How to Properly Prepare for a Marketing Interview

Interviews can be stressful, particularly in an industry as competitive as marketing. You know your resume made it through the initial screening process and now you have to gather your thoughts and ideas and present them to a hiring manager. Here are some tips to help show off your creative side, demonstrate your knowledge and make you standout from the competition.

Research your company

Spend time online to determine the company’s marketing initiatives. Check out their website, their social media presence and look at past advertising campaigns until you have a clear idea of who they are and what they sell and why. Then, look at the rest of the industry and figure out what makes that company unique.

Come prepared with ideas or even a simple mock ad that you think best represents the company. Show you can clearly and concisely articulate their message to the target audience. If they already seem to have a solid marketing campaign, make sure whatever ideas you bring align with their existing message. If their campaign is still developing, don’t hesitate to show off some fresh ideas.

Social media

Know which sites the company uses and how. If applicable, make suggestions about new styles of content or what kind of presence they could have on other social media networks.

Have a portfolio

Show the hiring manager you can pull off your ideas, follow through and execute with samples of your actual work. Tell specific stories of past successes and failures to show what you learned from them. If you lack experience, use examples from research projects and writing samples to show you can effectively communicate a message. Make sure whatever you bring shows your level of commitment and effort, some personality and creativity.

Brand yourself

Use social media—Twitter, LinkedIn, maybe even Facebook or a personal website—to present yourself as a marketing professional. Update your profiles at least once a week with engaging original content and make sure your message is unified across all forms of media. You’re promoting yourself and developing your list of online contacts.

And of course, don’t forget the basics that apply to all job interviews: dress well, sit up straight, be punctual and don’t forget to send a thank-you note! For more tips on how to really shine in a job interview, contact us today.

Written by Tyler Culver

Ty Culver has extensive experience in the Talent Acquisition/Retention space. He has helped some of the most powerful companies in the market place enhance their employee experience and scale their teams. Ty specializes in Executive Search, Retention programs for Key People and Population Wellness. Ty has helped CulverCareers rise to the Top 1% of the industry and differentiate from the field with a holistic approach to Acquisition and Retention of People.