From Visual Design to Product Marketing at NVIDIA: Zach's story
An Ex-Google PMM's take on product marketing.
Hi, I’m Henry, and today I’m excited to share a conversation with Zach, a Product Marketing Manager at NVIDIA. His journey into product marketing is anything but traditional. Stick around to hear how Zach transitioned from visual effects to product marketing, and his advice for breaking into the field.
Meet Zach: From Visual Effects to Product Marketing
Zach began his career as a visual effects artist in computer graphics, working on films, TV shows, and VR games. But as time went on, he realized he wanted a career with more longevity and began exploring other paths.
During his job search, Zach stumbled upon product marketing. After reading job descriptions, he saw similarities between his past work in community management and product marketing, especially in terms of communicating with large audiences.
Positioning Himself as a Product Marketing Manager
Because Zach was coming from a completely different field, he had to be strategic about how he positioned himself for product marketing roles. His approach focused on leveraging his strengths from previous roles: communication, empathy, and his deep knowledge of computer graphics. He targeted companies related to his past work, which gave him an advantage over other candidates.
Zach also worked on creating initiatives to sell himself in this new role, such as starting his own meetup group, mock interviewing, finding a mentor, and continuously updating his resume and LinkedIn profile.
Staying Motivated During the Job Search
Like many people trying to break into a new field, Zach faced plenty of rejections and no callbacks. To stay motivated, he kept track of every job application in a Google Sheet, aiming to apply to at least one job per day or three per week. This daily discipline kept his momentum going, and reviewing his tracker every day gave him a sense of accomplishment.
The NVIDIA Interview Process
The interview process at NVIDIA was intense—eight rounds, including a panel interview. Zach spoke with multiple stakeholders across departments like sales, content management, PM, and more. He was frequently asked how his non-traditional background would translate into product marketing, which gave him the opportunity to tell his story and highlight his communication skills.
Advice for Aspiring Product Marketers
Zach’s top advice is to find a passion and use it as leverage. Whether you’re coming from a different background or a related one, telling your story and showing how you can bring value is crucial. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating interest and excitement in what you do, as it helps you stand out during interviews.
If you’re not yet an expert in product marketing, Zach advises doing your research and becoming a pseudo-expert. This preparation will help bring out your passion and excitement during interviews, giving you a competitive edge.
Conclusion
Zach’s journey from visual effects to product marketing at NVIDIA shows that you don’t need a traditional background to succeed in this field. His ability to leverage past experiences, continuously learn, and stay motivated throughout the process helped him land his current role.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this post, leave a comment below and let me know what other topics you’d like to hear about next. Until next time!
Ready to Break Into Product Marketing?
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