Navigating your way through the recruitment process is tough, with competition from other candidates high and employer expectations even higher. It’s crucial marketers make themselves memorable for all the right reasons. Spell-checking your CV, a smart appearance and a firm handshake are all fundamental boxes to tick, but they’re not going to make you shine. Neither will off-the-wall tactics that demonstrate more style over substance.
Brian Macreadie, head of brand and campaign marketing at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, suggests “competency, conduct, commerciality and chemistry” as a solid set of essentials, which he says “recruits can (and must) evidence in a way that is both relevant and resonant to the employer”. But even Macreadie admits these so-called fundamentals – alone – are not going to create a lasting impression.
So how do you stand out among other potential job seekers?
The general consensus among senior marketers – many of whom have sat on both sides of the recruitment fence – is there are a number of key attributes that make a candidate stand out from the competition. We’ve encapsulated them here within six personality types.
Further education and continued professional development immediately give them credibility, authenticity and clout. They know this is particularly the case in old-school establishments where the value of marketing may still be misunderstood.
They’re qualities Dave Stevens, marketing director at British Land, recognises in himself. While he admits it’s not necessarily off-the-wall, Stevens says a really solid set of qualifications under your belt will immediately make you a stand-out candidate.
“I got my current job because I’m a chartered marketer,” Stevens reveals. “I’m the first marketer here at British Land. I was interviewed by people very comfortable with finance but not as familiar with marketing. But my interviewers recognised the word ‘chartered’ and put a lot of trust in that. It really counted for something.”
Stevens adds: “There’s no real common standard in B2B marketing and the quality of candidates is very variable. Qualifications give instant and visible proof of competency.”
It’s something Gareth Case, marketing director at NIIT Technologies knows all about. A couple of years ago Case turned his CV into a results-lead, eye-catching infographic.
“I put the infographic CV on my blog, which I’d just started writing, and then shared it on social media,” explains Case. “It got 60,000 downloads in 12 months, it was featured on Reed.co.uk and it opened up all sorts of doors. Our job as a marketer is to help a brand stick out – and this was about me sticking out.
“It’s a busy market place. At the level I’m at now, there are probably only six to eight roles that interest me in terms of sector, money, and actual role. So competition is tough for these jobs and I want to stand out from the crowd.”
Beyond a clever CV, building a social profile and personal brand further sets this candidate apart. They consistently engages with other brands and influencers – all the while maintaining unshakeable conviction in what they stands for. They actively seeks out speaking opportunities, and has a solid track record of helping businesses deliver a shared vision that other brands aspire to.
“The interview candidates that I’ve seen [shine] are the ones that come to the interview with a specific vision for how they will help the employer to improve or grow,” explains Macreadie.
He continues: “Have a specific vision for your prospective employer and be able to articulate why you’re the right person to help them achieve that vision. If you can get the employer to start thinking about the great things you can achieve together, it will improve your chances of getting the offer.”
They makes it their business to know about the latest tech developments, as well as current trends, industry news and the impact of these across multiple stake holders. This candidate has their finger on the pulse and can evidence how they’ve helped brands stay ahead of the curve to achieve competitive edge.
“If you’re not curious and engaged [in the industry] then you’re unlikely to really understand the products you’re marketing, the value they add and how they fit in the marketplace,” explains marketing consultant Laura Lilienthal.
She continues: “Saying you’re passionate about XYZ is too clichéd. When you can demonstrate a real interest and passion – then that’s a standout quality.” Lilienthal explains the ability to “have a robust discussion on an important topic” is solid evidence of this passion.
This interviewee also knows who the business’ main competitors are, what they’re doing well, and where there are gaps in the market.
Understanding specific challenges and being able to offer insight and solutions will propel this candidate to the top of the list. Crucially, all their research is presented during the interview as value-adding competitive intelligence.
Gina Balarin, founder and director of Verballistics, further explains: “Candidates who make the biggest impact are those who do their homework in a value-adding way. They aren’t just prepared by knowing the company background etc., but are able to show the value they can add the moment they start the job. It’s much like the philosophy behind content marketing; make it helpful, useful and relevant and you will be memorable.”
They demonstrates a wider understanding of business issues, which also allows them to manipulate the direction of the interview to better showcase their skillset.
“Asking questions about the sales-marketing interface is a given too,” says Lilienthal. “Getting a sense of how departments interact and collaborate is good practice and valuable insight into how the company culture really is.”
Finally, this standout interviewee will often end with, “What do you see as my biggest challenge in the role?” Or as Case suggests, “Do you have any concerns about my ability to carry out the role?”
Case explains asking this type of question has enabled him to address any shortfalls in his experience right there and then, leaving the interviewer with no reason for any doubt. Sometimes it’s a prompt to discuss existing skills that have so far not been mentioned. Other times Case suggests marketers can offer to go away and up-skill themselves in the interim period before they commence a new role.
But what all these former roles have in common is access to, and experience of, a deeper customer insight. This interviewee knows what the customer wants, when they want it and how they want it. Big data is their best friend and they have solid examples of how they’ve leveraged this intelligence to smash revenue targets.
There’s a well-documented data and analytics skills gap within marketing, which is only likely to widen over the coming years. This candidate can demonstrate how they’re already exploiting that landscape, and helping brands to stay ahead of the curve.
Being a standout interviewee is “about demonstrating an obsession with the customer,” suggests Simon Morris, senior director, campaign marketing for consumer and SMB at Adobe. “Most candidates tend to list all the different type of programmes they have run without focusing on how they uncovered data-driven insights.” Morris adds candidates who stand out from the crowd are those that can give details about how they place the customer at the heart of all activity in order to deliver a more personalised and relevant customer experience.
