After countless revisions to your resume and writing cover letter after cover letter, the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived– you received an email asking to set up an interview for the marketing role you’ve been eyeing. With only 20 percent of job applicants making it to the interview round, take time to celebrate this achievement, then shift your focus to prepare to ace the interview.

From the moment you receive that initial calendar invite to the post-interview thank you note, there are strategic steps to ensure you tick every box throughout the interview process and leave a lasting impression. 

Here are our tips to help you navigate every aspect of the interview process and ensure you nail your marketing interview.

Customize your resume, cover letter, and work samples for the job

Ensure that your resume is tailored specifically to the position you’re applying for by formatting and updating it accordingly. Don’t overcomplicate your application materials– keep it clean, simple, and professional, avoiding unnecessary complexities. Incorporate relevant keywords from the job description to optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems and catch the recruiter or interviewer’s eye.

Make sure you lead from the top. Don’t leave your most relevant experience at the bottom of your resume. The hiring manager may not get that far. Pull it to the top, so it’s front and center, and remove any small or unnecessary roles. 

Don’t be afraid to show off a little

If you are interviewing for a marketing position, brand yourself. A portfolio with relevant examples, no matter your experience level, is the perfect place to showcase your skills and abilities. 

If you are a new graduate, have little experience, or have none, use material from your college courses or personal projects that can help showcase your breadth of skills and knowledge. The importance of a portfolio lies more in its ability to help you break into the industry to prove your worth.

Yes, show off and be proud of your work, but always remember to stay humble and professional!

Use Canva or Adobe

If you are applying for a marketing or creative role, do not, whatever the weather, send a resume as a Word or Google Doc. Use Canva and their 100 amazing resume templates or Adobe, to show you have a good creative eye. 

At Bodhi and Co., if your resume isn’t ‘designed’ – it goes straight into the no pile, sadly, so do let that happen. 

Do your homework

We hate breaking it to you, but homework doesn’t stop after graduating. Before any marketing interview, research the company and employer who is interviewing you. 47 percent of candidates who interview with companies are rejected because they don’t understand the role or details about the company they are interviewing with.

Dress the part, make an impression, and stand out

Pay attention to how you present yourself in your interview. Dress to impress; we promise your comfy sweatshirt will be waiting for you at home.

If you have a video interview, ensure the background is not distracting, maintain respectable eye contact as much as possible, and keep a positive, welcoming, and go-getter attitude throughout your interview. And if you need a ring light, go and get one. 

Be a storyteller

Crafting compelling narratives is essential in nailing your interview. When responding to questions, weave your experiences into engaging stories. Begin with setting the scene, walk through the challenges you faced, elaborate on your actions taken, and conclude with the result achieved. This structured approach, often called the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), ensures clarity and organization in your responses, leaving a lasting impression of your skills and competence.

Ask questions

Even though the interviewer is using the interview to get to know you, it is the perfect time to ask all your questions about the company and role.

It is recommended to have at least 5 questions prepared beforehand. 

Always say thank you

After every interview, send a thank you note to your interviewer. A handwritten note is personable and speaks volumes, but employers understand this isn’t always possible. Either way, you should send an email within 24 hours of your interview. 

In your thank you note, include specific points discussed in the interview that validate your interest in the position and your ability to meet or exceed the expectations of the open role.   

Whether you are a new graduate entering the job market or a seasoned professional looking for your next marketing role, remember that great things will come your way with patience, hard work, and consistency.

Are you interested in job opportunities, an internship, or a mentor? The Bodhi & Co. team would love to hear from you. If you are interested in an internship, you can get in touch with the team via the Bodhi & Co website. For mentorship opportunities, please contact Dani, Founder of Bodhi & Co., directly through LinkedIn.

Cooper Shaw

With an eye for strategic content creation and crafting marketing campaigns, Cooper is a creative marketer who loves combining visual and written aspects of storytelling.

Consumer spending is increasing significantly however, it’s increasing alongside unemployment but why is that? It comes down to consumer priorities which are ever-changing — especially through your interactions on social media.

You’ll notice that the things you think about, talk about, and look up online, are all somehow showing up in advertisements on your feed. Coincidence? I don’t think so. 

Your 11-year-old niece is buying beauty products she’s seen through TikTok videos. Your 6-year-old son wants a Blitz ball because he saw it on Dude Perfect on YouTube. 

