How to Prep for an Interview

The most commonly asked question that creative and marketing job seekers ask our Recruiters revolve around how to prep for an interview. The preparation for an interview takes more than just hitting the internet and searching for a common list of interview questions. You not only need to look the part but, be the part. Your plan should have you prepared to articulate that you are skillfully qualified, add value, and are a cultural fit.

To help you prep for that next job interview, our team of recruiters listed their all-time favorite pre-interview tips that they want you to know.

Tip 1: Research your Audience

When heading into an interview, it is important to know your audience. We cannot stress this enough. Spend a few hours researching and learning everything you can about the company. Observe their mission, culture, business services or product offerings, and brand perception.

Begin by reviewing the brand’s digital footprint — website, blog, social media sites, LinkedIn profiles of those interviewing you and potential team members, company rating sites such as Google, Glassdoor, Indeed. Google the company brand and key stakeholders to inform yourself of recent news and press releases. This time investment will set you apart from those who lack in the research department. You will have the advantage of contributing to the conversation in the form of thought-provoking business questions throughout the interview which will set the tone that you are a due diligent resource.

Pro Tip: From your research, you will gain a sense of how to best embody a personality in your interview that compliments the brand’s business culture. Be sure to stay on your toes during the interview process. We asked a leading Baltimore, MD Recruiter, Rachel Coonan what her favorite interview advice to provide her candidates is. Rachel shares, “You are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. It is so important to see the office space, feel the culture, and ask questions. This is just as important of a decision for you.”

Tip 2: Test the Product or Service

What better way to prepare for an interview but to put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. If possible, demo or test the product offering. This could be making it all the way to the check-out cart or landing on the website to evaluate if the content and user experience provides viable information to make a buying decision. Having gone through the product offerings first hand will resonate with you to better speak to how you will create value for the company. Your use test findings may be five stars or there could be room for improvement. The best way to deliver a critique is to begin with a compliment before providing constructive feedback. Practice how you will deliver any critical feedback. Perhaps you share your observation and position the feedback in the form of a question, “Have you considered providing more customer testimonials on this page as a test to improve the buyer’s experience?”

Tip 3: Your Elevator Pitch

How much do you really know your own resume? It is crucial to spend time thinking about your skills, abilities, statistics, and accomplishments and how those will best resonate with the interviewers. Is it going to be your management abilities? Or maybe it is your creativity? Whatever it is, ensure you can speak to it, give examples, and relate it back to the job description, bringing everything full circle.

Tip 4: Prepare Questions

Towards the end of the interview, it is highly likely you will get hit with the question, “What questions do you have for me?” Don’t panic. Here are some of our tried and true favorites questions to ask in an interview:

• “What are you looking for in a team member?”
• “What is your managing style?”
• “What does a day in the life of this position look like?”
• “How is success measured in this role?”
• “What bottlenecks, if any, have occurred in this role or department?”
• “What are the opportunities for growth?”
• “What do the next five years look like for the company?”

Having these few smart and thoughtful questions prepared will aid in making the end of the interview a very smooth transition.

Tip 5: What To Wear

To round out how to prep for an interview, you want to make sure you are ready to dress to impress. At this point you have done your research and may see that the office has a casual or business casual environment, however, ask your recruiter what their advice is on what to wear. Some relaxed environments still want you to showcase how professional you can be in the event you are put in front of executives, clients, or conferences. When in doubt dress professional.

Tip 6: Visualize the Interview

Focus on your strengths and the soundbites of key phrases you want them to hear. Major bonus points for you when you can answer questions with examples from your previous work. Doing this will ease your mind of any wandering thoughts or long pauses during the interview.

Interview Prep with Profiles

Job seekers who work with Profiles receive the support of recruiters to identify job opportunities and guide how to prep for an interview. Get in touch with our marketing and creative tech recruiters and have Profiles in your corner during your job search.