Hiring people you’ve worked with before as employees or consultants is so nice! Who has been some of your favorite people to work with multiple times?
Why is it valuable? Here are a few reasons:
1. There’s already a level of trust built
2. You understand the other person’s communication styles
3. You are confident in their abilities to deliver results
5 tactics to find already posted Marketing jobs:
1. Use LinkedIn alerts (optional: set one up for your city and set a separate one for remote positions)
2. Use Google job alerts – this finds posts from tons of websites (set it up by typing something like Product Marketing Manager job, then click the more jobs, then set up your alert settings)
3. Check Slack communities for Marketers that have a hiring channel
4. Search LinkedIn with the “[title name] #hiring” e.g. “Director of Product Marketing #hiring”
5. Check niche Marketing job posting sites like the Exit Five or Revenue Era job boards
What other strategies do you recommend to people?
How to get promoted to Manager or Sr. Manager in Marketing (part 3 of my series):
To become a Manager of a specific discipline in Marketing (e.g. Product Marketing Manager), you need:
– Demonstrated completion of successful projects
– Curiosity to learn more
To become a Senior Manager of a specific discipline in Marketing (e.g. Senior Product Marketing Manager):
– Able to estimate timelines and due dates accurately and consistently
– Able to plan out and execute projects with high performance from framework to collaboration & review to completion
– Proficient with the relevant tech stack
– Able to track the quantitative performance of activities
What would you add or change? Has your experience been different?
Reminder about the stages I’m talking about in the series: Intern, Associate, Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, VP, 2x VP, CMO.
To see each stage, follow me & click the 🔔 icon on my profile for the next stage posts.
To become a CMO, you need:
1️⃣ Some years of experience as a VP of Marketing
2️⃣ Your results at multiple companies are consistently solid
3️⃣ The items in the 2x VP of Marketing are a must-have now. In case you missed these in the last post, those are:
1. Already been a VP of Marketing at a company with ARR greater than the ARR of the company you’re joining (they want to know you can get to their level; it’s risky to a company if you’ve never worked at their level already)
2. Proven pipeline and revenue results from the last company you worked at
3. Able to speak to specific campaigns end to end
4. Able to give examples of how to solve people management issues
5. Able to put together a solid 90 day and/or 1 year Marketing plan
The one caveat here: I haven’t been a CMO, so the steps to becoming a CMO are based on what I’ve seen and been told.
But let’s be real, being the VP of Marketing at a startup reporting to the CEO or CRO has essentially the same job duties as a CMO at a startup.
Check out previous posts in this series to see other steps needed to advance in other parts of Marketing.
You need these 7 things to become a 1st time VP of Marketing:
1. People management experience (ideally at least 4-6+ people, some may require 10+)
2. Product/brand marketing experience and demand generation experience
3. Expert at budgeting, forecasting, financial management, headcount planning, and agency management
4. Able to speak to past quantitative pipeline and revenue results
5. Experience in a similar industry
6. Able to speak to how you build culture and employee engagement for the whole Marketing team
7. Able to solve cross-functional issues, not just Marketing issues
What would you add/change to the list? Or what is something you admire about a VP of Marketing you know?
Reminder: Stages I’m showing in this series: Intern, Associate, Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, VP, 2x VP, CMO.
To see each stage, follow me & click the 🔔 icon on my profile for the next stage posts.
To become a 2x VP of Marketing, you need 5 things:
1. Already been a VP of Marketing at a company with ARR greater than the ARR of the company you’re joining (they want to know you can get to their level; it’s risky to a company if you’ve never worked at their level already)
2. Proven pipeline and revenue results from the last company you worked at
3. Able to speak to specific campaigns end to end
4. Able to give examples of how to solve people management issues
5. Able to put together a solid 90 day and/or 1 year Marketing plan
Agree/disagree?
Background to this series:
Each level in Marketing builds on the experience of previous levels.
My framework assumes you want to manage people and become the general VP of Marketing or CMO; not just a VP/SVP of a specific discipline in Marketing.
Although most of the requirements would be similar.
These are not hard & fast rules and it’s geared more toward people working in startups rather than big enterprises.
Many people will be exceptions to these in some way in their journey. Nevertheless, hopefully, it can help guide you.
Reminder: Stages I’m showing in this series: Intern, Associate, Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, VP, 2x VP, CMO.
To see each stage, follow me & click the 🔔 icon on my profile for the next stage posts.
