CSM Job Hunter Survival Guide
CS Insider Job Baord
  • Welcome
  • Meet the contributors
  • Short on time? Chat with our AI job hunter sidekick!
  • Like this guide? Send us a tip!
  • Leave a review & help us spread the word
  • Join Pathway by CS Insider
  • Get 1:1 career coaching with Carly Agar
  • Level Setting
    • Start here if you're considering a job change
    • Start here if you've lost your job or been laid off
  • Career Strategy
    • Understanding your why
    • Uncovering your professional strengths
    • Defining your career goals & vision
    • Defining your ideal role & non-negotiables
  • Preparation
    • Crafting your CSM story
    • Identifying your target salary range
    • Standing out with a compelling resume & cover letter
    • Giving your LinkedIn profile a needed facelift
    • Networking & earning referrals
    • Exploring opportunities beyond CS roles
  • Applying & Interviewing
    • Searching and applying for jobs the smart way
    • Nailing your first and second-round interviews
    • Other creative ways to stand out
    • Determining if a role is right for you
    • Mastering presentation-style interviews
    • Negotiating your job offer
    • What to do when you’re “stuck”
  • Additional Resources
    • Chat with our AI job hunter sidekick!
    • CSM job board
    • Carly Agar's Podcast
    • Annual CS Retrospective
    • Job tracker template
    • Big Five personality test
    • StrengthsFinder assessment
    • Brian's Job Search
    • PDF: Your 90-day guide plan for starting a new job
    • Teal (Resume Tool)
    • Rezi (Resume Tool)
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Meet the contributors

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Last updated 3 months ago

This guide would not be possible without the help of our amazing contributors.

Connect with them!

With a decade of experience in the field, Sumitra currently leads a high-touch Commercial Customer Success team at Braze. Prior to this, she was instrumental in building and scaling Customer Success functions at companies like CleverTap and LinearB, driving their evolution from early-stage to beyond growth-stage. Her approach combines a blend of operational excellence, relentless advocacy for the customer, and human-centric leadership & team development — enhanced by a unique global perspective from living in multiple parts of the world. She also has the honor of being one of EverAfter.ai's CS Creative Leaders 2025, and looks forward to continuing to shape our Customer Success community.

Parker has spent the majority of his 20-year career building, leading, and scaling Account Management, Support, and Customer Success teams for several companies across various industries. He was the chief architect of the customer management programs that led to 6 successful exits. In 2020, he expanded his interests by becoming a Limited Partner with Stage 2 Capital and working with early-stage tech companies on their go-to-market approach. Currently, Parker owns and operates his own business consulting company, Xperience Alchemy, which helps businesses raise their revenues, retention, and reputation with elevated customer experiences.

Alissa is a Customer Success Manager based in Colorado, dedicated to advocating for customers, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and building strong communities. Alissa is passionate about creating meaningful connections, ensuring customers feel supported and empowered to succeed. With a data-driven approach, she leverages insights to drive strategy, enhance customer experiences, and deliver meaningful results.

Ashna is a Leader turned Marketer at Ascent Cloud after a decade in customer success and team leadership. Named a Top 25 CS Influencer, she’s known for turning complex ideas into practical strategies that work. She co-founded CS Insider, a newsletter for CS professionals, and coaches leaders and teams on growth and career development.

Guy’s passion lies in driving people and organizations to success. This guiding principle has been the cornerstone of his career in customer management for 25 years, inspiring me to strive for excellence. As a multi-disciplined executive and advisor, Guy has built and led customer-facing teams from their early stages to scale and growth. His roles in Customer Success, Account Management, Pre-sales, and Program management have provided invaluable learning experiences and sharpened his management and leadership skills.

As a Customer Success Manager at Workday I work with the world's largest companies to help them reimagine the way their talent teams find and hire their employees.As the Partner Success Manager at UserWay, I helped build strategic partner engagement strategies from first call to renewal to help make as many of their client's websties accessible to everyone while.Previously, I was an Enterprise CSM at Glia, where I managed a book of business of over $2.5 million in ARR, achieved NRR of 140% in 2022, and received the 2021 CS team "Entrepreneur of the Year" award.I'm also the Founding Editor of CS Insider, a publication that provides insights and resources for customer success professionals and participated in SV Academy’s Customer Success Fellowship in partnership with Gainsight and Insight Partners.

Amparo Vazquez is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in customer success, entrepreneurship, and social activism. Certified in Customer Success and Customer Experience, Amparo has held key roles at organizations like the International Monetary Fund, Culture Amp, and Mindful Techie, where she has implemented strategies to enhance user experiences and support organizational growth. Additionally, she has advised several early-stage startups, helping founders modernize products and services, to secure funding.

With 10 years in customer-facing roles, Customer Success became Bianca's passion a few years back. She thrives on problem solving and building relationships, helping customers find scalable solutions, particularly in SaaS startups. Currently, she's enhancing her success experience with full-stack development training while seeking her next CS role. Outside of work, she's an avid thriller series watcher, late-night reader of space and psychology articles, and dedicated DIY enthusiast with always a project in progress at home.

Vinny is a Sr. Customer Success Manager a RevenueWell. He assists the dental industry with his company offering dental software and digital marketing services. Vinny has been in the CS industry and RevenueWell for 3 + years! He's a huge advocate of breaking into CS, networking, and helping others grow. Always looking to get 1% better. He's happy to connect to learn more about you and where he can help you! Happy to connect.

A Senior Enterprise CSM with over 5 years of experience, Kevin is a three-time Top 100 Customer Success Strategist. Drawing from his experience at Greenhouse ATS and working with top SaaS companies, he brings deep expertise in both hiring processes and customer success. He manages enterprise accounts across tech, retail, and venture capital sectors, while actively mentoring aspiring CS leaders through CS Insider and Catalyst Software.

Brandon has scaled learning programs, founded multiple communities, and transitioned from CSM to solutions architect. In his current role, He drives collaboration across internal teams to ensure the successful implementation of customer initiatives. His passion lies in coaching CSMs, sharing knowledge, and creating spaces where people can grow and thrive together.

Sumitra N
Parker Chase-Corwin
Alissa Burch
Ashna Patel
Guy Galon
Kenneth Sinensky
Amparo I. Vazquez
Bianca Blades-Mee
Vinny Conti
Kevin Leonor
Brandon Cestrone