Q: I’m going for a marketing job with a high-profile company, and, to be honest, there isn’t really a huge amount I can do in terms of bringing new ideas to the table. This crowd have thought of everything and are well known for running great campaigns! How do I make my mark in the interview if I can’t paint a bright new vista for them? (LT, email ).
A: I’ve encountered this exact scenario on just a few occasions over the years and it does challenge my general advice that you should always bring ideas for a position to an interview.
In one case, the company had a huge budget for marketing and promotional activity, and was using that budget to good effect. They had good connections and talented people.
In that case, the candidate knew he couldn’t really pull one earth-shattering idea out of his hat, so he had to take a different tack. He had to find some other way of making a positive impression.
We identified three key questions he needed to conclusively address in the interview:
1. Can they trust you to mind the baby? They have put huge time and effort into their brand and they need to feel that it will be safe in your hands. Emphasise where you have shown a real degree of responsibility in managing something that is already successful. Have you the knowledge to do this? Do you know the sector well enough? Do you know the key players?
2. Are you up for this challenge? Are you driven by a desire to succeed in the position? These are key points to get across as they may be what separate the winner from the loser in the final analysis. If they’re at the very top of this game, they are going to want capable workers who are not afraid to roll up the sleeves. I would be surprised if they weren’t evaluating you very closely on this front.
3. Do they feel they can work with you? Do they like your style, how you communicate, and your general demeanour? If ideas are not the defining currency here, then you are. Bring your personality into the room.
So, as you can see, that interview was going to be all about him – and it turned out exactly like that – and I suspect this one is going to be all about you, LT. Get ready to show enthusiasm for the job.
Story matters more than storytelling technique
Q: I’m preparing for a competency-based interview and I will be using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result ) technique that you, and other career columnists, write about. At the outset, should I tell the interview panel that I am deploying the technique? (ER, email ).
A: I wouldn’t – I would just use it and get the panel tuned into the competencies you are trying to prove in your stories, rather than the storytelling method you are deploying. That would be to accord the technique too great a significance.
Get them interested in your story. STAR allows you to tell the story in a way that keeps the listener engaged while ensuring you avoid going off down culs-de-sac that serve only to confuse.
