Complete Interview Primer

Amazing, you’ve gotten an interview! Whatever the role, this interview primer is a good place to start. Here are the tips I give my friends, who’ve since landed jobs at awesome tech companies and startups, entertainment firms, and branding agencies. For common questions and answers to marketing interviews, click here.

• It’s important to get in the right headspace. Be clear with yourself on why you’re exploring this, how it aligns with your short-term and long-term goals, and what you need out of a new opportunity. Write it out on a post-it and stick it on your desk.
• Remember that you’re a talented candidate. Yes, you really want this job. But interviews are a two-way street, and this company needs to impress you too. Hopefully your interview process is great, but I wanted to point this out because there are plenty of recruiters who ghost candidates. Don’t let yourself get walked on, because that’s just an indicator of how the company will treat you if they hire you.

Here are the questions I ask myself:

• Why this industry?
• Why this company?
• Why this role?
• How did I hear about the job posting?
• What excites me about the job?
• What scares me about the job?
• What are some ideas I have to improve the company’s marketing process? 

Here’s what I research online:

• News about the company, such as product launches and partnerships
• What the CEO and C-Suite have been prioritizing
• Competitor companies + their strengths and weaknesses

Here’s what I prep about my past experience:

• Walk through my resume
• Have short stories to tell on my top accomplishments
• Talk about why I left or joined companies

Interviews feel different in different mediums. The purpose is the same, but just be aware of the differences and prep. 

In-Person

• Confirm the date, time, and exact location. If the interview was scheduled way in advance, email the hiring manager 1-2 days before to make sure it’s still on.
• Arrive 15 minutes early so that you can grab water, use the restroom, and calm down.
• Bring a couple of copies of your resume in a folder. This is very old-school, but it’s happened to me where the interviewer (even at a hip startup) was old-school and wanted to see a paper copy.

Over the Phone

• Check to see who’s calling who. Are you supposed to call, or will they call you?
• Test out your phone connection.
• Check your “phone voice.” The interviewer won’t be able to see your friendly face or body cues, so your voice needs to sound professional and approachable. 
• I can’t say whether this is “allowed” or not, but typically on a phone call, I do have notes in front of me on what I want to say/ask. But don’t write out a script of what you want to say – it’ll sound super forced because it won’t flow into the real conversation.

Over a Video Call

• Test out your internet connection.
• Make sure you have the video platform ready to go (do you need to download Zoom or Blue Jeans?)
• Check your lighting. The point of a video call is for the interviewer to clearly see you.
• If you have roommates, let them know what time you’re interviewing. You don’t want the interviewer to hear your friend’s shower singing.
• I know it feels more normal to look at your screen so you can see the interviewer’s face, but if you look at the screen, your eyes will be pointing downward. You should look into the camera as much as possible. Put a sticker next to the camera as a reminder!

• Practice is critical. I would caution you – don’t overpractice because then you’ll sound rehearsed. Just practice a few times very intentionally.
• You can write out a list of questions you think the interviewer might ask, and ask a friend to play the interviewer role. 
• Alternatively if you’re shy about this, you can ask yourself the questions and record yourself answering them. Yes, this is super embarrassing to re-watch since everyone hates seeing themselves on camera… but it’s worth it. You’ll catch your crutch words and weird tics. When I did this, I noticed that I kept making hand gestures that didn’t make sense. It was distracting to viewers and I worked to knock that out.
• Avoid memorization, though! You don’t need to sound perfect and answer things immediately. Sometimes, if you get a hard question, it’s best to say something like, “That’s a really interesting point. I would want to give it a lot more thought, and I’d think about it by doing XYZ.”

• You should always have questions for the interviewer because it indicates your interest. Interviewers who don’t get any questions at the end will think you’re just not that into them. I’ll be honest here – there are stupid questions. Don’t ask anything that you could have already found in a Google search. If that search didn’t demystify the topic, ask something specific.

Here are some examples (These will differ depending on who you’re talking to. Questions for a recruiter will be different from questions for someone who works directly on the Marketing team.)

• What’s your favorite part about the company culture? 
• I read an article where the CEO talked about XYZ partnership and thought it was really interesting because XYZ. What are your thoughts on that?
• How did you begin at this company? How has your role changed over time?
• Where do you think the industry is headed in the next 5 years?
• How do you measure success in this role?

• Take some time to chill out before the interview 😀 I truly believe that people are at their best when they’re relaxed. Being tightly wound up just makes you look physically anxious, and being nervous often makes me talk way too fast.
• Have a snack, watch a movie, light a candle – whatever floats your boat.

• Ask the recruiter about the dress code. If they’re vague, err on the side of business casual.
  • If you’re interviewing at a fashion/beauty brand or a boutique PR firm, a cool blazer + nice jeans + 2-3″ heels is a good formula
  • If you’re interviewing at a formal corporate office (like a bank or law firm), go for the suit.
• Some general advice for attire
  • Shoes: go with a closed-toe, and nothing too stiletto-like
  • Comfort: something you can sit in and walk around in (in case of an office tour)
  • Layers: you don’t want to overheat in the middle of an interview – wear a modest top/dress that can stand alone, but pack a light sweater or blazer
  • Tops: avoid anything sheer or strappy
• Some things to pack
  • Mints, floss, pocket mirror
  • Water bottle and a granola bar
  • A folder with a few clean copies of your resume (we’re in the digital age, but just in case!)
• Make sure you arrive early at the exact address (some offices have multiple buildings)

• Be professional, friendly, and amazing! 
• It shouldn’t feel like a scary test. You’re not expected to know everything – good companies know that even the top candidate will have things to learn. Just show that you’re capable and open-minded.
• Try to make it as conversational as you can. It gets awkward for the interviewer too, if they’re just robotically firing away questions for you to answer.
• Read more of my conversational tips here.

• 1 day after the interview, send a thank you email to everyone who was part of the process (the recruiter, anyone who referred you, the interviewers).
• The close is important because it shows the team that you’re very excited about the role and it also reinforces the experience they had with you. I usually close thank you emails by saying something like the following:
  • “Thanks so much for your time. I really enjoyed learning more about the company, particularly XYZ, and think this could be a great fit. What are the next steps I should look forward to?”

• Rinse and repeat for as many stages of the interview process! You’re amazing, don’t stress.
• Definitely use a spreadsheet or planner to stay organized with your interview stages and results. Click here for the free template!