How do you stand out in a pool of product marketing candidates? What kinds of experiences, or which characteristics/traits, do employers care about most?

Every company has its own system or values that they look for during candidate review. During interviews, especially at larger enterprise companies, the recruiter or hiring manager usually has a rubric that assesses how much the candidate fulfills the criteria.

Here are what stands out for me in a pool of PMM candidates:

1. Achievement - how do they take initiative and demonstrate that they are results-oriented

2. Influence - how do they convey ideas that can influence others without formal authority

3. Leadership - how do they build on the work of others and help develop others

4. Adaptability/ Resilience - how do they navigate through ambiguous solutions and how do they pivot when needed

5. Self Awareness - how do they handle constructive feedback and how aware are they of their own strengths and opportunity areas

6. Problem-Solving - how well do they analyze situations, identify key issues, and produce an alternative solution

7. Strategy oriented - how well do they think beyond their current activity/scope into a broader vision

The more senior the role, the more emphasis I have on finding a candidate that can address all 7 characteristics on this list.

A few things:

- Highlight business impact as much as possible (ex helped grow ACV by 100% in 1 year)

- Highlight product launches

- Highlight technical proficiencies (I've always thought Solution Engineers make some of the best PMMs because they know the product so well)

- Personally, I want someone who works well with others. As I grow in my career I put more and more stock in this trait. Don't be afraid to say "People like working with me and here are a few examples...."