Whether you are just starting out in marketing, or you’ve been around the block for a while - the chances are that you will have to do a formal marketing interview.
Regardless of how much preparation you do, job interviews will always be nerve-wracking, but it's always good to put your best foot forward and create a great first impression from the offset.
The more relaxed you are in the interview, the more natural you will come across and this will showcase your personality to the employer.
I was lucky enough to do some internships first, so here are my top tips and tricks ready for you to bookmark and come back to later.
Research, research, research!
The more you know about the company the better. Do a deep dive into their social media pages and learn everything there is to know about the company’s values, history and vision for the future. Even if they don’t ask you direct questions about this, you can still weave them into your responses, which may earn you brownie points with the interviewer. You should review the job posting in detail and make notes which outline the reasons why you are applying for this particular role and why you have chosen this company to work for.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Does the company have a fun and progressive work culture?
Does the companies values align with yours?
Do they have great Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives
Is there great training opportunities on offer?
Are there opportunities to progress?
You may already think you know your CV like the back of your hand, however in an interview it is easy for your mind to go blank. I have found that printing off a copy of my CV to have next to me allows me to avoid making any mistakes and fills me with more confidence knowing that I can glance down at any point to list off my experiences if need be.
List quantifiable achievements
It’s all well and good reciting your previous work experiences thinking that you will be offered the role straight away. However, if you don’t have any quantifiable metrics to back them up then they won’t mean much to employers. Maybe you’re scratching your head in utter confusion, let me break this down for you.
If you have previously worked in marketing, you will have more examples to use such as:
’Increased LinkedIn followers by 50% in a year”.
"Generated £5,000 in revenue for my past employer through conversions after a marketing campaign”.
If you’re new to marketing then focus on your softer skills and offer specific examples, for example, offer the interviewer an example of when you problem solved at work, the solution you came up with and the subsequent outcome.
Another example, is sharing a situation where you juggled multiple projects at once with conflicting priorities - you can discuss working whilst at university and how you managed this. Although you couldn’t measure quantifiable results, in both instances you were still able to resolve conflicts and adhere to strict time deadlines.
Tip from Annie-Mai at GPM: you could create your own quantifiable experience too by volunteering to do social media for charities, creating a website or writing blogs.
Practice makes perfect
Calve out some time during your interview preparation to run through some example questions with a friend or family member, this step is super important but is often over-looked due to time constraints and other conflicting priorities.
Try to compare your first interview to that of going on stage to perform in-front of people that you’ve never met before. Would you go unprepared? Or would you practice in your bedroom mirror every night for 7 nights straight until you got it perfect?
Okay, slight exaggeration there but you get the point. So why set yourself up to fail? If you can’t find anyone available to listen to your interview prep, you can try recording it on a voice recorder app on your phone and playing it back until you are happy with it.
Ask thoughtful questions
It goes without saying that you should always ask the interviewer questions at the end, it shows that you’re prepared, keen on the role and that you have been actively listening throughout the interview.
If you are applying for multiple roles then you should tailor your questions to each specific role. You will notice as you’re speaking to the employer and learning more about the culture of the company and the nature of the role, that questions may arise in your mind. Make a note of these to ask at the end of your interview.
Role specific examples
What are the day to day responsibilities of the role?
What is a typical day in this role like?
Can you tell me what the next steps are in terms of training and progression within this role?
What are the greatest challenges within the role?
Team specific examples
Can you tell me about the team that I would be working alongside?
How big is the marketing function at your organisation?
Can you tell me about my direct reports, and other departments that I will interact with?
Company specific examples
How do you typically on board new employees?
How has the company changed since you joined?
What are the company’s plans for growth and development?
If you are interviewing with your future manager then you can also ask them what their management style is, this will give you a great insight into his or hers ways of working and will allow you to see if this is a good fit for you both.
Follow up emails
Ah the dreaded follow-up emails, as daunting as they might seem to some - if you don’t ask you don’t get. If you haven’t heard back from your interviewer for at least 5-7 days then hit that send button and send them a quick follow up email. Make sure that you reaffirm your interest in the position and ask directly for an update on your application, keep it short and to the point whilst also stating that you look forward to hearing about the next steps.
Do not fret if you haven’t heard back straight away, your interviewer might have several other first stage interviews that week and just because it’s been 5 days since your interview, it doesn’t necessarily equate to bad news. It’s always worth following up, even if you have convinced yourself that your chances of securing your dream job are slim.
Final thoughts
Finally, good luck - enjoy yourself and don’t panic too much. You have secured an interview, so the chances are that your CV stood out amongst the many that they have reviewed. It's worth reminding yourself that an interview is just as much for you as it is the interviewer -after the interview, think about whether the role is right for YOU.
So remember:
Do your research
Be polite and friendly
Actively listen and make notes
Show that you have come prepared with some great questions to ask at the end of your interview
And you'll be fine and you're doing better than you think! What is meant for you, will be yours.
Reminder from Annie-Mai at GPM: And if you don't get the job, try not to beat yourself up too much about it. Look at each interview as experience, note down what went well and what could've gone better - then go smash your next interview.