Marketing Interview Prep
When you are hunting for a new marketing job, the round of applications and interviews can feel highly repetitive and finding the motivation to prepare can be tough. However, a marketing interview requires more of a candidate than many other disciplines and it is simply not advisable to skimp on your preparation.
Marketing interview preparation needn’t be too daunting though. We’ve put together a quick 4 point plan to help structure your research so you don’t get too bogged down in Google!
STEP 1: THE COMPANY
As a marketer, you are expected to have more foreknowledge of a company than simply what their history and key product
lines are. Look at the responsibilities of the role for which you are applying and ensure your research encompasses the elements that are relevant.
For example, if you are applying for a Digital Campaign Marketing Manager you would look to review the channels used, what campaigns are currently running, partnerships, content marketing and the stories being told, audience engagement, competitors and their activity. This research will not only help in the face of the almost inevitable “tell me what you know about our business” question, but also to compile your own questions at the end of the interview.
STEP 2: THE INTERVIEWER
Your marketing interview preparation should include people. Knowing who you are going to be interviewed by and where their responsibilities lie can be enormously helpful. Don’t just contain your search to Linked In. Find out if the interviewer is active in the marketing community. Do they publish? Do they tweet? A little background can go a long way, but be respectful of their personal social media.
STEP 3: YOURSELF
It sounds silly; of course you know your own background; you lived it! What you need to be able to do in a marketing interview however, is to call up statistics to support your previous successes at a moment’s notice. The type of information will of course be dependent on the role you are applying for and the synergies with your previous experience.
You are marketers. Analytics and reporting results are part of your daily round. Interviewers will want to know what levels of ROI you delivered previously, are you are aware of channel contributions? How did this influence decisions on future marketing budget placement for example? Do remember to have an example of failure as well as success. No one is perfect, but make sure you can expand on lessons learnt and future changes as a result!
STEP 4: THE EVENT
It is easy to overlook the mundane. Part of your marketing interview preparation should be making sure you know exactly how to get to the interview location and how long it is going to take, building in significant contingencies. It is nerve wracking enough without being late too. Be aware of your surroundings; you are on display. There are more than enough “karma” stories out there of people inadvertently being rude to a fellow commuter or someone in the carpark and then finding they are the interviewer!
Don’t forget however, one key part of preparing for a marketing interview is to have an in-depth discussion with your Recruitment Partner. Whilst they will not coach you on questions or answers, they can provide insight into the business and role that you would not gain anywhere else.
DOES YOUR DREAM JOB HANG ON YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW?
USING COMPETENCY QUESTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR SENIORITY AND EXPERTISE, OUR INTERVIEW COACHING WILL POLISH YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS AND IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE TO HELP LAND THAT ROLE!
MORE ADVICE TO SUPPORT YOUR MARKETING JOB SEARCH
