Ask youngsters how they dream of earning a living, many harbor dreams of emulating the success of their idols: athletes, stars of the silver screen, astronauts, or F1 drivers.
It’s fair to say few PMMs envisioned bringing home the bacon playing their trade in the world of product marketing during their youth.
Luckily for them, the world works in mysterious ways. 😎
We’ve said time and again how awesome a career in product marketing is. Following our findings in the State of Product Marketing Report 2020, it’d seem our words haven’t gone unnoticed - far from it.
95.5% of the PMMs we surveyed are already plotting the next stage of their product marketing career; it’s great news for people with their foot already in the industry, but what about workers hoping to make the transition into the industry?
Ladies and gentlemen introducing *drum roll*... the PMA Scholar Program, our initiative that blows the obstructive door off its stubborn hinges.
The golden ticket of product marketing
There are times in life when we seek a sprinkling of something special to give us the much-needed upper-hand on our competitors.
Product marketing has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in popularity as of late, with people entering the profession from a whole host of backgrounds.
So, once a quarter, every quarter, we morph into the Willy Wonka of product marketing and recruit 25 new or aspiring product marketers for a part-time, 12-week program sure to equip them with the essential skills to tackle a career in product marketing.
One we’ve put scholars through their paces (and they pass with flying colors 😉) they’ll be presented to a whole host of heavyweights keen to hire their next product marketing virtuoso.
The grand-daddy of PMM packages
You may be wondering why we’re best suited to launch your furore into the product marketing world.
The simple answer? We’re best equipped to guide you through the initial stages and equip you with the best training, resources, and contacts any PMM could wish for.
Period.
Let’s check out what the lucky bunch will have under their belt, after completing the program:
🔖 Product marketing certification (providing you pass the exams)
👩💻 Live, weekly workshops with industry leaders
✅ Marked, practical tasks to test your learning
👣 A platform to build your portfolio
🌎 Exposure to some of the world’s biggest brands
🔥 Official accreditation from the industry’s go-to association (aka, us!)
🆓 All of the above for free (worth $5,000 RRP)
Not bad, right? We were dead serious when we said you’ll be well-equipped to set the ball rolling on your newfound career like a bat out of hell.
Your promise to us
Given we’re throwing a lot your way, we expect something back from our scholars. After all, you can’t have your cake and eat it.
💯 Nothing short of 100% commitment from start to finish
⬆️ A willingness to go ‘above and beyond’
😍 Proven passion for getting into the product marketing field
Suffice to say, we’d say a little bit of hard work’s a given, seeing as we’re giving you the platform for a kick-ass career.
How does it work?
Everything sounding good so far? Great! Let’s take a look at how you can apply for an opportunity that’ll shape the rest of your life.
Step 1: Apply to be a scholar
We’ve said it earlier, but we’re gonna say it again: places are extremely sought after and only 25 PMMs per quarter will be successful in their application.
No more. No less.
We’re gonna level with you, we want our scholars to be perfect for our program. If there’s a grain of doubt, we’re afraid it’s not gonna slide.
So, to see if you’re what we’re looking for, we need you to send us:
- An up-to-date resume,
- Short video letting us know why you want to enroll,
- Your answer to the all-important “Why you?” question, and
- Which intake you’re applying for.
Please don’t send through an incomplete application; if you don’t complete every section, we won’t be able to call you, tweet you, or knock on your door asking for the rest of it.
Organization is a key trait for a product marketer; start as you mean to go on.👍
Think you’re what we’re looking for? Then send all the above over to us on scholar@productmarketingalliance.com.
Step 2: Pop the date in your diary
As much as we’d love to say “no news is good news”, in this case, we’re bucking the trend.
We’re inundated with applications for our PMA Scholar Program and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to respond to each applicant.
For you guys who don’t make the cut, don’t worry, you can apply for the next intake during the next quarter.
If you do manage to secure a place, take a moment to have a celebratory jive; we’ll be in touch within a couple of weeks with essential information, such as:
- When the program begins,
- The dates and times of your weekly workshops, and
- What we need from you before day one.
As well as a few bits of admin...
Step 3: Commit to hard work
Given the varied nature of product marketing, we’ve done our utmost to reflect this within our program, focusing on a range of essential areas within PMM.
Every week, successful applicants will gradually become more equipped with the fundamental competencies to thrive in the product marketing field, via a combination of self-paced, practical, and live exercises.
So, without further ado, let’s check out what you could be looking forward to in the program curriculum:
As you can see, our successful applicants are spoilt rotten by the takeaways from our diverse curriculum, but it’s not a one-way street where applicants take, take, and take some more.
No siree. We ask for 100% effort and application.
