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5 essential traits of successful marketing candidates
The role of the modern marketer is part creative, part analyzer. Identifying a great marketer means understanding how they use a mix of selling and storytelling to overcome specific challenges. Here are the traits to look for in your next marketer.
Collaboration
As a cross-functional team player, effective marketers demonstrate organization, ownership, and flexibility. Strong leaders and collaborators enable more productive meetings, stakeholder alignment, and a spirit of team camaraderie.
What to ask:
Can you tell me about a project you worked on that required cross-functional collaboration? What were some challenges you encountered, and what did you learn?
What to ask:
Can you tell me about a project you worked on that required cross-functional collaboration? What were some challenges you encountered, and what did you learn?
A good answer:
The most challenging part about tackling an initiative involving multiple players is aligning on tactics: understanding who owns what and how to maintain shared goals. The project my team was assigned lacked a clear objective, so I took the initiative to define how we would measure success and align our goals with upper management. In the next group session, we delegated tasks by playing to our individual strengths, built a roadmap, and ended up with a successful launch.
What works:
• Ability to thrive in a group dynamic while maintaining a clear focus on goals
• Knack for organizing project plans and the confidence to delegate team responsibilities
• Capable of articulating competencies and willingness to ask for help when necessary
A good answer:
The most challenging part about tackling an initiative involving multiple players is aligning on tactics: understanding who owns what and how to maintain shared goals. The project my team was assigned lacked a clear objective, so I took the initiative to define how we would measure success and align our goals with upper management. In the next group session, we delegated tasks by playing to our individual strengths, built a roadmap, and ended up with a successful launch.
What works:
• Ability to thrive in a group dynamic while maintaining a clear focus on goals
• Knack for organizing project plans and the confidence to delegate team responsibilities
• Capable of articulating competencies and willingness to ask for help when necessary
A potential red flag:
Taking ownership on a project is my specialty. In one scenario, a project was in flight and went completely off the rails. I made it my goal to find out which deliverables were missing and held my teammates accountable. Through careful coaching, I was able to get the project on track again and ensured that my teammates would never leave us high and dry again.
What to watch out for:
• Disregard for thoughtful diagnosis and evaluation before considering remedies for crisis control
• Rash commandeering over project as an overseer, not a partner
• Claiming ownership for success without sharing details of contributions
A potential red flag:
Taking ownership on a project is my specialty. In one scenario, a project was in flight and went completely off the rails. I made it my goal to find out which deliverables were missing and held my teammates accountable. Through careful coaching, I was able to get the project on track again and ensured that my teammates would never leave us high and dry again.
What to watch out for:
• Disregard for thoughtful diagnosis and evaluation before considering remedies for crisis control
• Rash commandeering over project as an overseer, not a partner
• Claiming ownership for success without sharing details of contributions
Storytelling
Good candidates should be able to craft a compelling story that educates, excites, and illustrates. In the digital age, the modern marketer thinks holistically about stories – who their target audience is, what content drives engagement, and the proper mediums for communicating that content.
What to ask:
Teach me about the fundamentals of a topic you care about.
What to ask:
Teach me about the fundamentals of a topic you care about.
A good answer:
Did you know that over eight million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year? That’s about five grocery bags of plastic for every foot of coastline in the world. When I learned that I was shocked, so I started volunteering with the local ocean foundation. We host weekly beach cleanups that eliminate about four tons of waste from entering the oceans weekly, saving 10% of global sea life from waste-related deaths. I’ve held various roles within the organization, which allows me to leverage my skills to support a cause I’ve been connected to all my life.
What works:
• Natural ability to craft a story with a fluid framework, educate and engage listeners, and hold the audience’s attention
• Connection of information to emotion and an ability to help others relate and care
• Interest or expertise in other specific personal or professional areas, alluding to a sense of curiosity and propensity to learn
A good answer:
Did you know that over eight million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year? That’s about five grocery bags of plastic for every foot of coastline in the world. When I learned that I was shocked, so I started volunteering with the local ocean foundation. We host weekly beach cleanups that eliminate about four tons of waste from entering the oceans weekly, saving 10% of global sea life from waste-related deaths. I’ve held various roles within the organization, which allows me to leverage my skills to support a cause I’ve been connected to all my life.
