- Hiring managers/recruiters want to get to know you. It's a "try before you buy" mentality.
- Use the "10(x) assessment factor" so they can study and learn your behavior. Your behavior during the interview will also give them a glimpse of how you'll be on the first 90 days of the job.
Marketing is the business of promoting and selling goods and services. So, while you sell yourself as a business-of-one, the interviewer is also observing how you pitch yourself.
We've come up with a list of five questions a person should expect to be asked when interviewing for a marketing job. We've also given you some secret tips to help you answer these questions successfully, including using the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model when needed.
1.Tell Me About Yourself.
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Not your kids, your personal life, or hobbies. "Tell me about yourself," is an opportunity for you to briefly state why you're relevant to this job posting, which includes:
- Your educational background.
- Your previous work highlights specific to the role you are applying for.
2.What Skills Are You Looking To Develop In Your Next Job? And Why?
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Hone in on the marketing skills that would help you become successful in the role that you're applying for. For example, if graphic design is not required in the role, pick another applicable skill instead.
Essentially, the interviewer wants to understand your work ethic and how you will continue to grow professionally.
3.What Is One Of Your Professional Weaknesses?
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This question is always tricky to answer because when you're interviewing, you're typically more focused on highlighting the good things about yourself. But, here's why answering this question correctly can work in your favor:
- You'll show your humility and honesty, both personal character traits that employers value!
- It's a chance for you to present a problem you faced that threatened your work projects and how you overcame this with a solution. Tell them a method you're using to improve this weakness and how you've grown from it.
Example: "I was asked to present a marketing proposal to a group of 50 people and struggled with public speaking. I could not balance between reading my PowerPoint slides and making effective eye contact with the audience. I learned that I needed to improve my public speaking skills to effectively engage potential new clients, so I took a public speaking class and now feel more comfortable presenting to large groups of people."
4.What Specific Experiences Have You Had That Would Make You A Good Fit?
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It's all about value here. How have you and how will you continue to add value as a business-of-one to whoever you partner with? In other words, when someone hires you, how do you profit their mission or service? Be sure to use a quantitative experience here.
Example: "I worked directly with leadership, clients, and sales to execute our yearly marketing event with a strict budget. I reduced and controlled expenses by partnering with local vendors to lower costs of events by 25%. Now, I can manage large-scale events and reduce company's expenses."
5.How Would You Tackle Specific Problems At This Company?
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Employers are fully aware that problems will arise in any workplace environment whether it's with budgets, clients, or project management. What they're more concerned about is whether or not you possess a solution-based mindset.
So, do you constantly come to your employer with complaints and problems OR do you present a problem with mitigation?
We hope these marketing interview tips and tricks will serve you positively in your next career step. If you would like to practice your interview answers or need additional help, get in touch with our career coaches!
You'd be surprised just how often the most qualified candidates cannot get past their interviews because their answers fall short of what hiring managers are looking for.
So, if you need help in your job search, join our career growth club today!
