Do Your Research
You would think boning up a bit about the company that you hope will hire you, would be a no-brainer, but many job candidates skip this very important step. And because of this, even a slight familiarity with the company and the types of marketing services it provides, can give you an edge. Though, it would be to your benefit to do more than the bare minimum. Learn all you can about its role in the industry, target audiences, products and any recent coverage in the news. If you were interviewing at a company such as US Data Corporation for example, you would see a bulk of their business is all about direct mailing lists—formulate some intelligent opinions on this, or point to recent trends. This information shows you are serious about the position, and that most importantly, you value the time of the interviewer.
Think of Some Ideas
While this is a good tip for any type of job interview, it is particularly important if you are interviewing for a marketing position, where you will be tasked with coming up with all sorts of ideas on how to successfully market your client’s products, as well as how to market the business itself to attract said clients. For example, if the company runs a magazine all about marketing as a tool to attract clients, think of some interesting story ideas that might appeal to their target audience. If you happen to have some solid writing skills, drop the idea that you can actually help write some of these pieces.
Examples and a Portfolio
If you have previous marketing experience, you want to be able to discuss real-life examples of your work, such as stories, successes and things you learned from a specific project. So, think of some specific anecdotes to use in the interview. While you want to showcase your successes, you may also want to give an example of a project that didn’t go as well, and what you learned from it.
Put together a portfolio—even if you think the work is not super-relevant to what you would be doing at this company, it will still be to your benefit.
Now, if you are new to the marketing game, and you do not have previous experience in this field specifically, do not skip over this step. In fact, this may be even more important for you than someone with marketing experience, since you will be under more scrutiny. If you don’t have any writing samples, make some. If you can show him work you have done from a research project or materials you have made for some event, etc.., include all of that. Lacking this experience, your ability to communicate and your level of self-confidence will be looked at more closely, so do your best to present your best self.
Quantify Past Success
When it comes down to it, a company wants to know hiring you will positively impact their bottom line. Think about how you can talk about your past work in terms of numbers. Did your online marketing campaign result in a certain number of clicks. Did your campaign lead to a certain percentage increase in sales, or in the number of people who recognize the brand? This will also show you are results-oriented, which is attractive to a marketing firm.