2 pieces of uncommon interviewing advice I gave to a friend yesterday:
1. Create a 90-day plan for what you’d do if you joined, even if they don’t ask you for this.
This helps show initiative and can show you know your stuff, their business, etc. 🌶️Arthur Castillo and John McDevitt shared they have both done this in the past and found success with it.
2. Research who is on the current team.
That will help you see if you’re backfilling someone or if it’s a net new addition to the team. Also see how many are on the team, esp. in your specific discipline. Then position yourself accordingly.
What’s your’s uncommon interview advice?
Want to get a Director or Sr. Director Marketing role? Here’s what you need (part 4 of the series)
Director-level:
– People management experience (ideally 2+ people)
– Deep expertise in the specific discipline of Marketing, perks if you have experience in another discipline too
– Has shown quantitative impact on ROI, pipeline, ARR, or other relevant metrics to the discipline
– Has shown the ability to create strategic plans but still able to get your hands dirty
– Able to do budgeting, forecasting, and financial management, most likely with the help of someone more senior
– Proficient with analysis and reporting
– Proficient with your own discipline’s tech stack and some abilities in other disciplines’ tech stacks
– Strong collaborator with other teams inside and outside of Marketing
To become a Senior Director in Mktg:
– Do things that Directors do but be consistently achieving or outperforming people management, marketing planning, and quantitative goals
Reminder: Stages I’ll show: Intern, Associate, Manager, Sr. Manager, Director, Sr. Director, VP, 2x VP, CMO.
To see each stage, follow me & click the 🔔 icon on my profile for the next stage posts.
Was this similar to your path, or did you have something else to get into your 1st Dir/Sr. Dir job?
Or if you’re not there yet, what have you been told that you still need?
How to go from Marketing Associate to CMO 🤓📈🧑💻
I’ll walk you through the common criteria for moving up each phase of the ladder 🪜
1️⃣
To become a Manager of a specific discipline in Marketing (e.g. Product Marketing Manager)
• Demonstrated completion of successful projects
• Curiosity to learn more
2️⃣
To become a Senior Manager:
• Able to estimate timelines & due dates accurately & consistently
• Able to plan out & execute projects with high performance from framework to collaboration & review to completion
• Proficient with the relevant tech stack
• Able to track the quantitative performance of activities
3️⃣
To become a Director:
• People management experience (ideally 2+ people)
• Deep expertise in the specific discipline of Marketing, perks if you have experience in another discipline too
• Has shown quantitative impact on ROI, pipeline, ARR, or other relevant metrics to the discipline
• Has shown the ability to create strategic plans but still able to get your hands dirty
• Able to do budgeting, forecasting, & financial management, most likely with the help of someone more senior
• Proficient with analysis & reporting
• Proficient with your own discipline’s tech stack & some abilities in other disciplines’ tech stacks
• Strong collaborator with other teams inside & outside of Marketing
4️⃣
To become a Senior Director:
• Do things that Directors do but be consistently achieving or outperforming people management, marketing planning, & quantitative goals
5️⃣
To become VP of Marketing:
• Luck or providence
• People management experience (ideally at least 4-6+ people, some may require 10+)
• Product/brand marketing experience & demand generation experience
• Expert at budgeting, forecasting, financial management, headcount planning, & agency management
• Able to speak to past quantitative pipeline & revenue results
• Experience in a similar industry
• Able to speak to how you build culture & employee engagement for the whole Marketing team
• Able to solve cross-functional issues, not just Marketing issues
5️⃣
To become 2x VP of Marketing:
• Was already the VP of Marketing at a company with ARR greater than the ARR of the company you’re joining (they want to know you can get to their level; it’s risky to a company if you’ve never worked at their level already)
• Proven pipeline & revenue results from the last company you worked at
• Able to speak to specific campaigns end to end
• Able to give examples of how to solve people management issues
• Able to put together a solid 90 day and/or 1 year Marketing plan
6️⃣
To become CMO:
• Some years of experience as a VP of marketing
• Results at multiple companies are consistently solid
• The items in the 2x VP of Marketing are a must have now
This is the final post in my series on this geared towards marketing in startups. If you got this far and liked it, let me know!
Also, I hit LinkedIn’s character limit so check the comments for additional context.
Check out the latest podcast I was interviewed on for some career advice and Marketing best practices!
Thanks for a great conversation, The Marketing Ladder & 🍏 Mason Cosby
Link in comments 👇