5 Ways to Sell Yourself: Entry-Level Interview Tips

Episode Transcript

Kelly: Welcome to the Two Marketing Moms Podcast. I'm Kelly Callahan Poe and I'm here today with Julia McDowell. Hey, Julia.

Julia: Hello.

Kelly: Today's topic is called 5 Ways to Sell Yourself: Entry-Level Interview Tips. Let's dig in. Julia, do you know the average amount of time that employers look at a resume?

Julia: I would assume it's very quick. Speaking from experience, and especially when I have so many to look at one time, it's a skim. And I'm picking out the highlights.

Kelly: So, the average amount of time employers look at a resume is six to eight seconds. And on the low end, it's four seconds. So, what does that mean for employees submitting a resume? How should they think about their resume knowing that someone's only going to give it four to eight seconds?

Julia: Now to make it memorable and easy to pick out the highlights, as we were talking about it's like a billboard. Think of it as a billboard you are going down the highway at 60 miles per hour. And you get a headline.

Kelly: So those keywords that people are looking for need to stand out, right? All right, luckily, so we're going to talk a little bit about soft skills versus hard skills in a minute. But first, I want to highlight those five ways that you can sell yourself in an interview for marketing or advertising. Number one is highlighting your relevant skills and experience. Number two, demonstrate strong communication skills. Number three, reveal your energy and enthusiasm. Number four, show interest in curious interest and curiosity. And number five, underscore your dependability and your work ethic.

So, let's talk for a minute about hard skills versus soft skills. So, hard skills are those things that go on a resume, those are your job-related competencies, your abilities, your technical knowledge, your expertise, your training, so you know, Microsoft, PowerPoint, Word, Excel Canva, all of those sorts of things are hard skills, right? And then soft skills are things that aren't found on a resume, they are things that come up in an interview. And those are what we're talking about today. Because when you think about hard versus soft skills, of course, what you get out of a resume is the hard skills. But what's important in an interview is those soft skills. And so, let's talk about the first one, which is relevant skills and expertise. Do you want to give me your two cents on obviously relevant skills and expertise?

Julia: Yes, so entry-level jobs, you know, you may not have a work history or a full-time work history at this point. And so, I think that's what this particular one, your relevant skills and experience can be an intimidating place. Right? I think you can do a lot with nothing, right? We're talking about marketing and advertising people like it is all about the positioning. And as we'll talk about later, like, the words you choose, and the voice you choose, can absolutely exude some of these soft skills. So, I think the most important thing is we as people who are hiring and want to find the superstars, the gems out there, you know, we want to know what you can do. Right? So, do for me is like the keyword here, right? So, like, what skills do you have? Let's just say that you just graduated college, right? Like, what are those skills that you learned those hard skills that you learned and that you can do? That's really important. And then when it comes to experience, you know, maybe you haven't had jobs and you haven't had internships, but what have you done, right? Is it group projects? Is it like externships? Think about any situation in the past four or five years in which you've collaborated with other people that could be experience, you can tell a story. And honestly, you can tell a story in just one sentence and make sure that it stands out. So that's my two cents.

Kelly: And the skills will vary based on what kind of job you're getting in advertising, right? So, you're going to tailor those skills to the type of job that you're interviewing for. Are you a copywriter? Are you an art director? Are you an account person, because those skills vary. And usually, they'll specify those skills in the job description. So, you'll be able to know that information. So those are the things that you need to start with. So those are the basics, right? You've got to have your relevant skills and expertise. Let's talk about the next one, which is communication skills. And this is all about can you communicate well orally, in conversation, as well as in writing? I know for us, I always ask for a writing sample, especially if you're looking for an account management job, because I want to see if you can write because writing, certain aspects of it can be taught and it gets honed over years and time, right? But if you're a good writer, you should be a pretty good writer coming out of college. And to me, that's really important. What are some of the things that you're looking at in terms of communication skills?

Julia: Yes, so those communication skills are the soft skills, right? They are definitely harder to show in a resume. But beyond writing, which a lot of people have great writing samples, right? Think about, you know, what communications, have you shown in teams? Like, have you been a team leader, can you talk about your communication skills, also email, social situations, you know, maybe you were the social chair, right? That definitely shows some sort of communication skill, right, it could show that you're an insight into your personality, that you're the connector of the group, you're the cheerleader of the group. And all of those things very good to know, based on the hiring managers, you know, who they're looking for, for that particular position.

Kelly: You know, that reminds me of one of my things that it's an automatic no, is if there's a typo on a resume, I won't interview you.

Julia: So, I think that's a good role.

Kelly: And the same thing if they're sending me a note for an interview, or for a thank you note, which they should send, that's part of communication skills, there should always be some sort of thank you for the interview, here's why you should hire me that communication is just as important. And typos and how those are written are really important. So, email skills are a big part of it.