We make a solemn pledge to bring you to the attention of some truly awesome companies, but it’s up to you to blow their socks off with your PMM artistry. We won’t be the only ones marking your exams, reviewing your practical tasks, and overseeing your involvement during workshops. We’ll also be joined by your potential employers, so stick your head above the parapet and show an unwavering commitment to get the job done.
If you think we’re bluffing, you’d be well wide of the mark. Such is our dedication to establishing and maintaining impeccably high standards, the pass rate for the course is 90%.
Step 4: Prepare for offers to arrive
If you’ve taken our words of wisdom on board, come through the program unscathed, and become PMM certified, we’d firstly like to say: Congratulations! You’re the holder of one of product marketing’s most sought-after accreditations.
This is where the magic happens.
You’ll join your fellow scholars in an exclusive recruitment pot - a PMM teddy picker for orgs keen to snap up the very best product marketers for their respective companies.
They’ll be provided with essential information, including:
- Exam score,
- Practical task,
- Attendance rate,
- Involvement in the weekly workshops,
- Salary expectations,
- Application video, and
- CV and cover letter.
We aren’t in the business of encouraging applicants to accept an offer that doesn’t rock their boat; if you don’t get the right offer, don’t sweat it. By all means, go the conventional route and check out the job boards. We’re sure the recruiters will be thrilled to see you’re PMM certified!
But how does the program work when the shoes on the other foot, and you’re recruiting a scholar from the PMA Scholar Program?
Unearth your PMM gem with the PMA Talent Program
It can be hard enough recruiting an employee for a run-of-the-mill administration job, let alone a product marketer to take your PMM team to the next level.
But what if you could kick back, relax, and let someone do the hard work for you?
Employers of the world, fear no more, ‘cos we’ve a solution that’ll allay your frustrations and help you sleep at night: the PMA Talent Program.
Here at PMA, we’re capable of wonderful things. Not only do we have a berth of awesome resources at our disposal, but we also have access to a network of PMMs the world over.
Put simply, we’re the go-to-guys for elite support in the field.
PMA’s Talent Program gives you access to an ensemble of product marketing talent, sure to enhance the quality of your product marketing team.
Here’s a whistle-stop tour of the key deets:
We open the doors to 25 PMMs every quarter,
You pay a fee for exclusive access to the scholars,
We train them up to PMA standards,
You get your pick of the bunch.
Consider it the NFL draft of the product marketing world.
Here’s how the program works, and how you can get a piece of the action:
Step 1: Sign-up
Every cycle lasts for three months and is run consecutively through the course of each year. While some companies prefer to place an emphasis on quantity, we’re devoted to offering nothing but quality candidates we believe will improve your product marketing teams.
And we’ve not only applied this train of thought to our scholars. We’re super-picky when it comes to selecting our talent partners; if you’re successful in your application, we’ve been impressed, to say to the least.
Feel free to massage your ego, a little.
To apply, fill in our form, and we’ll do the rest.
Step 2: Let us do the hard work
For a recruiter, filling a product marketing role can be like tackling a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle as a child - you may need a hand along the way.
Companies who’ve enrolled in the PMA Talent Program can be reassured to know we test for hard and soft skills top candidates will need to be a success in the field.
Take a quick scroll up the page and refresh yourself on the program details. ☝️
Fancy getting your hands dirty and hosting weekly mentor sessions? No problem - we’re more than happy for you to do so, providing you tick the boxes in our pre-set criteria.
Let’s be frank, an amateur chef wouldn’t be let loose in Gordon Ramsey’s kitchen.
If you’d prefer to keep a low profile, that’s not a problem. Talent Partners are more than welcome to sit in weekly calls and scope out potential recruits who they’d like to take under their wing.
Step 3: Cherry-pick your bounty
After we’ve put our scholars through their paces, you’ll be able to recruit newly certified PMMs for your company.
You can take great comfort from the fact the standards we impose are extremely high (a 90% pass rate is in place).
If an applicant isn’t up to scratch, they don’t slip through the cracks, hence, recruiters are only presented with PMMs with the credentials to embark on a stellar career in the field.
To make sure you’re recruiting the candidate who’s best suited for your requirements, we’ll provide an assortment of info, including:
Before you pick your next new hire(s), we’ll provide you with each scholar’s:
- Exam score,
- Practical task,
- Attendance rate,
- Feedback from the weekly sessions,
- Salary expectations, and
- CV and cover letter.
Everyone wants to catapult their company to the next level. Help us, help you with the PMA Talent Program.
Either drop us a line on talentpartner@productmarketingalliance.com or fill in the form below to get yourself enrolled.
