Advertising Copywriter Interview Questions

Copywriting is becoming a more indemand skill.

The past 30 years have seen massive changes in the copywriting industry as consumer buying, technology, and globalisation have a direct impact on the advertising sector.

Previously, office-based copywriters would have collaborated directly with artists, often working in the same office, to create copy in printed newspapers and for advertisement boards.

Before too long, copywriters were being hired to create radio and TV ads. As the internet took the world by storm and a whole new sub-niche of marketing was created; SEO, PPC, and social media ads.

Advertising copywriters these days work remotely on slogans, catchphrases, headlines, as well as short copy for online ads, and long copy for TV commercials, newspaper adverts, press-releases and all kinds of written words copy.

Salary and qualifications

As a general rule of thumb, a skilled copywriter will receive a salary varying between £30-£50k. With some in-demand advertisers earning up to £90k.

From a job interview perspective, an applicant’s perceived level of experience can determine, not only the interview outcome but the salary negotiation outcome as well.

Employers are looking to hire experienced writers who understand the psychology of sales and persuasive writing.

Copywriters are often degree-level qualified but there are no required degree courses that an applicant must have – writing skills and interview techniques are the two essential must have to pass an advertising copywriter job interview.

On the other hand the following degrees are highly relevant for a writing career:

creative advertising
communication studies
English
journalism
public relations

Job interview questions and answers for a copywriter

Interview questions will vary depending on the sub-niche the advertised role sits within, but there are some commonly asked questions that every advertising copywriter needs to prepare for.

The job interview will be book-ended by commonly asked job interview questions; Why did you leave your last job? What motivates you? Why do you want to work here? or Do you have any questions for me?

This article, therefore, will focus on job-specific questions that require high-scoring answers to ensure that the interviewee has any chance of a successful job interview outcome.

What is your process for creating copy?

For ‘process’ or ‘system’ job interview questions, the best bet is to simply list the industry recognised procedure:

Client brief
Idea generation
Sample copy for review
Main copy with updates
Release the copy

To score high, answers need to be more detail – meat on the bone is required. As an example step 1 the client brief can be better worded by breaking down the process of the brief:

‘My first action, when I receive the client brief, is to research the company; their past copy, their values and vision, the target audience and the product the marketing campaign relates to, as this gives me a better understanding of the client.’

You could also discuss looking at the organisations competitors, liaising with the client to check your own interpretation of the brief and to establish a timeline.

By breaking each step down into specifics, the applicant can’t help but meet the criteria on the interview scorecard. Once met, the employer has to allocate the answer a high score.

Detailed answers can be long. What is required for lengthy answers is a slow pace answer, with links between each stage.

At the end of the answer give a quick summary to ensure that the interview panel have heard all 5 stages of the interview answer.

How do you prioritise work when managing multiple client accounts?

Working on multiple projects is the norm in the advertsing world.

Therefore, employers are looking for copywriters who can multitask. What the interviewer is looking for when they ask a time-management, work priority or high workload interview question, is the process you use to ensure quality work is produced in a timely manner.

To answer this question you can either quote time management models: the time management matrix.

Or, to give an example.

The example given should state:

The number of projects you were working on
The competing deadlines
The duration and complexity of different tasks
Your decision making process ie what did you prioritize and delegate
The positive outcome

It is also good to reference the tools you utilise:

Gantt Chart
To-do list
Any automation tools
Reusing/editing old copy
Calendar reminders

The goal here is to show organisation and effective decision making.

Do you have examples of copy from previous projects?

Generally speaking, when asked for an ‘example’ many interviewees will describe a previous successfully experience.

And so they should.

Examples do score high as, if they are done correctly, they will describe a previous situation that had a risk attached to it. This could be an advertisement project with a short deadline , a new market product or a gorilla marketing tactic, previously not used.

The danger, stated in the example, builds suspense.

The interview answer points come from the description of the actions the applicant took (which need to be specific stated) and the outcome of the example.

An additional, underused, trick that can be used to gain additional points is to bring physical evidence.

There is something about seeing and holding a piece of work that brings the quality of the work to life.