What works:
• Natural ability to craft a story with a fluid framework, educate and engage listeners, and hold the audience’s attention
• Connection of information to emotion and an ability to help others relate and care
• Interest or expertise in other specific personal or professional areas, alluding to a sense of curiosity and propensity to learn
A potential red flag:
Content marketing is key to any business’ success. It’s the #1 driver of SEO and organic leads, and therefore it’s essential to think about content as part of your overall marketing strategy. If you’re not engaging leads through content, your competitors are steering them away from your pipeline. I recently read this on a blog and agree wholeheartedly.
What to watch out for:
• Lack of a story arc that drives home a conclusion, learning, or point for further discussion
• Use of vague, generic blanket statements to communicate and defend an opinion
• Insufficient detail so the story merely skims the surface without driving engagement
A potential red flag:
Content marketing is key to any business’ success. It’s the #1 driver of SEO and organic leads, and therefore it’s essential to think about content as part of your overall marketing strategy. If you’re not engaging leads through content, your competitors are steering them away from your pipeline. I recently read this on a blog and agree wholeheartedly.
What to watch out for:
• Lack of a story arc that drives home a conclusion, learning, or point for further discussion
• Use of vague, generic blanket statements to communicate and defend an opinion
• Insufficient detail so the story merely skims the surface without driving engagement
Adaptability
To stay on the competitive edge of today’s marketing landscape, candidates must be self-motivated, curious, and be willing to learn about new industry tech and trends. Having this kind of versatility drives innovation, productivity, and creativity.
What to ask:
How did you approach a situation where you were asked to do something you had never done before?
What to ask:
How did you approach a situation where you were asked to do something you had never done before?
A good answer:
Last quarter, my team added a new marketing platform to our tech stack. I wasn’t familiar with the tool and found it challenging to navigate the portals. In order to educate myself outside of the onboarding call, I went through courses in their learning academy. When the project kicked off, I was prepared to use the tool and also had the opportunity to help my teammates when they didn’t understand how to use certain features.
What works:
• A desire to continually grow a skill set and to learn new trades
• A willingness to learn about new processes and technologies, and to explore new approaches to marketing
• Enthusiasm for embracing challenges, and finding the silver lining to solve future obstacles
A good answer:
Last quarter, my team added a new marketing platform to our tech stack. I wasn’t familiar with the tool and found it challenging to navigate the portals. In order to educate myself outside of the onboarding call, I went through courses in their learning academy. When the project kicked off, I was prepared to use the tool and also had the opportunity to help my teammates when they didn’t understand how to use certain features.
What works:
• A desire to continually grow a skill set and to learn new trades
• A willingness to learn about new processes and technologies, and to explore new approaches to marketing
• Enthusiasm for embracing challenges, and finding the silver lining to solve future obstacles
A potential red flag:
My manager put me in charge of finding someone to turn around a couple of copywriting projects. I’d never gone through the process of finding an approved copywriter before or writing up an SOW, honestly. Luckily I knew someone on the content marketing team who was able to do it for me. Later I wrote a blog post for her as a ‘thank you’ for her help.
What to watch out for:
• Shifting responsibility to another team, rather than taking the initiative to learn and understand the project requirements
• Lack of comprehension of the opportunity for accountability and responsibility, especially outside of one’s domain
• False sense of partnership by “trading” responsibilities (ex: “I helped her out, therefore we are even.”)
A potential red flag:
My manager put me in charge of finding someone to turn around a couple of copywriting projects. I’d never gone through the process of finding an approved copywriter before or writing up an SOW, honestly. Luckily I knew someone on the content marketing team who was able to do it for me. Later I wrote a blog post for her as a ‘thank you’ for her help.
What to watch out for:
• Shifting responsibility to another team, rather than taking the initiative to learn and understand the project requirements
• Lack of comprehension of the opportunity for accountability and responsibility, especially outside of one’s domain
• False sense of partnership by “trading” responsibilities (ex: “I helped her out, therefore we are even.”)
Creativity
Candidates who step outside of the same rote concepts for campaigns demonstrate an ability to take calculated risks and to refresh their perspective on how best to reach clients. This creativity also fuels resourceful thinking and problem-solving.
