So you’ve successfully landed yourself an interview at a digital marketing agency – congratulations! With one foot firmly in the door, now it’s time to show your prospective employers why you are the best person for the job. Here are five tips to help you do just that.
Be specific when talking about your experience
It’s a classic catch 22 situation; you can’t get a job without experience, or experience without a job. So how do you convince a prospective employer that you’re the best person for a role you’ve never actually done before?
Just because you’ve never worked in an agency does not mean you don’t possess some of the qualities required to do so, particularly when applying for a junior or entry-level role. So think about a piece of work you’ve been involved with, no matter how irrelevant it may seem based on the job you’re applying for, and break it down into the following elements:
- The objectives – what were you trying to achieve and what goals or targets were set?
- The process – how did you approach the work and what was the planning process? Who else was involved and what was your role?
- What you learned – how did you measure the results against the objectives? What were the results?
- What you’d do differently next time – thinking about the above factors, how would you approach the thing differently if you did it all over again? What could be improved?
When applying for a junior-level marketing role, no one will be expecting you to turn up with an extensive portfolio of case studies. What employers will want to see is evidence of strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analysis.
This doesn’t even have to be marketing related specifically. You could talk about a university project, a particularly challenging situation at a previous job, or even the process of preparing for the interview itself.
Do. Your. Research.
This is interview advice 101. Research the company you are interviewing for. This does not mean you have to memorise every word of the company’s manifesto or the first names of every employee listed on the ‘about us’ page, but you do need to get a feel for what the company is all about and what they stand for, beyond the services it provides.
Here are a few things you can do to impress on the company research front:
- Check out the case studies and pick one that interests you. You can drop this into the conversation later on. For example, “I really liked the work you did with company X, I thought the approach was interesting and a great example of how Y can be used to create Z”.
- Read the blog, and as above, get a feel for what’s being published.
- Look at the type of clients the company works with, are they mainly B2B or B2C?
- Find some things you really like about the company and cite these as reasons for wanting to work there, as opposed to any other similar agency. For example, is there evidence of great company culture, investment in staff, opportunities for growth, etc?
- If you know who’s going to be interviewing you, check out their (professional) digital presence. Have they had any articles published recently or spoken at an event, for example?
If you say you’re passionate, prove it
Saying you’re passionate about digital marketing is not going to be enough to convince someone to hire you.
If, however, you can demonstrate that passion in one form or another then it can definitely work in your favour. Here are some ways you can ‘wow’ a potential employer on the passion front:
- Memorise a handful of your favourite industry blogs or resources – explain what you like about them or even better, talk about a recent article you found interesting or insightful.
- Talk about a recent development in the industry, and give an opinion on it.
- Talk about some brands or influencers that you admire or follow. What is it about their marketing output that you like, and why do you think it resonates with you?
- Massive plus points will be awarded for proactivity, e.g. having your own blog, getting involved in online discussions, or attending events will show you have a genuine interest in the industry.
- Similarly, showing evidence of self-training points to the fact that you are driven and eager to learn.
Don’t try and blag it
If you’re asked a question you don’t know the answer to, just say so.
In these situations, it pays to remember that you’re sat amongst people who, hopefully, know what they’re talking about, so going off on a tangent about a topic you don’t really understand will do you no favours.
When you’re being interviewed for an agency role, you’re not just being assessed on your ability to do the technical aspects of the job, but also how you’d work alongside colleagues and clients. Therefore, your interpersonal skills are hugely important, so showing a bit of honesty, humility, and resilience can go a long way in interview situations.
Ask (the right) questions
The best interviews are two-way conversations that flow naturally between the interviewer/s and interviewee. You can help steer this conversation by preparing some carefully considered questions in advance and asking them at the right time.
Here are some good questions to ask:
- If I were to get the job, what training will I be given?
- How will my performance be evaluated, and how regularly?
- What projects can I expect to work on?
- Who would I be reporting to?
Conversely, if the first question you ask is “what time do you clock off” it might leave an interviewer questioning your priorities.
Ultimately it comes down to the fact if you want to work in a digital marketing agency, simply turning up to an interview and going through the motions probably won’t get you very far. So think about how you can leave a lasting impression, for all the right reasons, and what you can offer that other applicants can not. A good CV may get you in the door, but the rest is down to you.
Looking for a new digital marketing job? Check out our current vacancies at https://browsermedia.agency/online-marketing-jobs/
