Latest / The Marketing Career Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Jobs, Skills, and Career Growth / How Mid-Career Marketers Use Podcast Guesting to Land Jobs
Transcript
- Lucas: You know that moment when someone asks, 'How did you hear about this role?' and the answer isn't a job board or a recruiter — it's 'They heard me on a podcast.' Luna: I've definitely seen that happen. It feels almost like a cheat code — but only if you know how to use it. Lucas: Right. And I think for mid-career marketers especially — people who are maybe five to fifteen years in — podcast guesting has become one of the most underused job-search tactics out there. Not because it's new, but because most people treat it as a branding exercise, not a recruiting funnel. Luna: What's the difference? I mean, aren't you just going on a show to talk about what you know? Lucas: You're not wrong — that's where most people stop. They do one or two episodes, get a nice LinkedIn post out of it, maybe a handful of connection requests. But the real move is to treat each appearance like a job interview that happens to be public. You're not just sharing insights; you're demonstrating how you think, how you handle curveball questions, and what kind of leader you are — all in front of an audience that includes potential employers. Luna: So the employer is listening live, or they find the episode later? Lucas: Both. And this is where the targeting matters. I talked to a senior brand manager last month — let's call her Sarah. She was at a mid-sized CPG company, wanted to move into a VP role at a challenger brand. Instead of applying cold, she identified three podcasts that her target company's executives actually listened to. One was a dtc focused show, one was a sustainability marketing podcast, and one was a general marketing leadership roundtable. Luna: Smart. She reverse-engineered the media diet of her dream boss. Lucas: Exactly. She pitched herself as a guest on each — not 'hire me' but 'here's a perspective on brand building during a supply crunch.' She prepped like she would for an interview: rehearsed the opening story, had three data points ready, knew the host's style. Over six weeks she recorded those three episodes. Within a month of the last one airing, she had two inbound messages from CMOs who had heard her and wanted to chat. One of them turned into an offer. Luna: That's a great case. But I imagine the time investment is real. You're not just showing up — you have to research the shows, pitch yourself, prep, record, then follow up. For a mid-career marketer who's already busy, that could feel like a second job. Lucas: It is a time commitment, no question. But I'd argue it's way more efficient than spraying your resume to fifty jobs. Sarah spent maybe twenty hours total across those six weeks. Compare that to the weeks or months people spend in application black holes. And the quality of the conversation is completely different. When a CMO reaches out because they liked your thinking on a podcast, you're already past the 'can this person communicate?' filter. Luna: What about people who aren't in tech or DTC? Say you're a brand manager at a regional bank or a healthcare system. Are there podcasts that cater to those niches? Lucas: There are, and they're often more valuable because the audience is tighter. A podcast about credit union marketing might have only a few thousand listeners, but the listeners are credit union marketing directors. If you're on that show, you're reaching exactly the people who could hire you. The trick is to find shows where the host interviews practitioners, not just thought leaders. Shows where guests talk about real campaigns, real numbers, real mistakes. Luna: So the pitch has to include some concrete results. You can't just say 'I'm a marketing leader' and expect to get booked. Lucas: Right. The best pitches I've seen lead with a specific story. Something like, 'I led the rebrand of a regional bank that increased digital account openings by 40 percent in six months — here's how we navigated the stakeholder pushback.' That's a hook. It shows the host you'll bring an interesting conversation, and it signals to any hiring manager listening that you drive measurable outcomes. Luna: What if you don't have a big story? Maybe you're early in your career, or your biggest win feels too small. Lucas: I'd say think smaller and more tactical. A story doesn't need to be a billion-dollar campaign. It could be how you improved email open rates by eight percent through better subject line testing. The key is to show your thinking process. Hiring managers want to see that you can diagnose a problem, try something, learn from it, and iterate. That's more valuable than a flashy one-off success. Luna: And after the episode airs — what's the next step? Do you just wait for someone to reach out? Lucas: You can be more proactive. Share the episode on LinkedIn, tag the host and any companies you're interested in. Send a personal note to a few people at target companies saying, 'Hey, I was on this show talking about X — thought it might resonate given your work on Y.' Not asking for a job, just sharing the content. That warm touch is way more effective than a cold application. Luna: I like that. It's almost like a modern version of the informational interview, but you're the one providing the insight. Lucas: Exactly. And it flips the power dynamic — you're the expert being sought after, not the supplicant. That psychological shift matters when you eventually do sit down for a formal interview. Luna: One thing that still trips me up: should you pitch yourself as a guest if you don't have a clear angle yet? I know a lot of marketers who feel like they're not expert enough. Lucas: That's the biggest barrier I see. People think they need to be a VP or a published author. But most podcast hosts are looking for good conversations, not academic lectures. If you've been in the field for a few years, you have a perspective worth sharing. Start with something you're genuinely curious about — maybe a trend you're seeing, a tool you've been testing, a question you don't have the answer to yet. That kind of honest curiosity often makes for a better episode than a polished monologue. Luna: So the bar is lower than most people assume. Lucas: Much lower. And the upside is huge. But I also want to be realistic — this strategy works best when you're intentional about it. If you go on random shows just to collect badges, it's not going to move the needle. You need a thesis about who you want to work for and what you want to be known for. Luna: Speaking of being intentional — we talk a lot on this show about strategies that actually move your career forward. And this one, podcast guesting, is something we see working in real time. If these conversations have sparked something you've actually used or tried, that's the whole reason we keep making them. Lucas: Yeah. And a quick honest thing — a handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these episodes. No ads, no sponsors — just people who find the show useful and want to keep it going. Luna: It's a small group, but it makes a big difference. Keeps us independent and focused on what actually helps marketers. Lucas: Alright — back to the tactical side. Let's talk about how to actually track whether guesting is working. Because if you're investing twenty hours, you want to know if it's paying off. Luna: What metrics do you look at? Number of connection requests? Episode downloads? Lucas: Those are vanity metrics, honestly. The real signal is quality inbound messages from people who have hiring authority. I'd track: how many new LinkedIn connections from people at target companies, how many direct messages that reference the episode, and how many of those turn into a phone call. If after three episodes you haven't had a single conversation with a decision-maker, you might need to adjust your show selection or your pitch. Luna: That's a clear threshold. And it forces you to be honest about whether the strategy is working. Lucas: Exactly. And don't forget the follow-up. After the episode, send a thank-you note to the host, share the episode with your network, and — this is the step most people skip — add a line to your LinkedIn summary or headline like 'Podcast guest on discussing.' That small signal can make your profile show up in more searches. Luna: I've seen people put a whole 'Featured' section with their best episodes. It becomes a portfolio of your thinking. Lucas: Exactly. And that portfolio is way more compelling than a bullet list of job responsibilities. It shows you can hold a conversation, defend your ideas, and connect with an audience. Those are exactly the skills that matter in senior marketing roles. Luna: So if someone is listening today and wants to start — what's the one thing they should do this week? Lucas: Make a list of five podcasts that your ideal employers or role models listen to. Don't guess — search LinkedIn for people at your target companies and see what shows they follow or have guested on. Then pick the one that feels most accessible and craft a pitch based on a specific story from your work. Send it this week. Luna: That's actionable. And if you need help refining that pitch, we've got a bunch of episodes on personal branding and messaging in the back catalog. Lucas: We do. And I'd love to hear from anyone who tries this — drop us a note on LinkedIn or through the show page. We might feature your story in a future episode.