I transitioned from Digital Marketing to Product Management
4.5 years down the road.
Many things have changed since 4.5 years ago — tech layoffs were not here yet, and neither was the AI's massive adoption. Yet, spending the 1st 10 years exploring bravely became such an important lesson today with the waves of consistent changes.
While what I wrote in 3 lessons learnt as a first-time product manager still applies, I’ve started to see from different perspectives 4.5 years down the first switch from my digital marketing to the product track.
The re-beginning
Some may refer to the transition of jobs as ‘restarting’. I will instead refer to it as a ‘re-beginning’, where it is a return to the beginning again. In the re-beginning, there is always an intention and objective to want to experience something different. And for me, it was about finding ways to level up my problem-solving at the roots instead of focusing on the ways and methods of dissemination and marketing.
What I didn’t see
I did not take a paycut when I transitioned so there is no cost, right? Wrong.
When I first jumped and changed, it was an emotional decision, not a logical one.
As a young and hungry professional, my explorations serve as a base for giving me the best answers to what I want for myself. I did not see a need to think it through, and neither did I find a need to because the desire to find something that resonates with me was so important.
As a result of that, I could not articulate what was missing for me in this process. What I learnt 4.5 years later is that there are costs when I moved to product management.
Some may say, I did not take a pay cut when I transitioned so there wasn’t cost, right? Wrong.
Changing priorities — and the emotions
One of the major ones is dealing with unforeseen emotions — fear, regret uncertainty, and self-doubt.
What if, I stayed?
What if, I didn’t?
The path is not what I imagined it to be when I first wanted to jump in. In marketing, I was on a fast and quick trajectory, I had opportunities to do all functions of marketing, move from regional to local team and also had loads of growth opportunities.
When I first switched to being a PM, I started off with people younger than me, yet capable, smart and hardworking. The struggles and challenges over the years also created moments where I started compared to my peers who stayed in their functions (and made it to a certain rank). I asked myself if I would have been the same if I actually stayed.
And, I realised I wasn’t facing what I truly needed to face…
What I wasn’t ready for when I transitioned, is the disappointment of the incomplete manifestation as a marketer. Was it all that I could offer as a marketer? My skills will turn obsolete soon, was that all a waste? I asked myself.
I also wasn’t ready to accept the work necessary in order to ‘catch up’ on a separate function because I was complacent and had packed a lot of other commitments going on in my life, thinking that it would be sufficient.
The dynamic job scope of a product manager thrives on you as a unique individual with your own sets of strengths for different product lines and functions. I wasn’t ready to accept that I had to face the reality of who and what I could deliver as an individual (even though that was what I said I was looking for).
Additionally, the nuanced differences of where and how you position yourself as a product manager — an MNC, startup etc will also give you vastly different skills and set you on a ‘path’ of specialist or generalist.
For me, I tend to place myself in positions that are ambiguous and fast-moving. I enjoy getting problems solved to create space and also supporting the process to enable problem-solving to be sustainable. This makes me malleable and a great generalist. That means I’m giving up on the specialist track, which is something I had chosen to not do from my very first job as an SEO specialist. However, this made me less attractive to MNCs looking for experts in a certain field. And I asked myself, now what?
The right questions to ask
I got introduced to this book called Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. It speaks of the idea of walking on your own path that is aligned to your strengths and possibilities. As I was reading it, I felt a strong resonance with the story and the wisdom that it contains.
However, I noticed that I started comparing myself to the author’s profile and I gave myself many excuses for how I could or couldn’t make my own path work. Then, it struck me — If I compared my pathless path with someone else’s pathless path, then how is it different from the path being proposed to me by my staying in corporate?
As such, these are the key lessons where I am at this stage in my life (almost 10 years into my career).
Recruiters / HR only see what they want to
When we go for job interviews, the recruiter often only sees what they need and require understandably. They are looking for someone who can fit what they require.
There is nothing personal about this. What is and should be personal though is: What are you looking for?
It has been a challenge for me to articulate what I want. Thankfully, the work I’ve done allowed me to see that it has gotten clearer over the years. I want to enable and empower change-makers to become a better version of who they are so that what their heart desires can come true.
What is and should be personal is: What are you looking for?What are you looking for?Space Creation
I also come to see a role switch as a space creation — a space for one to deepen the explorations of themselves. And that requires courage and willingness to do so.
If I compared my pathless path with someone else’s pathless path, then how is it different from the path being proposed to me by me staying in corporate?
In the space that is created, the ‘geek builder’ in me get satisfied because it got a chance to create different product solutions for different problems. With that, different projects outside of work like building notion templates for career transition also happened. That created new excitement and fun that I willingly stayed up for.
The full weight of my decisions
As I started making more decisions in different opportunities and roles that I showed up for, I started to learn to see the full implications of the decisions. What do I need to fully accept — the good, the bad and the ugly?
I felt the weight, but yet I embraced them to create the necessary actions and plans to make it work. I learnt to let go of the frameworks and experiences in the past so that I can remain open to see.
I learnt to let go of the ‘amazing opportunities’ I had and pay attention to those that are in front of me.
I learnt to let go of the culture and experiences and the norms that I had in previous places and learn to re-beginning every of my new experience.
What do i need to fully accept — the good, the bad and the ugly.
Big Picture
At the end of day, there were definitely moments that I questioned myself. Yet, it’s also about embracing the journey and do what is necessary to honour the choice that I’ve made. And also remembering that work is only but 1 of the many aspects of our lives. Are you living a life that you desire?
If you would like to chat more and share about your thoughts and feedback, do write to me via cadence.csh@gmail.com or message on my linkedin. I am excited to hear your stories too.
