We recently sat down for a chat with Samantha Caviness, Senior Product Marketer at Rocket Mortgage, who recently earned credentials from Product Marketing Alliance (PMA). These were Product Marketing Certified: Core (PMMC), and some of our Masters certifications.
Samantha got into marketing because she has a passion for getting the right solutions in front of people when they need them most. She loves helping brands and companies solve customer problems through smart marketing strategies.
In her work, Samantha strives to deeply understand the core issues keeping customers up at night so she can craft campaigns that directly address those pain points.
Earning her PMA credentials was invaluable for developing that customer-centric mindset and learning frameworks to really listen to customers and develop empathy for their biggest challenges.
Read on to learn more about:
- How she found out about PMA courses
- Which aspects of the certifications she found most valuable
- How she has transferred insights and knowledge gained into her day-to-day practice
- How the courses have enhanced her product marketing credentials
- How this experience has helped her network
- How it has impacted her professional growth as a PMM
- What impact it would’ve had on her career had she not taken the courses
- Advice for those considering enrolling in the courses
- Her final thoughts
How Samantha found out about PMA courses
“My leaders at Rocket Mortgage provided PMA training to all team members. Although we weren’t required to go past Product Marketing Certified: Core, I took the Masters courses, too, because I was eager to learn all I could about product marketing and how other PMMs tackle the same problems I’m facing.”
“Also, I enjoyed PMMC so much and found that the information and stories resonated with me so much that I wanted to go deeper.”
Which aspects of the certification she found the most valuable
“I found the real-world examples and templates the most valuable – I could see myself using the advice and templates in the courses, so it was easy for me to take what I learned and translate it into my work.”
How she has transferred the insights and knowledge gained into her day-to-day practice
“The templates made it easier for me to apply the learnings to my work, and by deeply understanding the different real-world examples and fireside chats, I was able to start thinking through how I would tackle similar problems in my own work. Being able to hear from people who have used the principles themselves is really valuable.”
How the certifications have enhanced her product marketing credentials
“I feel that by having both a PMA Core certification and PMA Masters certification, it’s something that other PMMs in the industry recognize and see the value in, so I come across immediately as someone who understands the discipline – and it’s also given me more confidence and belief in myself and my own skills as well.”
Has this experience helped her to network
“By taking advantage of the PMA Slack community, I’ve been able to meet all kinds of new PMM friends and even helped others through problems, working on their resumes, and just learning about how PMMs work in other industries.”
How this experience has impacted her professional growth as a PMM
“In addition to helping me understand product marketing principles and how they apply across industries, it has helped me be able to narrow in on exactly what it is about product marketing that I like, and given me a renewed sense of confidence in my own skills and abilities.”
What impact this would’ve had on her product marketing career had she not enrolled
“I probably would still be a campaign manager/marketing manager had I not enrolled! I never really knew that the parts of my job that I really, really liked were ‘product marketing.’ I had done so much of it at my previous company, but it just didn’t have the product marketing name.
“Then, when I came to my current company, I worked more as a campaign manager until a reorg shifted me to product marketing. Without that initial Core certification, I wouldn’t even know or be able to tell people what it is that I really like doing, and what I want to continue doing.”
Advice for fellow product marketing professionals considering signing up for a PMA certification
“DO IT! In addition to the certification, which is impressive and useful in and of itself, you’ll unlock a wonderful community full of like-minded people.”
Final thoughts about her experience with PMA courses
“You will get out of the courses what you put into it – if you’re ready to dedicate time and brain space to fully immersing yourself in the course, you’ll maximize your return easily.”
Join Samantha and get certified!
Be like Samantha and countless others by enrolling in Product Marketing Certified: Core. By taking the course, you will:
🙌 Grasp every element of the cross-functional and rapidly evolving discipline that is product marketing.
🛠 Market your product through its entire lifecycle and successfully meet your product marketing key performance indicators.
👩🏽💼 Stand out in the job market – more and more employers request PMMC certification as a prerequisite for job seekers.
🧗🏼♂️ Advance up the career ladder with your newfound knowledge, skills, and product marketing network.
📦 Become the total package. Product marketing is an incredibly varied role. Our curriculum covers all the nooks and crannies.
🔖 Show off to your peers with a shiny new certificate #braggingrights.
