Picture this: you’ve landed an interview for a marketing role. You tailored your resumé and wrote an amazing cover letter, and you received an invitation to interview for the role. You’re really excited about the company, the people, and the role itself. 

How do you feel?

If you’re not prepared, you might be feeling pretty intimidated right now. 

That’s why I’ve created this interview guide to help you prepare and feel more confident for your next interview. It covers the steps you should take before, during, and after the interview to present yourself as a strong candidate for the marketing role that you interview for.

So, if you’re ready to crush that interview and potentially score an offer, let’s get started!

Before the interview:

• Fully read through the job description

  When you have an understanding of the role and its responsibilities, you can prepare tailored responses to interview questions that position you as the candidate who can successfully meet the expectations for the role.

• Fully read through your resume

  You should assume your interviewer has read it and will ask questions based on what you’ve written, so be sure you know and can talk about every item on it.

• Prepare concrete examples

  Find interview questions by looking on Job Interview Questions website and coming up with likely options. Then, figure out a response that includes a concrete example of when you used the skill in question to achieve a favorable result.

  For example, if the interviewer asks about your experience creating marketing emails, you could respond with an example of a time you created marketing emails that generated high click-through rates.

• Prepare insightful questions to ask interviewers

  DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP! Asking your interviewers questions shows your interest in the position, and helps them remember you better. If you don’t ask questions, you are missing a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your interviewer.

  Ask these 10 impressive interview questions in your next marketing interview — it will help potential employers remember you as the best candidate and increase your chances of landing your dream job!

• Research the interview panel

  Check their LinkedIn profiles and get to know them — their backgrounds, areas of expertise, and any interests you can find. Ideally, you want to find something you have in common with your interviewer that you can bring up in conversation.  

• Research the company

  Learn about the company’s mission and goals, and the products or services they offer. Also check their recent news via LinkedIn or doing a Google search.

• Boost your confidence

  Try one (or more!) of these activities: meditation, watching a motivational speech, going for a walk, or writing a self-affirmation word before your big day.

During the interview:

• Focus on providing real examples to interview questions

  Consider using the S.T.A.R. interview method to organize your responses: 

  • S (Situation) - Start with a relevant situation that you encountered in your current or previous work.  

  • T (Task) - Mention your main responsibility in that position.  

  • A (Action) - Talk about the real action you took to solve the problem and how you went above and beyond.

  • R (Result) - End the story with a positive result.

  Remember, your unique stories are the best way to impress interviewers. Be sure to use your awesome storytelling skills (from what you learned as a marketer) to help interviewers envision that you are the best candidate for the marketing role that you interview for.

  Check this blog post to learn 5 Must-Have Interview Skills that Can Turn You into a Successful Candidate

• Clarify interview questions

  Don’t be afraid to ask for more information or clarification before providing your answers. It’s better to ask and answer well than to assume and give a poor answer. 

• share your stories/passion/research

  A great way to build relationships with interviewers and help them remember you! Remember, your interview should be a two-way conversation, not an interrogation. Be sure to show some personality and make an effort to get to know the interviewers better — after all, if you get the position, you’ll probably end up working with them!

After the interview: 

• Send a Thank You note

  Send a Thank You note to each interviewer and the recruiting team. Ideally, you want to do this as soon as possible after the interview. Be sure to send the notes individually and add a little bit of personalization to show you paid attention when speaking with them.

• Send a portfolio link

  This is another great way to let the hiring team remember your talent. You can include the portfolio or additional information in your Thank You note or send it separately.

• Connect with interviewers on LinkedIn.

  Send a personalized message to connect with interviewers on LinkedIn, so you can stay in touch with them. Even if you don’t get an offer, you’ve taken steps to build relationships with people at the company, and this could lead to more opportunities in the future!

Hopefully, this guide has helped you prepare and feel more confident for your next interview. 

You might also love these Interview blog posts…

• 5 Must-Have Interview Skills that Can Turn You into a Successful Candidate

• How to Succeed in Your Next Marketing Interview: Tips from Coca-cola's Marketing Executive

Still feeling nervous or need some extra help in your upcoming interview? Book a one-on-one interview preparation call with me and get personalized advice to impress potential employers and land that dream job.