The Ideal 3-Part Followup For Any Marketing Interview
We’ve had a number of articles here digging into the pre-interview, and during the interview, and this section dives into the post-interview,..the followup process.
More specifically, we’re going to give you the 3-part followup process after you’ve had your marketing interview.
Think about it this way - they’re expecting any interested candidate to follow up with an email. If you want the role, how do you make your followup stand out?
Now, this followup process is only going to be successful assuming you’ve got their business card or email address.
In any interview, you’re going to have an opportunity to get some fresh, free ideas for their team. It’s going to help them think differently, and it’s going to show that you’ve got initiative and you really want the role.
For the first part of your marketing interview followup process, we’re going to focus on sending…
1. The Followup Email
Anyone interested in the role is going to send an email to the hiring manager saying things like…
Thanks for your time, Very interested in the role, Here’s my info if you have any followup questions.
Anyone can send that email...so how do you stand out and send a better email?
Yes, say those things above, but also do either or both of these as well:
Ask A Question - What burning question didn’t you ask during the interview, or upon reflection what new question can you can ask now via email? This is great because it keeps the dialog going, and potentially jogs the hiring manager’s memory about your great questions during the interview itself.
Provide An Idea - Frame it up as…”Based on our conversation, I had another idea about your Facebook campaign that you could try,” or “I was listening to the podcast/reading this article, and it made me think about your business - have you tried this? “ More fresh ideas and thoughts for them to chew on.
The second part of your marketing interview followup process is…
2. The Handwritten Note
Who writes handwritten notes anymore?
Exactly.
Over perhaps our last ten years of inter-viewing, after hundreds of interviews, we’ve likely gotten fewer than 5 handwritten followup notes. Be succinct, be specific; don’t write War & Peace. Thank them for the time, then include a sentence or two about what you’d be most excited about launching or working on if you started in that position. Succinct, specific.
And finally, the third part of your marketing interview followup process is…
3. The Check-In
Trying to fill a marketing position is a lengthy process for your potential employer. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes it takes months. And you want to show that you understand that.
A way to do this, think back to when you were preparing for the interview, set up a Google Alert, put in the brand’s name, CEO’s name, the website URL, anything that lets you pull in a current event. Something that gives you fodder to put into your Check-In email.
If you include some relevant news, or that you saw their latest blog post, or were retargeted by their digital media after visiting their website, you’ll stand out even more positively. You show that you’re a student of marketing and you’re paying attention.
In a nutshell, that’s your 3-part followup process after an interview that's going to help you stand out during the hiring manager’s process, and increase your odds of getting your dream role in marketing.
After successfully interviewing, receiving and accepting an offer, it's time to learn the tricks of the trade in your next phase...Managing Up.