelled back, in a dire free-fall to job portal abyss.
Fast forward to this week. My name and headshot landed on Product Marketing Alliance’s Top 100 Product Marketing Influencers of 2022. This accolade is a reflection of what I now know about influence many future product marketers don’t.
You write a lot as a product marketer.
The pen is your sword. You use it to build tactical launch plans, rally cross-functional support, and execute mistake-free product launches. Writing is influence in product marketing.
Stand out from your competition in the next interview cycle. Write! Give yourself a headstart guaranteed to turn heads the right way. Write something online. Yes, writing felt like a chore in school. Something you had to do and any avoidance you feel now makes sense.
But now it’s different.
Write what you care about and give yourself the best shot you need to break into product marketing.
Padding invisible trigger keywords pasted in white font on the resume margins. Spray ‘n pray emails to every person who works there. Or, applying to multiple job openings to *increase* your odds. These gimmicks alone to get your app noticed don’t work.
“HIRE MEEE!” My 13th application yelled back then in a dire free-fall to job portal abyss.
Write like a product marketer to eventually become one. That’s influence you want hiring managers to see in you. That’s the sought-after skill they want to hire for.
Here are 3 tips to flex your writing muscle into a viable product marketing career pivot…
Follow product marketers active on LinkedIn
No effort is too small when you write online. Go to LinkedIn. Follow product marketers active on the platform . Block out 15 minutes each day to share your POV on what they post or ask a question. Here is a good starting point (if I am ever so biased!).
Especially accounts with large followings, your LinkedIn gets massive visibility when you comment across their posts. Visibility you can then use to build up your online presence to future colleagues and hiring managers.
Study how others write
Again, I love LinkedIn (if you can’t tell). Here’s your excuse to scroll your LinkedIn feed during work. Study how other creators write. If not LinkedIn, pick up what you can and read how they write. Study for writing style. Copy styles you like until you find your own.
“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection” — Mark Twain
Don’t just read ‘n wait for your perfect writing voice to appear. Make writing a deliberate practice to reveal your unique writing voice and style. Swag!
Journal
If you are afraid to share your writing online, this is a good step to get into your groove. I picked up journaling five years ago to rediscover joy in it. Reflect on your day in a private journal.
What did you learn today?
What’s one win you’re proud of?
What’s one mistake you made today that you’d wish to undo?
Write what you want. Inspiration is everywhere. Use what you experience to fuel it. Whether a LinkedIn post or Medium blog, someone out there can benefit from what you have to say.
In closing
Hiring managers are looking for your digital footprint. Today your application alone does not give you the credit you deserve. You give yourself a fighting chance when you take a concerted effort to share your work online.
Channel the determination you have into words you write online. Words you can use to influence your career direction. Writing is influence in product marketing.*
*No direct experience required