Preparing evidence also highlight the candidates organisation and preparation skills.

Evidence can include:

A portfolio of work
Examples of writing
Data from past campaigns
Client feedback

How do you ensure your copy is in another person’s voice?

One of the hardest, and most required, skills is having the ability to write in the clients voice.

Again, evidence sampling different ‘voices’ will show the employer that you possess this skill.

To answer this question, start with a confirmation statement: ‘all my work has a different tone to suit the voice of the client. This is a skill I excel in….’

A confirmation statement reassures the employer.

Next, explain the process you go through with the client to accommodate the tone, perspective, and overall voice of the copy to resonate with the product.

This explanation, along with physical evidence, is enough to help the interviewer see the benefits of hiring the applicant with this skill.

How do you prepare content for SEO or PPC?

Online advertsing is growing year upon year.

Social media ads are short, dynamic and engaging requiring a new style of copy. Some online copy, a press release or a blog post as an example, is written in a similar style as copy for a newspaper.

Clients may want pay-per-click ads or banners. Short marketing videos on YouTube and Instagram are becoming popular. In short, there are various styles of online marketing.

When asked about online marketing list the different styles and a summary of what is required, before delving deeper into your two approaches for SEO and PPC.

Start the interview answer by showing expertise:

‘I have been creating a high click-through copy for online PPC ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and more recently Linked-in for 8 years now…’

Detail your knowledge:

‘…I specialise in Facebook animation ads for the health sector. An example of this was (discuss best performing ad)...’

Link both SEO and PPC:

‘…I also have worked on a high number of SEO campaigns. You may have heard of (add a well-known campaign you led on) I was responsible for (discuss your part in the project). The campaign was a success (add data and stats). ‘

Job Interview Advice

February 8, 2021February 8, 2021

What motivates you? Interview Question

Recruiting processes are designed to cross references a candidates skills, qualifications and experiences against the job criteria.

The employer, therefore, uses the job interview questions to predict the applicant’s potential job performance.

More than ever before interviewers are focusing the interview questions on the interviewees temperament, with a goal of creating a positive company culture.

Strength-Based interviews, which are becoming more commonly used, are designed with the culture fit in mind. But even in competency-based job interviews, employers have always, and still do, embed personality questions into the interview process.

One of the most common interview questions used to find the ‘right fit’ employee is the ‘what motivates you?’ interview question.

For the applicant, having an open-ended question to answer, allows them to create a reply that meets many of the criteria on the interview scorecard.

The employers perspective

Employers ask the ‘motivation’ question to help understand what encourages an employee to work harder.

Career psychologists know that by hiring a team that will naturally work well with the environment and culture of the organisation, the team will be more productive, have a lower number of sick days and staff members are less likely to look for new opportunities at competitive companies.

The cost of recruitment is high and eats into the company profits. Recruiters are always looking for the right job interview question that will help them to hire, not only the most skilled and experienced employee, but one that will fit well within the current team.

Honest interviewee

There are two approaches to the ‘motivation’ question.

Honesty, is the first approach. The advice is always to be honest within a job interview.

The problem with true honestly is that many career professionals suffer from imposter syndrome.

A lack of self-belief results in an increase in the self-disclosure of weaknesses, weak worded job interview answers and excessive use of filler words creating an ‘amateurism’ interview identity.

What is needed, throughout the job interview, is a ‘self-assured’ interview identity to help the employer view the candidate as employable.

Being honest, even when the candidate is suitable – the candidate would fit in well with the company culture, can say the wrong thing, resulting in a low scoring answer.

Interview questions like ‘are you a self-starter or a team player?’ or ‘do you like starting or finishing tasks?’ can force an interviewee to choose an option that they don’t really have a preference for – they enjoy working both within a team or on their own initiative.

Not being honest doesn’t mean lying

A career professional can have a natural preference to follow processes and procedures – a detailed employee. But if this same employee ends up landing a job in a creative company where they hire innovative, out the box thinking, do it your own way people, the same details career professional can excel.

