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Your attention to detail and dedication to the proper follow up worked. You landed the big interview. Now make sure to put your best foot forward.

You know to practice with mock interviews, bring extra copies of your resume, and put on an enthusiastic smile. But here are few other pointers that might make a big impact on your outcome.

It’s Not All About You –

• Your mom may think the sun rises and sets with your every word, but an interview needs to be a two-way conversation. The recruiter wants to hear about your experiences and transferable skills, but make sure to follow up your responses with an applicable question about the agency or the recruiter’s career path. For example, if asked where see yourself in five years, follow up your response by asking the interviewer if the agency prefers to promote from within and how often reviews and opportunities for career growth typically occur.
• Don’t underestimate the value of information you can get out of interviewers. Listen to what they are telling you about current clients or projects and find a way to tie your skills to applications that may be useful in their current cause.

Remember Your Pleases and Thank Yous –

• ALWAYS send a thank you note after an interview. An e-mail thank you within 24 hours of the interview is fine, but don’t be too casual. And no texting please.
• Don’t undervalue the impact of a handwritten note. Sending individual notes to everyone you spoke with during the interview process is a great way to stand out. Request business cards at the end of each conversation so you can easily remember names and apply the correct spellings.
• Be creative. Most marketing professionals are creative by nature – it’s why we’re in marketing and not in data entry. So it goes without saying we want to surround ourselves with others who are going to reflect and reinforce that mindset. This is one last opportunity to let us know how you will fit in with the company culture.

Need some creativity starters? I once had a colleague who received a Christmas card in July. When she opened the card, a thank you note was enclosed from a recent internship candidate. The student had remembered that my colleague spoke about the amazing amount of prep work being done in July for a holiday promotion that wasn’t set to launch until December. The note tied back to the conversation and the candidate’s entertainment and enlightenment achieved from hearing the recruiter’s perspective on the campaign. Needless to say, that got my co-worker’s attention.

Now it’s your chance! And don’t forget to tune in next week to hear more about paving a successful career path in marketing.

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