What are your top 3 areas of importance when it comes to managing and growing your career as a PMM?

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 what your strengths and weaknesses are, take an online assessment like Strengthfinder. Better yet, ask around. I personally love 360 reviews because it gives you feedback from all directions. Plus, the reviews are typically from people who work closest to you, so the feedback you get is relevant and well-rounded. However, informal methods work too! You can schedule a coffee chat with a coworker or send them a slack to get feedback. Once you have a clear understanding of where your strengths and weaknesses are, define your aspirations. But instead of focusing on titles, ask yourself what kind of work you’d want to do. What does an ideal day look like in your dream role?

2. Create a career development plan & share it with your manager: The next step is to make an individual development plan to outline your career goals and how you'll get there. The document usually includes strengths, development opportunities, long-term career vision, short-term career plan, and immediate growth areas. But don't worry, there are tons of templates on the internet to help you get started. Regardless of the format, it's critical to partner with your manager so you're on the same page about expectations and where he/she/they can help. Once you have a plan, don't just set it and forget it. I can't stress enough how important it is to set aside time to work on your career development and hold yourself (and your manager) accountable.

3. Build your personal board of advisors: Just as a company looks to its Board for guidance, a personal board of advisors offers you support in a broader sense and gives you candid feedback. Each “director” usually specializes in a different area: a compassionate friend, a parent, a great manager, a talented peer, an executive coach, someone in your dream role, and so on. The goal is for you to assemble a team of people who can offer you diverse perspectives, advice, and connections. Building that board takes time, but it's so helpful to have a group of people you can learn from, lean on, and count on - no matter where you are in your career.