Julia: I think there's no excuse these days for typos and grammar, there are so many amazing tools that can be used that we did not have when we were in the same position interviewing for an entry-level job.

Kelly: All right, let's move to the next one. energy and enthusiasm. Tell me your thoughts on energy and enthusiasm?

Julia: I think connects to some other things that we're going to talk about some other like key tips. But like, I can put anything under this umbrella. But I think energy and enthusiasm is something that you really can't replace on a team. So, it needs to be demonstrated for sure. In your resume. If you are someone who has a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of passion. For particular things in the industry, you need to call it out. Like are you a TV commercial junkie? Talk about your favorite ads. Are you a writing person? Are you a reading person, or do you like to talk? Highlight those things? I kind of wrote in my notes, like, where do you personally channel your energy? Right? Maybe you're not a high-energy person, like in person, but you have high energy for something. And so how do you show that in your resume? You need to, you know, either share samples or talk about it or give examples or I don't know, if someone sent me your resume with three sentences of people like that. They just wanted to be like in the industry, it might pique my intention, right? Because I know that they're super passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic. Well read on our topics, or it would definitely catch my attention.

Kelly: So those are not things that really show up in your resume. So that's something that's going to show up in an interview.

Julia: Exactly. And I will say like, I interviewed or I hired someone, actually, and I remember over this like, years after working with them, I remember when I first interviewed them, and they told me that they had an absolute unequivocal passion for copywriting. Like, they had finished college and this is where they wanted to go, right? And then I remember like, a couple of years into the job, I'm like, they have zero passion for copywriting. Like, they haven't asked for a copywriting job, they don't try to copyright on the job. But you know, it was okay. Because they convinced me that they had a passion for copywriting. And it turns out, this person had a passion for so many other amazing things. So that passion, is what they sold me on, was actually passionate for other things. And that was okay. Because they at least were able to sell me that they had a passion for something, you know. So, I think it's okay, right? Like, you don't have to have it all figured out. I mean, I did not have anything figured out. I remember, like one of my first interviews, so sometimes you just have to mask it with energy and enthusiasm. At least that's my opinion.

Kelly: Absolutely. And I think, if someone in our world, entry-level employees, and interns are the lifeblood of an advertising agency, and so if you, that's why we hire young people, because they are the juniors, the juniors of the world that, that really give us ideas and that energy level that kind of brings the agency up a little bit, or up significantly. And so, energy to me is kind of like the bare minimum. But beyond that enthusiasm, do they care about the job? Are they enthusiastic about this particular position? So, to me, that's really important.

Julia: Oh, my gosh, yes, that kind of goes into like one of my little bonus tips that we weren't going to talk about, but like, you have to have enthusiasm for this job that you're interviewing for, or that you're submitting your resume for, you have to do your homework. Yes. Who is the company? Who is the hiring manager? Who are the clients? Like, you actually need to spend some time doing that? And I speak from personal experience, when I did not do any of that. And I think that's why I had to do so many interviews until I actually landed a job because I just thought I would go in and razzle dazzle with personality, I have no idea what I thought, but I definitely didn't do my homework.

Kelly: Well, that leads really well into the next tip, which is demonstrated interest and curiosity. Doing your basic homework is kind of the bottom line. And if you hadn't looked at the internet website of the company that you're interviewing for, and you haven't looked at their social channels, and you don't have a basic idea of what they do and who they are, that is a problem, you should be able to, you shouldn't be asking questions that can be answered on the website. So, you know, we want people to be able to come in and have that basic knowledge from looking at our site, and be able to parent some of those things back to us. But also, there's got to be some sort of curiosity of what else was not there that you're curious about?

Julia: I mean, again, it is so easy these days to be able to come up with this curiosity, because you can look at someone's LinkedIn and come up with 10 questions that you would ask them about their own previous experience. You can, websites now have so much information, you know, just Google AI, and there's probably a lot of information that they could know before they were interviewing with us in particular. So that is your right. Bare minimum.

Kelly: I don't want to spend 30 minutes of the interview explaining what we do, you should have a general idea.

Julia: All right, exactly. And the curiosity is also one of the things that I would add there as a bonus tip is to prepare questions to show your curiosity. Absolutely. There are apps there's definitely like boilerplate questions that you could pick from and go deeper is what I'm trying to say you have at least come up with two questions based on your interest in the person, company, or position that you are looking to get and personalize them.

Kelly: One little tip that I'll add is I'm always impressed by people who ask, so what's the day, a day in the life of your job look like? Or what's a day in the life of the job that I'm going to take look like? And then they get to dig into a little bit more of, you know, what are the tasks? And what are the things that you'll be working on? So that's a question that I love, and maybe one that you can add to your repertoire.

Julia: Ooh, hot take right there.