In fact, depending on the applicant’s past employers (and their company culture) creates an experience – a frame of reference, that shapes the answer they give. In this way not all honest answers, are honest.

Creating high scoring answers

Researching the company culture prior to the job interview is key to creating high scoring interview answers.

Obvious, I know, but I don’t mean researching the company history blah, blah, blah. What is required is an understanding of the company culture.

The organisations vision directly influences the company values, the company values affect the company manager’s decision-making process creating the workplace environment – the company culture.

Disney’s vision is ‘to make people happy.’ Imagine, in the job interview, being asked what is your purpose? or what motivates you? And the interviewee talks about quality, making great cartoon films, or designing fast-paced roller coasters. All good answers, all relevant to Disney’s brand, but the employer hearing this answer, thinks something is missing, something isn’t quite right.

Employers want to hire employees who are motivated by the same reason as the organisation is – their vision.

In this example, the ‘quality’ driven applicant can reframe their interview answer to be inline with the company vision ‘ to create quality animated films that make people feel good…’

To back up the ‘motivation’ answer, add an example to the initial opening line ‘…in my last company, I always focused of the outcome of films – making the audience to be happy. When working on X project……”

Conclusion

To be successful in a job interview, applicants need to research the culture of the company as the day to day environment of an organisation affects all decisions, including hiring decisions.

Answering questions by referencing how the applicant meets the culture and values of the company will improve the level of scores allocated to each job interview answer, increasing the number of job offers an applicant will receive.

Job Interview Advice

February 7, 2021February 7, 2021

Easy to implement ideas that will make a big difference in a job interview

Why are job interviews so tricky?

One of the main reasons why most career professionals struggle in a job interview is because no-one is taught how to act during a recruitment process.

Everyone knows that during a structured job interview the employer will ask a set of industry related questions to check the competencies level of all applicants.

Each answer is then scored on the interview scorecard.

What is an interview scorecard?

An interview scorecard is the document each interviewer has to help them rank the applicants interview answers against the essential criteria for the position being hired.

The interview scorecard, in chronological order, lists all the job interview questions. Beneath each question is a list of the skills, qualities and experiences required for the advertised role, and/or an example answer/pointer for the allocated points.

In the main employer use scoring of 1-4; 1 = weak, 2 = medium, 3 competent, 4 = expert – with each employer having their own scorings system.

A fair interview is created through this analytical process, especially when conducted by a panel interview allowing each interview score(s) to be normed, decreasing the effect of job interview unconscious bias.

An interviewee, to be successful, not only has to gain a higher score than the competition but also needs to achieve enough points to beat the benchmark to be viewed as suitable for the role.

Why is it hard to pass a job interview?

Being a highly skilled and experienced professional should result in a higher than average job interview to job offer ratio.

For many career professionals, their interview identity – how an employer perceives the applicant based on a level of knowledge/experience vs level of confidence formula, results in a less skilled applicant being offered the position they are best suited for.

Even when a candidate’s wealth of sector knowledge is clear on the application form, the lack of self-promotion concludes with an employer’s negative assessment.

To be successful in a job interview requires the interviewer to view the applicant as highly skilled, an expert or someone they cant do without.

So, whats the problem?

The problem that many interviewees face is they simply can’t structure their interview answers (content and delivery) in a way that inspires the interviewer.

This problem has an easy to implement solution: 3 easy to implement ideas that will make your next interviewer want to hire you.

Confident Statement

The first few seconds of a job interview answer are deemed to be very important.

As many career professionals are aware, an initial impression is created by the employer when they first meet the interviewee – hireable or undesirable. This impression affects how the employer views the applicant’s whole job interview.

If a visual impression can have such a huge effect at the interview start, then the opening words of an interview answer can shape how the employers score the question being marker.

Unsure
Hesitant
Confident

Being unsure of what is being asked or blatantly having no idea what a (sector jargon) is, highlights a lack of industry knowledge.

An employer, now aware that the applicant lacks sector experience, is unlikely to hire that candidate. During the Q&A process, they will long for the interview to end, and look forward to the next, hopefully, more suitable interviewee.

