Well, you finally got the call or email to come in for an interview at that marketing role you applied to. But how should you prepare? What kind of marketing interview questions will you be asked?
Below is your guide to nailing some of the most common marketing interview questions. We’ll give you some pointers from essential skills to interview prep and some standard questions you may hear during your marketing interview.
What Skills Do You Need for Content Marketing?
Before your marketing interview, it will be worth your time to reflect on what skills you possess that are relevant to the job. While being eager for a job interview is great, you’re going to need more than a “go-getter” attitude to impress a marketing manager.
Proficiency in marketing strategies is a plus, but you will need a little more. Specifically, you need to exhibit a versatile set of hard and soft skills.
Soft Skills for a Marketing Candidate
Soft skills are more generalized skills, like working well with a team of people or being assertive. Below are some of the most important soft skills you will need to join a marketing team.
Communication
Working with a team means you will be communicating with your colleagues nearly every day. If you don’t have excellent communication skills, marketing campaigns could prove extremely difficult.
Teamwork
If you are a good fit for the team, it will help your coworkers and company reach their goals. Along with communication, good overall teamwork ensures that you will have a better chance of overcoming obstacles you may face during a marketing campaign.
Willingness to Learn
This is an essential soft skill. It means that you know when to admit you’re wrong and are willing to see things differently.
For many of us, it can be a tough pill to swallow. Whether you are willing to learn will be demonstrated in your ability to admit your mistakes while listening to your team members. It’s all about turning negatives into positives.
Multitasking
Very rarely during a marketing campaign will you have nothing to do. More often, you won’t have enough time to do everything you want to. This is where multitasking comes in handy.
As part of a marketing team, you will likely need to take on a few key responsibilities. This is more likely to be the case if your team is small and a deadline is looming on the horizon.
Adaptability
Things change. Try to think of one long-term project you have been involved in where everything went exactly according to plan. Instead, you should know when to be adaptable. When something goes wrong, you need to know how to adapt.
If a client hasn’t responded to your emails in over two weeks, what should you do? You can’t ditch the project. See what tasks need completing and use your best judgment to get them done.
Hard Skills for a Marketing Job
As opposed to soft skills, hard skills are much more specific to your field. For example, one hard skill for marketing professionals would be proficiency with marketing tools on social media like Facebook and Twitter.
Data Analysis
Examining large amounts of data and extrapolating meaning from the data is extremely useful. It will help you paint a bigger picture and allow you to tailor your marketing campaign to get specific results.
Having a grasp on data analysis is quickly becoming a desirable marketing skill. Sixty-four percent of marketing executives say that it’s the backbone of digital marketing.
SEO
SEO has become another powerful tool in marketing campaigns. Before, it was not very common for marketing teams to be familiar with SEO. Now, it’s recommended that every digital marketer knows basic SEO practices. In 2018, it even made the list of Most Wanted Skills on LinkedIn, coming in at number eight.
SEO allows marketers to take control of Google’s powerful influence and attempt to push their product all the way to page one.
How Do You Prepare for a Marketing Job Interview?
The best way to prepare for a marketing job interview is to follow what you would typically do before any interview. Below is a quick rundown to give you an idea.
Show Your Skills
Like any job, you will need to show that you can get the job done. How did you complete your latest successful campaign?
Conduct Background Research
Make sure to research the company you are applying to. This means finding all of the pertinent information about your potential future employer. Get familiar with its mission statement, company culture, and products or services.
You can also look into supervisors and their backgrounds so that you can ask nuanced questions at the end of the interview.
Update Your Resume and Build a Portfolio
Ensure that your resume is current. It is your foot in the door, and the content within will drive the interview forward. Clearly outline your hard and soft skills and accomplishments will bring up a lot of talking points.
Have you published any high-engagement blog posts? Have you successfully marketed a product that you think will impress the hiring manager? These are great to include in a portfolio. Having this on hand will show that you are dedicated and are familiar with content marketing.
Now, it’s time for the interview.
The Most Common Marketing Interview Questions
Why Are You Interested in a Marketing Career?
If asked why you got into marketing, you should expound on your passions for content marketing. This more open-ended type of marketing interview question allows marketing managers to better understand your priorities and interests.
What led you to a career in marketing? Was it the pursuit of creative solutions? Who inspired you? Feel free to really go into detail about your marketing journey.
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What Do You Know About This Position and Why Do You Want to Work Here?
When asked why you want to work at a company, reference the research you did on the company before the interview. Sure, you’re probably applying to the position for better career prospects and pay, but you need to answer in a way that makes an impact.
Say something about how you admire the company’s mission statement, the employer’s marketing experience, or the company’s focus on teamwork. You can also use this question to show off your success at past jobs. Do you want this role because you’re a master at it already? Or is it a step up from your previous agency?
Why Did You Leave Your Last Position?
When asked why you left your previous job, never complain about negative things that may have happened. It’s a major red flag, and employers don’t want to discuss petty grievances you may have.
Instead, use this question as an opportunity to showcase your ambitions. Perhaps your old job had no upward mobility, or you felt they weren’t doing enough in a particular aspect of marketing that you are interested in.
What Is One Successful Campaign You’re Proud Of?
When asked about a marketing campaign you’re fond of, you can use your answer to explain the skills that make you stand out as a marketing candidate.
Explain in detail everything you did to help make a past marketing campaign unique and successful. Putting a lot of thought and care into your answer is a great way to communicate with the marketing manager that you’re thoughtful and thorough.
Are You Familiar with Social Media?
When asked if you are familiar with social media platforms, the answer should always be a resounding yes. Any marketing candidate worth their salt should, at a minimum, have an understanding of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Instead of plainly stating which social media platforms you know best, explain how you use your knowledge of them to enhance your marketing campaigns.
Final Thoughts on Marketing Interview Questions
Now that you know that the upcoming interview is nothing to fear, it’s time to double down on all your positive qualities.
Remember that you need to explain your hard and soft skills, have an impressive portfolio, and do some background research.
Whether you are applying for an entry-level job right out of your last semester at university or looking for a job at a senior level at a new firm, preparing for an interview of any kind is a prerequisite for success.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
