How to Nail a Marketing Job Interview

It is only natural to feel nervous at the prospect of sitting down for a job interview. Even the most confident and experienced interviewees will feel the heat now and then. However, if you prepare properly and go in with the right attitude, you should have no trouble making it through your interview.

Do Your Homework

The more research and preparation that you are willing to do beforehand, the easier you will find the entire interview process. In order to succeed in the field of marketing, you are going to have to be adept at researching and probing data. If you go into your interview and demonstrate that you have done your homework and you have taken the time to make sure that this is the right opportunity for you, it is sure to impress your interviewer.

As well as researching the demands and requirements of the role you are applying for if you land the job, you should also read up on the employer themselves. Throughout your interview, look for opportunities to organically demonstrate the depth of the research that you have done. Anything that you can say or do to show that you are taking the whole process very seriously will give you a leg up over less passionate candidates.

Be Creative, Not Robotic

It isn’t a bad idea to prepare some answers for the most likely questions that you are going to face. For example, having a predefined answer to the “why do you like marketing” interview question will enable you to give a response that is considered, one that shows this is something that you have thought carefully about.

However, it is equally important that you do not come across as robotic or make it sound like you are just reciting answers you decided upon earlier. If you sound as if you are reciting answers and not thinking about them as the questions are asked, it can seem as if you aren’t engaging with the person in front of you. The way that you answer questions in an interview is a golden opportunity for you to demonstrate two skills that are essential for every marketer – good communications and creativity.

Know Your Purpose

By the time your interview rolls around, you should have a very clear picture of exactly what role you are applying for and why you are applying for it. The “why do you want to work in marketing” interview answer is one of the key things that an interviewer will be looking for. It should be easy to tell an interviewer why you are there and why you want to work with them, but you might be surprised by how many people are taken aback when this question is put to them in an interview.

You don’t need to go overboard here; you aren’t trying to convince the interviewer that marketing is the centre of your universe and the only thing that you care about. You just need to demonstrate to them that you have a very clear idea of what it is that you want to do in the long term and how this marketing job can help you to achieve those goals.

Start Working Now

You don’t have to wait to actually land a marketing job before you start building up your portfolio. If this is an entry-level marketing job and you’re going to be competing with other applicants who also only have limited experience, if any, working in the field, having some examples of work that you have put together yourself will instantly put you ahead of many of the other candidates.

You don’t have to actually execute any marketing campaigns. It is enough to bring a portfolio of proposed campaigns that you have devised for existing businesses and products. This won’t just demonstrate your marketing prowess; it will also show that you are capable of working under your own steam and motivating yourself. Not to mention it will further demonstrate how seriously you are taking the interview process.

Be Prepared To Back Up Your Words

If you are an experienced marketer who already has a number of years in the industry under their belt, you should already have a good idea of how to answer marketing interview questions. However, just providing the answers to questions alone is only half the story. If you are going to sit in front of an interviewer and regale them with tales of all the killer campaigns that you have implemented in the past, they are probably going to want to see some examples of your work.

You should be very, very cautious about making any claims that you cannot easily back up. You don’t necessarily need to bring all of the evidence into the interview with you, but you should be able to direct your interviewer to where they can find it if they want to have a look. Hopefully, the CV that you submitted to land this interview contains a link to your online portfolio if you have one.

Dress To Impress

It cannot be overstated just how much of an impact the way that you dress can have at an interview. Your chosen dress code will communicate a lot about you to your interviewer. Hopefully, you don’t need us to tell you that the smarter you look, the better. Even if your research has shown that the business you are applying to is a unique and relatively laid-back one, turning up to your interview looking like you are wearing your everyday clothes makes it seem like you think you are going to just any old meeting.

Dressing up smarter than usual for the occasion demonstrates to your interviewer both that you care about this job and that you have respect for the business you want to employ you. If you want to know how to prepare for a sales and marketing interview properly, you cannot overlook the importance of dressing appropriately for the occasion.

Use Quantitative Measures Of Your Success

When you are discussing past successes and failures, most of what you say will likely be qualitative data rather than quantitative. In the simplest terms, qualitative data is data that is expressed by words and quantitative data is expressed using numbers.

You should ideally call upon both types of data during your interview. However, many people only talk qualitatively about their past work and don’t introduce any quantitative evidence. Examples of relevant quantitative evidence would be the percentage increase in traffic or sales following a past marketing campaign or the number of social media interactions and impressions that past campaigns have been able to generate.

Numerical evidence is hard to argue with and is much more objective than qualitative evidence. Having quantitative data on hand also shows that you understand how to properly analyse a marketing campaign once it is over, which is an important skill to have.

Have A List Of References To Call Upon

If you already have experience working in the marketing industry, then it is a good idea to go into your interview with some references in mind. Being able to list some references will not only demonstrate that you have experience, but it will also show that you understand the value of building relationships within the industry.

Your references do not have to be other marketers; there are plenty of other people that you will encounter while working in marketing. While it is important that you avoid name dropping (if you have a personal connection to a CEO or manager, for example, then it is best to keep this quiet), don’t be afraid to highlight your most important relationships.

Make Mental Notes And Ask Questions Afterwards

As your marketing interview progresses, you should be paying close attention to what your interviewer is saying. Make a mental note of your conversation as you go and try to think of potential questions to ask at the end. If you ask an experienced marketer for their advice on how to nail a marketing job interview, one of the pieces of advice that you will consistently get back is to always have a question to ask at the end.

Asking questions at the end of the interview will show your interviewer that you have paid close attention to the whole process and that you are engaged and thoughtful. You might want to think of an emergency question or two to ask just in case nothing comes to mind during the interview. However, if at all possible, you should aim to ask something relevant to the conversation that you have just had.

Confidence Is Key

It doesn’t matter what business you are hoping to work with or the precise details of the role you are applying for, confidence is always a fantastic selling point. Confident employees are always valuable, but in the field of marketing, confidence carries an even greater premium.

Remember to remain mindful of the sometimes fine line between confidence and arrogance. You want to show a potential employer that you are confident in your abilities and personality, but you don’t want to give them the impression that you are incapable of hearing advice or criticisms – and you definitely don’t want them to think that you cannot take instruction.

As long as you prepare properly and do your research beforehand, you should have no trouble conquering your marketing interview. Most of the hard work will be done long before you sit down with your interviewer, but the advice above will enable you to prepare yourself properly.

If you’re interested in searching for a new Digital Marketing position, head over to our Job Opportunities page and browse through our latest vacancies.

About Acquire Digital Talent

In 2018 Acquire was established by Alex Marriner who has over a decade of experience within the Digital Marketing Recruitment space.

We are dedicated to securing the very best Digital Marketing talent for some of the most exciting tech start-ups, high growth businesses & established brands in London and across Digital Hubs within Europe. These include brands such as Starling Bank, Popsa, Motorway, Houst, and Trainline.

We bring the knowledge and expertise to build highly successful Digital Marketing teams so your business can grow whilst supporting Digital Marketing professionals with the guidance required to further their careers.

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