Asking for an explanation of a sector terminology, theory, model or working practice creates the interview identity of ‘inexpert’.

Successful interviewees answer questions with a confident statement:

I am highly skilled in this area
This is something I have had to do in all my previous roles
My current managers always come to me with this problem

A confident statement is an opening line, delivered instantly, that simply highlights 1) a level of understanding of the job duties 2) a confident employee 3) sector experience

Employers are reassured when applicants start their answers by confidently confirming they have the required skill being discussed. As a secondary gain, employers are now likely to listen to the whole interview answer, picking up on more of the scoring criteria – scoring high on the interveiw scorecard.

Evidence Equals Expert

A picture is worth a thousand words.

In the main, employers make hiring decisions based on the content of an applicants interview answer. The detail given could possibly be exaggerated, misinterpreted or an out right lie.

Evidence, in the form of a target sheet, references, data sets, media articles or a physical item, is proof of an interviewees expertise.

By using evidence as part of the interview answer backs up any claims of competencies. It also highlights how the applicant is prepared, organised and detailed focus.

Different industry use the ‘evidence’ technique to get a customer to buy. Sweet shops will often hand out free samples; once the quality of the chocolate has been tasted, the customers is now more likely to purchase the product. It is the same in the job interview, the sample evidence is given as proof of ability before the employer buys into the candidate.

To be perceived as being highly skilled, bring evidence to the job interview. Or for virtual job interviews use the share screen function to show online proof of the candidate’s abilities.

Future Focus

Low scoring job applicants when asked a competency based job interview question will often just list skills and duties, other, more high scoring interviewees, gain points by telling stories relating to their past behaviors in the workplace.

But only a few utilise the future projection method.

Employers use the recruitment process to predict the candidates job performance.

What employers really want to know is – what can you do for me?

To end a job interview answer, the successful applicant will take the skill being discussed and explain how they would use their abilities in the employers workplace.

“…once I am employed in your organisation I will use (skill) to (outcome)”

A future focused interview answer allows the employer to visualise how the employee would fit within the company culture and what added value that applicant would bring to the overall team.

The structure of an interview answer.

Using the team work interview question as an example, an applicant using the CEF structure could answer the question by:

Confident statement; “In all my previous roles I have always worked with a team. where I have a reputation of achieving project objectives on time..”

Evidence; “…An example of this was when I worked on X project. During this project, my team was tasked with completing X. The barrier here was (state a problem you had to overcome). As a team we (state solution to the problem) I personally was responsible for (explain actions and steps you took) which resulted in (add positive outcome). The team was able to achieve this outcome because of (add reason IE being well organised used gannt charts and work packages) I actually have a copy of the project plan and gannt charts with me (show evidence)..”

Future focus; “…if I was offered a role working in your company, it would be my organisational and detailed approach that would allow to us collaborate successfully together to achieve project deadlines while ensuring the quality of the project.”

CEF Structure

The CEF structure is highly successful as the employer, through the initial statement, feels confident in the applicants attitude, as only industry experts or highly experienced professionals, would answer so confidently.

Stating you have a skill/experience isn’t enough, and even strong answers can be an exaggeration, so the producing of evidence, literally, shows the employer why you were initially so comfortable in the answering of the interview question.

And by making the answer relevant to the employers company, not only shows a deep understanding of the position being advertised, it can create a positive association between the vision and the applicant.

Job Interview Advice

June 1, 2016November 27, 2020

Manchester Interview Coach Shares Expert Advice

Job interviews have a bad reputation.

Everyone believes that the interviewer is out to get you, that each interview question has a hidden meaning.

People wrongly believe that the interviewer will be looking down at you, searching for weaknesses and wanting, when they can, to trip you up, to catch you and to find fault with your answer.

In most interviews, the truth is, the interviewer wants to help and encourage you to give the best answer, they search for strengths and ask question to uncover your skills and experience. The interviewer isn’t trying to trip you up , instead they have a desire to help you relax, to allow you to open up and to encouraging you to be yourself.