What to ask:
How would you spend $1 million to market a new business you’ve started?
What to ask:
How would you spend $1 million to market a new business you’ve started?
A good answer:
Having an online presence is essential to building rapport with today’s digital consumer. Studies show that interactive art installations have helped companies gain significant site engagement and brand awareness because they are inherently shareable and inspire curiosity. With a million dollars we could generate traction in target global markets and introduce the brand as a modern player in the market.
What works:
• Experience with running a successful campaign that’s creative, but realistically achievable
• Understanding of how to set priorities, tackle objectives, and connect an approach to the bigger business objectives
• An imaginative thought process for engaging clients that inspires and teaches
A good answer:
Having an online presence is essential to building rapport with today’s digital consumer. Studies show that interactive art installations have helped companies gain significant site engagement and brand awareness because they are inherently shareable and inspire curiosity. With a million dollars we could generate traction in target global markets and introduce the brand as a modern player in the market.
What works:
• Experience with running a successful campaign that’s creative, but realistically achievable
• Understanding of how to set priorities, tackle objectives, and connect an approach to the bigger business objectives
• An imaginative thought process for engaging clients that inspires and teaches
A potential red flag:
I’d invest a portion of the budget in A/B testing email strategies to see what subject line works best with our audience. I know what people want to read and I have a gut feeling about which topics work – it’s a matter of understanding what will drive the higher click-through conversion so you can have reliable data about what drives engagement.
What to watch out for:
• Small-time thinking despite having a high-investment, high-impact opportunity
• Assumed understanding of the target market and a lack of innovation
• Absence of goals, objectives, or a clear strategy for proving the hypothesis
A potential red flag:
I’d invest a portion of the budget in A/B testing email strategies to see what subject line works best with our audience. I know what people want to read and I have a gut feeling about which topics work – it’s a matter of understanding what will drive the higher click-through conversion so you can have reliable data about what drives engagement.
What to watch out for:
• Small-time thinking despite having a high-investment, high-impact opportunity
• Assumed understanding of the target market and a lack of innovation
• Absence of goals, objectives, or a clear strategy for proving the hypothesis
Cultural Aptitude
How candidates supplement your company’s culture has an impact on their overall job satisfaction, and success at your company. Think of culture less as something they’ll need to fit into, and more of something they will add to. A diverse marketing team can help generate more powerful, captivating campaigns.
What to ask:
What are three traits or skill sets that you’re most excited to contribute to the team?
What to ask:
What are three traits or skill sets that you’re most excited to contribute to the team?
A good answer:
I’m curious, perseverent, and optimistic. When I’m interested in a topic or hobby, I immerse myself in all there is to learn and make the time to learn it. For instance, when social media marketing started to trend, I took a course at the local community college to learn the fundamentals. The class was super interesting, and later I applied what I learned to kick off a social media strategy at my first internship.
What works:
• Authenticity and consideration over use of default, generic adjectives
• Specific examples that add color to their responses
• A sense of experiences, skill sets, or traits that will support and energize the team
A good answer:
I’m curious, perseverent, and optimistic. When I’m interested in a topic or hobby, I immerse myself in all there is to learn and make the time to learn it. For instance, when social media marketing started to trend, I took a course at the local community college to learn the fundamentals. The class was super interesting, and later I applied what I learned to kick off a social media strategy at my first internship.
What works:
• Authenticity and consideration over use of default, generic adjectives
• Specific examples that add color to their responses
• A sense of experiences, skill sets, or traits that will support and energize the team
A potential red flag:
Joining the team will allow me to share my attention to detail, dedication to my job, and giving 110% in all that I do. In five years, I see myself climbing the corporate ladder – maybe even being in your role!
What to watch out for:
• Hyper-generalized responses that don’t align background to organization
• Lack of a trajectory that shares details on development
• Reliance on cliches rather than genuine sentiment
A potential red flag:
Joining the team will allow me to share my attention to detail, dedication to my job, and giving 110% in all that I do. In five years, I see myself climbing the corporate ladder – maybe even being in your role!
What to watch out for:
• Hyper-generalized responses that don’t align background to organization
• Lack of a trajectory that shares details on development
• Reliance on cliches rather than genuine sentiment
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