How to Turn a Non-PMM Background Into a PMM Career

Product marketing doesn't really have a front door. There isn't always a clear junior PMM pipeline. A lot of us find our way into the function sideways; through sales, content, customer success, field marketing, teaching, research, or jobs that didn't look remotely like product marketing at the time. Jenn Holcomb took that route. Today, she's a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Interplay Learning. But before PMM, she was a teacher, financial aid counselor, tech support rep, BDR, and field marketer. And here's the part I loved most about her story: she didn't throw those experiences away to become a product marketer. She learned how to translate them. In this episode of Behind the Brief, we talk about: → How Jenn discovered she was already doing product marketing before she knew the function existed → How she turned a “generalist” background into her strongest PMM differentiator → The exact exercise she recommends for anyone trying to break into PMM: take a job description and turn every requirement into a story → Why getting the PMM title doesn't automatically mean you've earned trust → The simple “go talk to five customers” habit that helped Jenn build credibility → Why launches were one of the hardest things for her to prove — and how she translated her teaching experience into launch skills → What she learned from getting laid off and having to start the job search again → How she's using AI to automate competitive intelligence and market research → Why she believes AI can make marketing sound dangerously similar → What AI still can't replace: judgment, differentiation, customer conversations, and influence without authority → Why finding a hobby where you can actually practice marketing may teach you more than another certification And, because this is Jenn, we also talk about Taylor Swift, teaching, and why Beowulf might just be the original superhero story. If you're staring at a PMM job description thinking “I don't have the right background,” I hope this conversation gives you a different way to look at your experience. Your career doesn't have to look linear to make sense. Sometimes you just need to learn how to tell the story. #ProductMarketing #PMM #ProductMarketingCareers #B2BMarketing #GTM #MarketingCareers #AIinMarketing This episode is proudly supported by #Eddie — enablement that lives where your team already is. Chapters: 00:00 She Didn't Even Know Product Marketing Existed 04:30 How Jenn Found Her Way Into PMM 09:45 Your “Detours” Might Be Your PMM Advantage 13:05 A word from our sponsor: Eddie 15:30 How to Earn Trust as a New PMM 21:00 You Don't Need a Linear Career 27:00 What Getting Laid Off Taught Her 33:00 Finding the PMM Skills Hidden in Your Current Job 39:00 How AI Is Changing Product Marketing 42:00 Jenn's Favorite AI Workflow 45:30 The AI Mistake That Can Break Customer Trust 48:30 Is AI Making Marketing Sound the Same? 51:00 Where AI Still Needs a Human 54:00 Breaking Into PMM When AI Does the Entry-Level Work 57:50 “You’ve Earned Your Place at the Table” 1:01:00 What Teaching Taught Her About Marketing 1:04:30 The Best Advice for Finding Your Way Into PMM 1:06:15 Rapid Fire: Launches, AI, Mentors & Beowulf 1:09:25 Final Thoughts Where to find Jenn: LinkedIn:   / jenn-holcomb-710207a4   Where to find Shruti Verma: LinkedIn:   / verma-shruti   Website: https://shruticreates.ca/ Newsletter: https://pmmshruti.substack.com/ Instagram:   / brieflyshruti