Starting a career in product marketing in 2025?

Honestly, there isn't one way to get into product marketing.

And I don't want to pretend as I know the secret behind it either as there are so many factors influencing it. So, take my advice with a grain of salt.

I personally started as a software engineer, went for my masters and when I was coming back landed a Product Manager job. I worked for 5 years in that before landing a dual PM-PMM role, because I took over a few internal initiatives for the company I was working for. The role grew over time and I climbed senior ranks in Product Marketing, and eventually marketing in general.

But this is just one journey.

Reality is that I've heard tons of other paths into PM. The exact journey that you take will probably differ based on:

• companies operating in your local market
• macro-economic conditions
• your personal network
• your outreach (applying to jobs, networking, hustle)

Most of the folks that I’ve seen move into product marketing:

• move over from a product manager role
• start as a content writer or marketer
• deep dive into the digital marketing craft
• transferred from a customer support/success manager role

That’s not to say people of other backgrounds can’t make it.

They can, but employers will always look for past experience. They won’t be impressed by certifications or books you’ve read (that’s primarily to equip you with said knowledge, not an interview wedge).

Now, you could keep applying to jobs online, submit creative cover letters or leverage your personal connections and network to eek out an interview call and nail it. That definitely is a possibility.

But if you’re hoping to dial up inbound interest, offset lack-of-experience objections and break the chicken-and-egg cycle, you will have to manufacture some evidence that you know the craft, have made some strides in it, and can deliver when given the opportunity.