Kelly: All right. Our fifth one is dependability and work ethic. This is a hard one to show how do you show dependability and work ethic? Because it is extremely important.

Julia: Yes, this one another soft skill? Well, I'll tell you from my personal POV on this is that the way that I would show this is through my previous experience, right, so like, personally, I had internships at major, well-known places throughout college. So, I felt like I was showing that I was dependable, that I had work ethic by taking on these different roles and being curious in different roles and different industries. So, you know, maybe someone hasn't had that type of experience, but you've got to, you've got to find somewhere in your history, even though it may be brief. To demonstrate what that dependability through a story that you're talking about a project you worked on, a deadline you met, all of those sorts of things, right? Totally.

Kelly: All right. So those are our five. But I have a bonus five, would you like to hear the bonus Five? Number one of the bonus five is demonstrating that you have a positive attitude and self-confidence.

Julia: Yeah, I mean, this is a soft skill. I think that smart interviewers, like me and you who will be interviewing someone, we can ask questions to suss this out. Right. Like, oh, here's, here's something I wanted to bring up was, you know, like, I've heard so many people talk about when, when a hiring manager asks you like, when's one time that you ran into a challenging thing? Or when did you fail? And you know what I mean? And then the interviewee comes back with a way to spin it in a positive way. And like, that would totally be me. Right? But like, nowadays, I love someone who's like, yeah, it was it was a total fail. And, but here's what I learned. And we, you know, we picked up the pieces and we kept moving on. So, like, I guess, a positive attitude with realism and honesty, mixed in there. I mean, I'm sure there are people that could tell a really sad story and try to keep it positive, and it's still sad, based on their response.

Kelly: And then what about confidence? Because that's a tricky one for entry level.

Julia: You got to go back, especially if you're a young woman. You got to go back to that episode. Where were you talked about that? What was that one? Kelly? We were talking about your power poses?

Kelly: Yes. Remember that? Yes. You gotta go back to all those things, your own hype girl, and guy.

Julia: That's how you do the confidence. And that's how you get the confidence. And I mean, listen, no one can give that to you.

Kelly: Well, and again, there's probably the assumption, this is an entry-level job, I shouldn't have confidence because I don't know anything yet. But you have to have some general self-confidence enough to be there and to be there in the room and be confident enough that you can get the job. And people exude that confidence. Right. And so, whether or not you're feeling it, you still kind of pretend you got it.

Julia: So, here's a question though, Kelly. I feel like, you know, there's so many articles out there about imposter syndrome, right? Like everyone knows about impostor syndrome. And so many people now are feeling empowered to get over that hump, right. So, I honestly feel like now I encounter people, especially young people that are overconfident and it is a huge turnoff for me.

Kelly: I absolutely agree with that. And if you are too overconfident, that's a definitive No, because then it's like, okay, are you gonna be able to work with other people? Are you gonna be able to work with me? Are you going to take directions? So, there's a delicate balance there on that one.

Julia: Like, I don't want someone coming in acting like they have the experience that they have the, you know, I'm just like a 50-year-old person wrapped up in a 22-year-old body. No, you actually aren't. I, as you said before, we are looking for young, energetic, fresh ideas. We want you to be confident read all about impostor syndrome. Get over it. But don't be overconfident. I don't want you to tell me that you can be the next creative director, media director and a plus account manager all in one in an entry level position.

Kelly: All right. Well, that's a good one. So, the next one is drive and passion.

Julia: I will say that, in one of my first interviews, it was an interview for Ogilvy. I don't think I've ever told the story. And I go into the interview. And I was, like, so underprepared. It was ridiculous. But I came in so naive to that. And the question was one of the questions was like, What's your favorite current ad campaign? I had no answers. I mean, of course, I paid attention to ads. Of course, I loved advertising. That's why I wanted to do it. But I actually wasn't interested in I didn't pay enough attention, right. Like, that wasn't my passion. So, I give a totally terrible answer. I probably should have been like, I mean, at the time, I wasn't really passionate about brands, I was really passionate about the back end of the brand. I was passionate about, like, how, how do you come up with the ideas? To then how do you put them into, you know, production and get them out to the TV stations? That's what I was most interested. I wasn't interested in like, you know, being enamored with brands, and I should have been honest. And instead, I think I said like, oh, yeah, I really like Bud Light. Like, who am I? Why would I ever say that? So, I just have to be authentic to your own drive and passion? Yeah. And like, especially when it comes to questioning, like, don't be thrown off by that.

