Today, we’re joined by Ali Schwanke, Founder and CEO of Simple Strat, the marketing agency for companies who are serious about growth.
Ali has been on both ends of the stick with regards to job hunting. Here, she speaks from her experience as a recruiter, breaking down the interview questions you should be prepared to answer for a potential employer.
Looking for a new challenge? Click here to browse Simply Marketing Jobs
The interview is one of the most important aspects of finding a new career. Whether you’re looking for a position with more responsibility, or making a lateral move to better accommodate your personal life, commute or side hustle goals, you have to nail the interview to move on in the process.
We’ve interviewed many candidates in building and growing our team at Simple Strat and we’ve discovered that interviewing is not something that comes naturally to everyone. However, like many things in life, the more you practice, the better you get, and the more comfortable you become with interviewing scenarios.
Because interview questions can run the gamut, we did a quick poll of the questions asked in our local business community – these were the most popular questions asked in an interview:
- Why do you want to work here?
- What do we do here [at this company]?
- Tell me about yourself. Who are you?
- Describe a challenge you’ve had in working with people. How did you overcome it?
- What did you dislike most about your previous job?
- If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
- If I were to talk to a current or former boss, how would they describe you?
- When was the last time you were wrong?
- Tell me about a time you had to execute a bad idea.
- What are you most proud of that’s NOT on your resume?
- What are your top strengths?
- Why should I hire you? Why shouldn’t I hire you?
- If I asked your current or former coworkers, what would they say your biggest flaw is?
- Tell me how your current skills fit with the outcomes needed for this job?
- What questions do you have for us/me?
**And this one isn’t really a question, but something you should always do – have a few questions prepared of your own. Candidates without questions seem like they didn’t do their homework or aren’t truly interested in the job.
While you may not get these specific questions in your interview, there will likely be similar questions. If you’ve spent time preparing and practicing your responses, you’ll shine as a top interviewee.
___________
About the Guest Author:
Ali Schwanke is the Founder and CEO of Simple Strat, the marketing agency for companies serious about growth. For more marketing, business, and career tips, follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @alischwanke.
Looking for more advice? Visit our careers advice section here.
If you’re looking for a new marketing role, click the button below to browse.
Life as a marketing executive
Lydia Cronin gives us an insight into her role as a marketing executive: How did you get into marketing? I studied English Literature & Politics at Durham University and in my second year I was looking for internships in marketing or editorial roles. I applied for...
5 ways to excel in your career
Want to get ahead at work? Feel like you’re ready to take a step up? Then you’ll need to prove that you’ve excelled at work. If you’re finding yourself searching for jobs at the next stage up in your marketing career, perhaps a senior marketing executive,...
How to write a CV for a Digital Marketing Manager
Writing a CV can be one of the most challenging parts of a jobhunt. Many of us are perfectly capable of selling ourselves in person, but when it comes to putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), many of us struggle to create a clear and concise CV. A...