Influence is all around us and it’s not something we can necessarily control since it’s based on our impulses and instinct. But the implications of influence are huge. 

Here are 5 things we think all marketing strategies need to cover in 2024:

1. AI and automation will be central to everything marketing-related

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will continue to transform all marketing activities in 2024. From AI-powered content creation, to chat GPT, marketers will need to leverage these tools to drive engagement and continue to raise the bar on what’s being put out there. We still, of course, advocate the personal touch, but using the tools to do more, quicker, better, is what it’s all about.

2. Omni-marketing is a must (and TikTok has to feature)

From social media, to email, to in-store – you need to be reaching all touchpoints, multiple times to get traction. Omni-channel marketing continues to be an important focus. Two areas to make sure you are doing: 1) Influencers – using this channel is a biggy for 2024. Always a conundrum and challenge around how you make your budget work, but one to make sure it does work. 2) TikTok. It’s where it’s at. Period. 

3. Be authentic and personal

In a world where the average person sees up to 10,000 ads each day, authenticity is more important than ever. Consumers can spot BS a mile off (Brew Dog) and true authenticity is everything. In 2024, marketing strategies will need to focus on building genuine connections with customers and creating content that reflects the brand’s values and mission.

Be open, honest, and real. If you mess up, own up. If you don’t agree, stand up and say. 

4. Community, events and bringing people back together

As COVID is now officially over (I know!), it’s time to bring people together again. From conferences to music festivals to meet-ups and networking, face-to-face and in-person are back in 2024. Everyone is over Zoom wine tasting as a corporate jolly, so event marketing should focus on getting people together and adding value through interactions. It is likely that smaller, and more often is better, so build your plans with this in mind. 

5. Re-thinking your lean budget

Sales in 2023 are likely to be lower based on market performance. Therefore, your marketing and brand-building budget will be leaner in 2024. So you can’t just do ‘same old, same old’. Marketers will need to be more creative than ever. 

Go through all your activity plans and be ruthless. Is this memorable, does this move the needle? Are we doing this because we always have? 

Try and pinpoint one ‘new’ initiative that will be remembered and focus on this. Both externally and internally as well. 

If Bodhi and Co. can help you with your 2024 marketing strategy, plan, or go-to-market approach, get in touch. We’d love to chat more and see how we can help. 

And I will leave you one lasting thought. I will always remember a Dutch business coach reminding me that you should always be remembered for delivering one thing well. And this rule of thumb is the same for a brand. Be remembered. And if not, make sure you go down trying to be remembered. 

Cooper Shaw

With an eye for strategic content creation and crafting marketing campaigns, Cooper is a creative marketer who loves combining visual and written aspects of storytelling.

Dani Wilkinson, Founder of Bodhi & Co., was named a 2024 Women of Influence in the GSA Business Report.

Each year, Upstate businesswomen who reach inspiring heights in their careers are recognized by the GSA Business Report. The GSA Women of Influence recognition program celebrates honorees who serve communities and demonstrate exceptional leadership, resilience, and innovation while paving the way for future generations.

“It’s a real honor to be recognized among some of the great female leaders in Greenville,” said Dani. “Having worked my way up in big corporate organizations to board level, I understand the journey many females go on, and the ability to share that wisdom, drive, and determination with younger generations is a real privilege.”

Born in Oxfordshire, UK and now embracing life stateside in Greenville, South Carolina, Dani has made remarkable strides within the Upstate community. Before moving to South Carolina, Dani had 20 years of experience in marketing, digital, PR, and communications. From working for an international household name like Dyson to shaping the Pieminister brand, a revolutionary pie brand and restaurant chain in the UK, Dani has led marketing, social media, and new product development from implementation to board level. 

After moving to Greenville, Dani founded Bodhi & Co., a fully integrated marketing agency specializing in brand & strategy development, creative, social media, PR, websites, and PPC. She also serves on the committee for the Hope Ball, the premiere fundraising event for the Neighborhood Cancer Connection where proceeds go directly to offer hope, help, and healing to local cancer patients.

Are you looking for a summer internship or a mentor? Dani and the Bodhi & Co. team would love to hear from you. If you are interested in an internship, you can get in touch with the team via the Bodhi & Co. website. For mentorship opportunities, please contact Dani directly through LinkedIn. 

Cooper Shaw

With an eye for strategic content creation and crafting marketing campaigns, Cooper is a creative marketer who loves combining visual and written aspects of storytelling.