So you wanna be a social media ballerina, and you’ve been invited to audition. You’ve checked off all the boxes to stand out when you applied for the internship. Before you let a wave of nerves drive you crazy, take a breath and know you’ve got this. Okay, you’ve almost got this.
The marketing team at Dream Job wouldn’t have invited you in for an interview if you didn’t wow them with your portfolio and ace the phone screening, so they want to like you. You just have to dazzle them by showing how much of an asset you’ll be.
Here are 6 ways to know, for sure, that you’ve got this.
1. Audit their channels
Just like you audited your own channels, you’re going to do the same for theirs. These are 3 things you can mention that will make you stand out.
What’s an audit, you ask? A social media audit is basically a review of what works, what doesn’t, and what you can improve across your social media channels. And the nice folks at Hootsuite have a social media audit template right here.
- Their best performing post last week
- Their best performing post last month
- Your favorite post from them in the past few days and why
2. Read up on company news if possible
This may be very easy, if it’s a nationally known company like Southwest Airlines or Starbucks. Read recent press releases so you’ll know about any major changes in the company. Have they bought smaller companies or expanded a certain department recently? Are they making a play for a new market? Things like this may not come up in the interview, but if they do you’ll be prepared.
This could be a lot tougher if you’re interviewing with a new startup or small agency. Do the best with what you can. The company should at least have a website with some information you’ll want to read thoroughly. If it’s an agency and you’re able to get information on who their clients are, that should suffice.
3. Be prepared to discuss social media blogs and your activity
Your interviewer may want to know how you stay up to date with social media news to make sure that you’ll continue to do so once you’ve been hired.
They may also want to gauge your true interest in social media. Do you truly love it, or are you just into the idea of posting Snapchats all day?
Luckily, you’ve done your homework and can handle this like a pro. And just in case you haven’t, here’s a wealth of resources you can name drop.
4. Bring a list of ideas
Have a short list of ideas that you think would add to their social channels. But, the emphasis here is short. Don’t give all of your ideas away for free. 2-3 ideas should sufficiently show them that you’re ready to hit the ground running, but handing over an entire business plan is like handing your car keys to a stranger.
On this note, if they do ask you to do an assignment that will take more than two hours, it’s not a bad idea to ask them to sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect yourself. Your work and time is valuable!
5. Audit their competitors’ channels
Bigger companies have more known competitors. Other times, if the company does something extremely niche or is relatively new, it might be harder to figure this out.
If you’re not sure, ask. If won’t show any weakness on your part, but rather a sense of curiosity and proactive personality. Another way to get an idea is to see what comes up under “similar companies” when you look them up on Linkedin.
As mentioned above, if you’re interviewing with an agency, try to find out what accounts you’re likely to work on and audit the competitors of those companies instead.
Don’t spend as much time on a competitor audit as you would with the company you’re hoping to work for. Just having an idea of how they run their social strategy will give you the edge if the competitor does come up at the interview.
If you have the time, make a list showing how your future employer stacks up against the competition. Providing this kind of insight will make you indispensable at your job and show that you’re not only investigative, but hands-on.
6. Have a few concrete examples in mind
Your future manager may want to know a bit about how you’ve handled situations in the past. This question can be anything from “Describe a time you dealt with a crisis” to “How do you address disputes with your coworkers?”
Have a few stories of times when you were particularly useful at work, collaborated with a team, or spearheaded a successful project. It will give you a great opportunity to show your interviewer how you’ll be of service to them in the future.
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