What kind of CSM are you?

This is a memo about how I’m thinking about the job market as we head into 2026. I plan to write and share more resources like this to help you with your Customer Success job search.

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Customer Success is a specific role with one goal: retain customers.

How you retain them depends on the company, the strategy, the product. Your retention strategy could be product expertise and customization, or education and consulting, or straight up selling. Sometimes all of the above.

You can be good at this work with any number of skills, any kind of background. That's the beauty of it.

But "I'm a people person" or "I have experience working with customers" isn't enough to get hired. Not in this market.

You need to understand where your skills and the role intersect. What kind of CSM are you?

There are technical CSMs. These roles exist at companies that believe product expertise is the lever for retention.

You're the person who understands how things work, who can troubleshoot and customize and get into the weeds. Your customers come to you because you know the product better than they do. You'll see this at infrastructure companies, dev tools, complex platforms; but it's not limited to technical industries. Any company with a product that requires depth to use well might want this kind of CSM.

If the job description emphasizes implementation, product acumen, or working closely with technical teams, and there's no OTE or bonus structure, you're probably looking at a technical role.

There are strategic CSMs. These roles exist at companies that believe executive relationships and business outcomes are the lever for retention.

You're advising, consulting, helping customers see around corners. Your customers come to you because you understand their goals and can help them get there. The job description will use words like "trusted advisor," "executive presence," "business reviews," "stakeholder management."

This is the role a lot of people picture when they think of Customer Success. It's also, honestly, becoming harder to find in its pure form; more companies want strategic skills paired with commercial instincts.

There are commercial CSMs. These roles exist at companies that believe retention is, fundamentally, a sales relationship.

Your customers know what you are. You're there to secure and grow the account; that's the job. You might deploy ROI conversations, cost savings, usage data, whatever helps you make the case, but you're selling. The job description will mention renewal targets, expansion revenue, quota.

There's usually a clear OTE or specific bonus structure spelled out in the job description. It should be called Account Manager, or Renewals Manager, but usually it’s not.

Confusingly, all three of these are called Customer Success Manager, and yet the day-to-day looks very different. So if you're applying to all of them the same way, with the same resume, the same pitch, you're making it harder on yourself.

So the question becomes: what kind of CSM does your resume say you are?

When you look at a job description, you should be able to say: this is a technical role, or this is a commercial role. And then you should be able to look at your own resume and ask, does this make the case?

If you want a strategic role, your resume can’t be focused on product troubleshooting and implementation projects.

If you want a commercial role, you have to signal that you can drive revenue in some way.

This is positioning. The work isn't necessarily getting more experience. It's getting better at telling the story of the experience you already have.

I talk to people who are applying everywhere, getting nowhere, and feeling like something must be wrong with them. Usually nothing is wrong with them. They just haven't gotten specific enough about what they're positioning themselves for, so their applications read as generic in a market that rewards precision.

I wish that I could talk to you about finding your bliss or figuring out which type feels most authentic and fun, but the job market is too tight for that right now. I want you to know what you're working with, and understand how to use that to get hired.

Clarity is a competitive advantage. Most people don't have it. If you do, you stand out.

Best,

Nicole

Don’t miss these resources for your 2026 CS Job Search: