To build a portfolio or not build a portfolio, that is the question.

And the answer isn’t as obvious as it may seem.

The job market is competitive, and candidates need to do whatever it takes to stand out. BUT the strategic nature of PMM work doesn’t lend itself well to a traditional creative portfolio.

Sales collateral and landing pages are meaningless without context. A pricing page doesn’t show the analysis that went on behind the scenes.

So, I asked the PMM Camp community: is it worth it to build a portfolio? Is it necessary to have one to land your next role? And should you start building one now?

Here’s what three product marketing leaders had to say on the topic.

Do you need a product marketing portfolio to land your next role?

Hila Lauterbach

VP of Product Marketing at Scorpion

In the past 10 years, I have interviewed over 100 Product Marketing Managers across various seniority levels and industries and found that a well-crafted portfolio can significantly boost a candidate's chances.

A portfolio provides real-world examples of candidates' work, showcasing their skills and achievements. It also demonstrates how they actually operate when they have enough time to conduct in-depth research about their markets, audience, jargon, etc. By examining performance metrics and success stories, I can assess their tangible impact and strategic thinking. But here comes the BUT - it's crucial for the portfolio to be strong and strategic. Poor writing, unclear storytelling, and unorganized documents can undermine a candidate's credibility and fail to highlight their true capabilities.

In the last few years, sharing portfolios has become a trend among PMM candidates, helping them stand out in a competitive job market. A strong portfolio offers specific discussion points during the interview, enabling deeper insights into a candidate's experiences and approach. It should include work samples of go-to-market strategies, frameworks and key results, marketing campaigns, case studies, and content such as blogs, one-pagers, thought leadership, and white papers. Additionally, competitive analysis, positioning statements, product demos, and sales enablement materials are valuable inclusions when aligned with the specific job description and role focus. Organizing the portfolio for easy navigation is essential to help the interviewer focus on the relevant content for the specific role.

I will finish with one cool anecdote highlighting the power of a great portfolio. I interviewed a candidate who excelled in all internal interviews. She had strong industry knowledge and a thought leadership POV, but her storytelling and positioning skills were in question after a (limited time) home exercise. When I reviewed her portfolio, the range and depth of her content confirmed her abilities, leading to her hire. This was a win for both sides and definitely made a decisive difference in the hiring process!

👋🏻 Say hello to Hila on LinkedIn

Ashley Wood

VP of Product Marketing at Fellow

Like most answers you get from a PMM, it depends 😛.

Given the current state of the market and hiring, anything extra you can add to an application helps you stand out. I had almost 200 applicants for my last PMM role and had no choice but to go through each applicant quickly. Having a portfolio to look at definitely makes you stand out (it’s not the only way).

That being said, unlike designers, writers, and other marketing roles, PMM work is primarily strategic and can be tough to communicate in a portfolio. Portfolios are also difficult to tailor to specific roles (although, I'd make sure you’re using anchor links so you’re bringing the hiring manager to the part of your portfolio that’s most relevant to the role).

When hiring for a PMM, I look at how they approach problems, what questions they ask, and what insights they derive. I’m thinking of Marta the PMM that created a video when she got laid off. Not necessarily a portfolio but it showcased a ton of PMM skills I'd look for in a candidate (she understood the state of the market, her video aesthetic was on trend, and she was clear on the value she would bring to any org).

If you are going to create a portfolio, it should showcase your thought process and approach to problem-solving along with how you collaborate with other teams. It’s great for me to see a one-pager you worked on but I'm more interested in how you got there. The same goes for any launches you worked on — I want to see that you understood your audience, their problems, how your feature or solution solved them and how you communicated that in a differentiated way. If you’re going to include KPIs, I'm looking for KPIs that demonstrate your understanding of how PMM fits into other department goals like sales, CS and product.

👋🏻 Say hello to Ashley on LinkedIn

Kristin Howard

Director of Product Marketing

I have created a portfolio for my job search, and it's on a site called Copyfolio.

Some product marketers have their own website where they showcase this info, but I chose to go the portfolio-only route. As a consultant who is looking for full-time work, I didn't create a website, but have been asked for samples.

I have a few different pieces of collateral, a few blogs I've written, a training guide and a few other things. I'm prohibited from sharing a few items due to a non-compete I had to sign.

👋🏻 Say hello to Kristin on LinkedIn 

CAMPER ESSENTIALS

📚 Reading List: My friend — and messaging extraordinaire — Emma Stratton just announced her first book, Make It Punchy. Pre-order it today and let’s read along together.

🎧 Playlist: I have this Lenny’s Podcast episode lined up for some weekend listening — 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy.

T-9 days until I’m on vacation under the Greek sun ☀️ Counting down…