Recently, I accepted a new job as the Vice President (VP) of Marketing at TrophySmack. Since that announcement, I’ve been asked many times how I landed the position. My favorite answer is “hard work and experience” because I have worked in digital marketing for over 15 years.
Outside of that, I have three tips for job seekers that will absolutely help them nail their next job interview.
Tips for Job Interviews
No. 1: Be Sure You’re Qualified for the Role
Everyone has a dream job, but that doesn’t mean that they’re qualified for it. Not being qualified is the fastest way not to get the job you want. If your dream is to be the director of content for a brand, for instance, you should have experience as some sort of senior content manager or strategist. Before that, you would have been a content manager or strategist in general, and prior to that, a content writer or specialist.
If you don’t have the experience leading up to that dream job, you’re not qualified for the role. There’s no shame in starting on the ground floor, though. Whether you’re brand new in your career or making a career change, learning from the ground up is the best way to ensure you’ll be equipped for bigger things. It also ensures that you are the subject matter expert, where you’ll be able to manage a team and collaborate with outside agencies or vendors.
No. 2: Articulate How Your Current Experience Has Prepared You for This New Opportunity
Being able to show how your current skills relate to the new position is critical. Interviewing to be a manager or supervisor? Share about the times you’ve mentored a newer teammate or initiated a project. Want to move up from director to VP? Show how you’re ready to take on more by highlighting areas where the company could use your help on the next level.
Example A: “I feel that I’m ready to move up to a management role because I’m the teammate that others come to for help. I’ve taken the initiative to train new teammates as they’ve come on board to better acclimate them to the team. My current teammates hold high respect for me, and I’m confident they’d be happy for me to advance my career and manage the team.”
Example B: “Being the director of marketing for the past two years has allowed me to take on some very challenging projects. I’ve successfully led my team in executing these projects and producing positive results. I’m ready to move to the next stage of my career and have an even larger influence on the direction of our company’s marketing strategy.”
No. 3: Ask Questions
Every job interview has a point where the person conducting the interview asks if you have any questions. Yes. You do. Even if you don’t really. It’s so important to ask more profound questions about the role and the company. Asking questions shows that you’re truly invested in making an impact in your new role.
Here are some of my favorite general questions to ask in a job interview:
Questions about the Role:
• What qualities are you looking for in your ideal candidate?
• Do you see this team growing in the near future?
• What opportunities for future career growth are there in this role?
• What sort of autonomy will I have in this role?
Questions about the Company (If You’re Moving to a New Company):
• How long has the company been in business?
• Has the company shown positive growth year over year?
• What’s the average tenure of the current employee?
• Could you share more about the company culture with me?
Questions for the Interviewer:
• How long have you been with the company?
• What do you love most about working here?
• Is there anything you’d like to do here that isn’t already being done?
• Are you familiar with (a project or initiative you led)? I’d love to tell you about it and how I think it relates to this new role.
I hope these three tips will help you nail your next job interview. Working my way up the corporate ranks has certainly helped to prepare me for every step of the way.
If you have questions, send me a Direct Message (DM). I’d be happy to help if I can.
Take care. xo @KellyInPhoenix