Interviews can be tough but understanding what you can do to give yourself the best possible chance could mean you’re already halfway to winning that dream role. The main purpose of an interview is to confidently and positively demonstrate your relevant workplace skills and qualifications, but there are some specific tips to doing well in such cases, whether it’s a PR Manager position you’re aiming for or a more junior role. Getting a job in PR can require a bit of work.
Research the Company
Ensure that you understand all you can about the company before you arrive, such as how long the company has been in business for and what services they provide to their clients.
It is also beneficial to know how the PR company has helped specific clients, for example, what coverage have they achieved in the last week and are there any specific campaigns which stand out to you Reviewing as much as you can about the company you are interviewing for gives you more of a chance to align your experience and skills with what they do.
Make Eye Contact
Whether it’s a video or in-person interview, maintaining eye contact during a job interview demonstrates confidence and that you’re interested in what the interviewer has to say. It also gives the interview a good idea of how you would communicate and build a connection with your fellow employees and clients.
Preparation is Key
Whether you are interviewing virtually or in person, preparing for the interview will ensure everything runs smoothly and you can concentrate on the interview itself. If you are interviewing via video call, have all the technology ready in advance and have a test run to help ensure you won’t have any technical difficulties during the interview.
An interviewer is likely to ask you to provide examples of when you used a specific skill. Even though your examples may have taken place in a different role than the one you are interviewing for, the interviewer is truly asking how you can demonstrate your skillset, or more specifically, your ‘soft skills’. These include skills such as teamwork, adaptability and problem-solving.
Communicate these examples with positivity, enthusiasm and as a valuable learning experience.
Understand what they are looking for
By understanding what the company is looking for means that you can align your skillset to just that. It is also a good way to determine whether it is a role you are suitable for and looking to acquire. It will allow you to ensure that you’re providing examples of relevant experience and skills, and will also provide you guidance in the questions you ask at the end of the interview.
Look the part
Whether your interview is via a video call or in-person it’s so important to make sure that your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for an interview. Dressing smart immediately demonstrates that you take the interview seriously and that you care about the outcome. Planning your attire out well in advance will help to reduce any interview nerves as you can rest assured knowing that it’s appropriate.
Ask questions
It is very common towards the end of an interview for the interviewer to ask whether you have any questions. Sometimes it’s hard to think of any questions on the spot, especially if they have been already covered during the interview. To combat this, ensure that you have a good number of questions prepared, including ones that are unlikely to arise during the main part of the interview.
These questions could relate to the work culture, the future of the company and whether this is a new role within the company.
Be yourself
Ultimately, being yourself in an interview is crucial. Of course, experience and skill set are incredibly important, but companies also tend to hire personalities that they like and ones that will fit in well with the current company culture.
You may be nervous during your interview but try not to let this overshadow your personality. Try to stay calm, demonstrate positive body language and enjoy talking about your experience.
Here at Sapience, we often have vacancies at Junior Account Executive and Account Director levels. If you’re looking for experience in the world of comms and digital marketing, or you’re looking to work for a company where every idea counts, then email your CV to recruitment@sapiencecomms.co.uk and find more information about us and what we do.