Kelly: For me, drive is about following through, it's about going the extra mile kind of striving for personal excellence. It's about caring and caring about what you're working on. So, for example, both you and I do nonprofit marketing, so are you excited about nonprofit marketing, or whatever industry it is that you're interviewing for, if you can kind of demonstrate that passion, if it's a car account, I'm a huge fan of your cars. This is why so these are, again, soft skills, storytelling, it's kind of describing, you know, some of the things that make you you, right, and those come out. It could be hobbies, it could be volunteer work, right, your wide range of things. But I think those two things are, again, soft skills that are very important. So, the next one is a really important one. And I didn't put it in the first section, because it's very difficult to show in an entry level job, but there are ways that you can show it and that is, through your schoolwork and your time in college. teamwork and collaboration. What are your thoughts?

Julia: Yeah, I feel like this can filter into your like your skills, your experience, this also can filter into showing strong communication skills. So, I think some of these are like baked in to one another. It's a hard one. But I mean, come on. I don't think there's any business school or ad program advertising program that doesn't have intense collaboration and teamwork as part of the curriculum. So, I think most students would not have a very hard time demonstrating.

Kelly: Some examples have one or two of those stories in the backyard. Exactly. Just in case. The next one is an obvious one for advertising and marketing, and that's creativity.

Julia: An Uber creative person, I mean, I just love a quirky person. I mean, before I came to working full time at an ad agency. I was a corporate concierge. And part of that was creating flyers, right? So, we were like in the flyer business, you know, flyers for what was happening. It was like this huge five-mile radius, business park. And so, we were always making fliers, like flyers for Valentine's Day things that we were doing special for those events, specials in the area, all sorts of stuff. And so, I remember walking into that room, that interview and I showed all of my flyers, I was like, this shows my creativity like this was my creative outlet. And I remember my mentor being like, oh, those are so sweet. He will teach you about good design. But I came in there with confidence, showing that I had passion for this. This is how I was able to have a creative outlet in my current position. And I made no apologies. So, it probably worked in my favor.

Kelly: I also had a portfolio of work that I did in college, and I shared that as well. And from my internships, and I think you can also show creativity with your resume. I mean, I've seen the ones that are really fun with like infographics. I mean, there's so many different things you can do with a resume to show creativity, and it shouldn't just be a boring black and white piece of paper.

Julia: I mean, listen, if you are getting a job with the government, with more corporate, you can't do any of that. In our industry. You absolutely can.

Kelly: Yes, you know what I was wondering? Because my sons are now interviewing for internships. And I said, you know, yes, you have your traditional resume. But why don't you send them a video? Why does that occur to more people? Why not send a video? Here's me. And, you know, demonstrate your enthusiasm that way, demonstrate your passion and your creativity by trying to kind of jump outside the box and jump outside the resume. Right. So, I hope we see that at some point. All right, the last one we did an entire episode on and it's actually our number one episode of All Time, how to develop your own personal brand. So personal branding, what is your opinion about people that have a personal brand? And how can students show their personal brand?

Julia: I think the most important thing about having a personal brand, especially in an entry level position, is that your personal brand does not overshadow the opportunity that you're looking for, like, I'm not really interested in hiring someone whose personal brand is so strong that it would become bigger than the actual position that they are looking for. So that's my number one disclaimer about personal brand. On the other hand, I think a personal brand, if created correctly, especially for an entry level person, it can really highlight your confidence, your positive attitude, your passion, your creativity, it can show what you're about, it can actually do a really good job at marketing your soft skills. Because the brand will probably be much more about your personality and some of those softer skills rather than hard skills. So, I think it's a positive for sure.

Kelly: And related to this, how often do you look at employee's social media channels, before you hire them?

Julia: 100% of the time.

Kelly: Okay, that's important for students to know. So, for example, this is gonna sound silly, but I didn't hire an intern when I looked at our social media channels, because it was all pictures of her partying and drinking. And I thought, well, if those are her priorities, so I mean, you got to realize, especially as a student coming into the work world, that employers do look at your social channels, and that is part of your personal brand. So, if it's open and anyone can look at it, what are you projecting to the world with that?

Julia: And then haven't there been enough headlines about people losing opportunities, because someone did a deep dive on their Twitter account and found something very questionable. You know, like, hopefully in college, they now have classes about reputation. I don't know.

Kelly: Oh, and actually, that's a bonus one related to personal branding is reputation, and social media reputation and what you say, and how you act and what you display is a huge part of it.

Julia: We didn't have that right. Well, I didn't have a LinkedIn, it didn't exist.

Julia: In that way, it was almost a blessing, right? Because young people today do have a lot to contend with. But like, you can clean it up, clean it up. Clean it up, right before you graduate. Right. So, before you start sending out your resumes, because we will look. Make it private. Or make a separate channel for your own personal brand.

Kelly: Good point.

Julia: So, like we could go down a whole rabbit hole about personal brand there. But like, there's a lot of opportunity. I always feel like oh, man, you have so much time, so much time when you're younger.

Kelly: Thank you, Julia. Those are our top five tips for entry level employees interviewing for jobs and five bonus tips. So, I appreciate your time today, and we'll talk soon.