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6 Top Tips to Prepare for a Marketing Executive Interview

Interviews can be daunting, particularly interviews for Marketing Executive roles. There is a magnitude of reasons why that is the case, such as the all-encompassing nature of marketing & how it sits differently within every business. So, how do you best prepare for a Marketing Executive interview?

1) Understand your strengths & weaknesses

As I mentioned earlier, marketing is such a broad topic it is not reasonable to expect you to be an expert in all areas of marketing. That is, of course, unless you’re ridiculously overqualified, which then raises so many other questions!

It is important to acknowledge where the gaps in your knowledge/experience lie. By knowing where you are weaker, you can then decide either:

• I need to gain experience in this area

• I do not see that area being a part of my long-term career and I would rather focus my attention on gaining further expertise in the areas that are important to me

Understanding this will help you qualify whether a role is truly right for you.

Likewise, it’s crucial you can understand your strengths and then be able to articulate & provide evidence around them (more on this later).

2) Research

The importance of this next point cannot be overstated. If you do not understand the role you’re interviewing for there is very little chance you will get the job. It is as simple as that.

Make sure you understand the following:

• What do they recruit for?

• What is the businesses history?

• What industry do they operate within?

It is a basic error and, frankly, a waste of everybody’s time (yourself included) not carrying out this research. There is no excuse.

After this basic research, consider (from a marketing perspective):

• What are they doing now which could be improved?

• What could impact their sector?

And by piecing the previous research together, contemplate:

• What have you done previously which could benefit them?

By piecing together their pain points with your skill set, you will be displaying an impressive commercial acumen whilst exhibiting the positive impact you could instantly have.

3) Prove you’re effective

Marketing is not the colouring in department. Everything can be tracked.

At a Marketing Executive level, it’s one thing being able to list what you done & the systems you use but having the ability to demonstrate how you have been successful will set you apart.

For example, if you’ve worked on email marketing campaigns, how have you:

• Increased open rates

• Increased click-through rates

Then think about what lessons you’ve learned from your experiences. What could you have done differently to be more successful?

If you can demonstrate your success, as well as reflect on how you can continue to progress, you will be setting yourself apart from the crowd.

4) A is for Attitude

With marketing being such a wide-ranging profession, you won’t be expected to be an expert in all areas. It’s just impossible. But that is also why being able to transmit an inquisitive, positive & ambitious personality is of paramount importance.

This sort of attitude will show you can adapt to a new business, even without having the exact skill set required, you’d be able to learn quickly & thrive. Show you’re worth the investment.

5) Alarm bells. Nobody likes them. Fact.

Whether that’s your alarm in the morning, a fire alarm or even a burglar alarm, ALARMS ARE NOT GOOD! By definition, they literally mean you should be alarmed.

“Remind me, why are you looking for a new opportunity?” – Don’t let this simple question be your downfall by setting off alarm bells with your answer.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Everybody has their reasons for looking for a new opportunity but how you communicate this can be the difference between getting the job or not.

So, have a good think about how you are why you’re looking to leave and think about how you’ll convey this message.

6) Ask questions

Let me round this piece off with a point that comes up in every interview advice piece out there, “ask questions”. This is your opportunity to show a genuine interest in the business.

I have always felt like there are so many similarities between interviews & dating. Whether that’s the pre-date nerves, the walk of shame after knowing you’ve performed badly, or making sure you come across as interested, but not too keen.

But a key element (apparently) of a successful date is to ask interesting questions.

People love to talk about themselves, and hiring managers are no different and they should be proud of the business they represent; of the marketing activities they undertake. Asking well thought out questions also gives you a final opportunity to show your ambition & research & thus finish on a strong note.

Questions you could ask include:

• Why are you making this hire?

• How do you foresee this role progressing?

• What is the next hire you’d look to make to your team?

• What do you like about the company culture?

Do all of this, and you will give yourself the best possible chance to nail your next interview.