
In our latest Q&A, we dive into the inspiring journey of Aaron Eckelt, who transitioned from a Business Development Representative to an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Beamery after just 1 ½ years. Aaron’s story highlights the power of internal mobility and how Beamery supported his growth, providing him with the opportunity to take a secondment into the product marketing team to fuel his career discovery.
Across the board, organizations are taking a more ‘conservative approach’ to growing and investing in their workforces which means high attrition, and pressure on Talent Acquisition. Many employees find it easier to leave their current company to advance or change roles. This practice, however, is costly for the companies who lose skilled workers and institutional knowledge, and then have to hire new talent. It takes longer for new employees to get up to speed, and the process of attracting and acquiring talent can be expensive.
As leaders navigate these challenges, it’s more important than ever to find ways to better develop, reward, and retain employees. Many companies have yet to fully tap into the benefits of internal mobility to drive skill development, open up new career paths, and keep their top talent engaged.
At Beamery, we not only build tools that empower other companies to leverage internal mobility, but we also practice what we preach. Aaron’s journey is just one example of how we support our employees' growth and career development, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
Q&A with Aaron Eckelt:
👉 Can you walk us through your career journey so far and who you are?
I was the kid in school selling contraband in the playground. I used to go to the shops before school to stock up on donuts and Pepsi cans to sell them at breaks and lunchtime (although I was mostly sold out in the first break). Back in 2006, I made enough money from it to buy an iPod. A young Sir Aaron Sugar, but taller.
I always thought I’d end up in Sales, so when I finished university I applied for a sales grad scheme. My career started in the extremely glamorous sector of vending machine sales, but my heart yearned for something tech-related.
One day an old friend reached out, saying his company needed a German speaker for their business development team. It was a tech company, so I did my research and got the job.
After a successful few years there, a recruiter from Beamery reached out. When I saw Beamery’s mission of creating equal access to meaningful work, skills, and careers for all, I was intrigued. I had led an employee resource group around diversity and inclusion in my previous company, so creating a more equitable world of work struck a chord.
The who am I question is always fun, but tricky - I mean we all have so many identities, right? Here are some of mine: Husband, Girl-dad, Son, Friend, Christian, German, African, basketball player, gym-goer, runner, overeater, hot-sauce-enthusiast, class clown, graduate, product marketing manager, Londoner… take your pick.
In January this year, we had our first baby, and being able to take 6 weeks of paid paternity leave to spend time with the family was a profound experience. Our daughter came out with a perfect 10 on the APGAR score (IYKYK). Her lungs were strong enough to make my Apple Watch warn me of high sound levels when she cries.
Jokes aside, I am deeply grateful to Beamery for providing that benefit. Being a new parent is BRUTAL, but being a parent at Beamery makes it easier.
I am also happy to report that during my paternity leave, I mastered nappy changing—my fastest change to date: 27 seconds.
👉 Moving into a new field like product marketing can be challenging. What motivated you to start the discovery?
I joined the BDR (business development) team in April 2022 and spent a year on that team, before thinking ‘I’m not sure if the life of a BDR is for me anymore, I wonder what else I can do?’ Contemplating my future, I started exploring my options.
Around the same time, the Beamery Marketing team held an on-site over a few days in June 2023, which was the first time all the great folks on the team came together for a few days of brainstorming, planning, and team-building.
I started learning more about what each of the functions in marketing did and realized that there’s a great overlap between business development and product marketing (PMM).
I found that I already had the key skills needed to excel in PMM: communication, market research, relationship building, strategic planning, analytical skills, product knowledge, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Ultimately, it’s all about understanding customer needs and positioning how Beamery can meet those needs. As a BDR, I did it 1-1 but as a product marketer, I do it one-to-many.
I also got to hear great insights about messaging, positioning, and value that resonated. I had used lots of product collateral the PMM team had created already. I fancied getting closer to the product, understanding the technical details, and maybe having a go at creating some myself (side note, I now know PMM does much more than make collateral).
👉 How did Beamery help you make this transition?
Making an internal transition takes a village. My BDR manager was supportive and allowed me the flexibility to take a “gig” to explore a new role; colleagues offered time and work so I could gain new skills in the role and when it came time to make the move official, marketing leadership and HR came together to draft a job description and offer very swiftly.
I was taken aback by how quick the process was once I said “I’d like to move.” Ask and ye shall receive and all that.
Looking around I can see I’m not the only one who has opted for an internal move. I’ve seen a few colleagues moving into other teams recently. I’ve also seen what feels like a constant wheel of promotions. It’s great that Beamery invests in its people by putting internal hiring first.
👉 What advice would you give to someone considering an internal move, especially into a completely new area?
Get some exposure to the work you’ll be doing ahead of time where possible, build strong relationships, and embrace the learning curve.
It’s funny because I’d spoken to hundreds of potential customers in my previous role, sent thousands of emails, and spent hours making cold calls so you would assume all fear had left me by that point, but for me running a customer webinar trumped all of it by a mile.
Starting in a new area, you’ll make mistakes and learn from them - making sure you’re heading into a supportive environment with people who will back you, teach you, and applaud you is so important. It makes every new task seem less daunting and allows you to give your best and take some calculated risks, which you need to do so you can grow.
👉 Internal mobility is a hot topic—how do you think your story can inspire others at Beamery and beyond?
Everyone loves an internal move. You get to the end of what you can achieve in a role and you want to learn new skills, but not lose the relationships you’ve built at your company, the understanding of processes, and the code to the snack cupboard.
Internal mobility is great for the company because they want to lower attrition among high-performers and not spend cash trying to fill their void when they leave. However, high performers often crave new challenges, so being able to find that at your current company is a win-win.
At Beamery, if you want to join another team, have that conversation to explore. It’s often about timing and business need so if the stars align, go for it. There is however nothing bad about speaking to different colleagues and leaders of the teams you’re looking at to see what’s possible.
I had a few conversations with different teams before the move to Product Marketing crystalised as the one that made sense for myself and the company.
The worst anyone can say is “No, not right now”, but that seed is still planted and when an opportunity opens up, you’ll be ahead of the pack.
Your old team may see you as traitors, but that’s it. It’s lonely at the top.*
👉 Looking back, what’s been the most rewarding part of this career shift for you?
Delivering my first seasonal product launch was a phenomenal feeling, like holding my baby girl in my arms for the first time, but like 10x less. Like wow, I'm glad this is over, but look at how beautiful this deck is.*
Product Marketing makes such an impact, being the glue between product and customer-facing teams is fun, chaotic, and rewarding. You end up working in small sub-teams to deliver specific projects that affect the business at a significant level and get close in the process.
It looks different with new goals every quarter, so you get to build strong relationships across the whole organization as you work on new projects together. Product Marketing is unique in that way and I love it. When you make it through and deliver a challenging project, but you get a great outcome together, it’s the best feeling. Like 7x less than holding your baby for the first time.*
*joke
Aaron Eckelt's journey at Beamery showcases the impact of internal mobility on personal and professional growth. Through the support of Beamery, Aaron was able to transition into a new role that aligned with his evolving interests and skills. His story is a testament to the opportunities that exist within companies when they prioritize developing and retaining talent.
If Aaron’s journey has inspired you, why not explore the possibilities for yourself? Check out the roles currently available at Beamery, and take the leap towards your next career adventure.