As an interview coach I want to share my expertise to help you pass your next job interview

Set Up Your Own Coaching Business

Job Interview Advice 1 Power Play

The interview is seen by some as a power play, with the interviewer being the stronger player, the one with all the power.

The problem with this common perspective is that you the interviewee we naturally feel weak , in this state you will never give the best answer, you will never sell yourself and you truly cant be you (key to any interview success).

To get the feeling of power back, which will help you to relax and act like you normally do, you need to, at the interview start is ask the interviewer questions.

It doesn’t matter what these questions are “have you been interviewing all day?” “what do you think of the weather today?” just ask questions as this will do two things. One it will get you in the flow of talking and when the interviewer answers, you will feel more relaxed. And two, you will come across as a confident person.

Job Interview Advice 2 Describe how you feel

When asked an interview question it is really easy to fall into the logical answer game, where the interviewee gives only facts.

There is a time and place for this type of answer in all job interviews, but you have to balance this out with an emotional answer.

Most employers recruit candidates based on that “gut feeling” and people know enthusiastic and passionate colleagues make the best workers. By expressing how positive you felt when you achieved X, you will make emotional connections with the interview panel, winning you some extra points

Job Interview Advice 3 Give the employer a gift

I know this sounds weird, and I don’t mean a present or thank you card.

Throughout the interview you need to show how you will add value to the organisation. When answering a key question give the interviewer a gift by sharing your expertise. This could be sharing a new sector tender opportunity, giving real advice on increasing profit/decreasing overheads – maybe you have a successful system that the employer could easily implement.

It doesn’t matter what the gift is, what’s important is that the interviewer can see that you will add value to their organisation.

May 11, 2016November 27, 2020

How to Create Job Interview Success In a Few Easy Steps

Everyone I meet believes that the job interview is this scary, hard, difficult situation.

In fact, the job interview, is easy – easy to manipulate, easy to sell yourself and easy to secure a job offer.

To be successful in the job interview follow these 3 easy steps:

Set Up Your Own Coaching Business

Job Interview Success 1

People purchase items only with the desired criteria.

If you wanted to go on holiday, you wouldn’t choose any old destination. Instead you will have a list of criteria; a beech, warm weather and a good night life.

Interviewers act in the same way. They want to purchase an interview with certain criteria. This isn’t simple experience or a qualification. Often interviewers recruit a certain persona, temperament or attitude.

Research the type of person the employers wants, and explain and show how you meet this particular criteria.

Job Interview Success 2

Charm

Why is that some people get all the girls (or boys)?

Even the individuals who aren’t that good looking, time and time again, get the dates. What is this strange phenomenon? What is the secret?

People like, no love, others who are confident and charming, those that ooze charisma

Believe in yourself, sell yourself and be totally confident and charming…and the interviewer will fall in love with you.

Job Interview Success 3

Create emotional responses

Interviewers (and people in general) make choices based on their emotions.

Turn the interview into an emotional roller-coaster; use examples filled with intrigue, create suspense and design your interview answer with a Disney style happy ending, where you eventually, after the odds were against you, have a happy ending

August 4, 2015November 30, 2020

3 Interview Concerns Everyone Worries About

For most, a job interview is not a common occurrence. When we step into the unknown our subconscious checks for danger, looks for a frame of reference and then sends emotional signals to our body so we know how to react.

This process is completed within milliseconds.

This is why public speaking and job interviews rank high for worst fears. Your subconscious ask “how should I react” when you receive your interview invitation, to answer the question the brain finds a “frame of reference” this for most people is your most memorable “public speaking” experience – the negative experience in school when you were asked to read in front of the class, after getting the words wrong the whole classed laughed at you and made you feel upset.

The brain replicates these same negative emotions, associating them to the forthcoming job interview – no wonder we feel so nervous when it comes to a job interview. Other worries then build on this fear, creating in some cases phobia of job interviews and public speaking.

Concerns That Double Your Interview Fear – I’m not good enough

People believe they are living a lie.

We often feel we got to the position in our career because of good luck not our own skills or abilities. When applying for a new position in a new company we wrongly believe our lie will be found out.

We simply feel we are not good enough to be offered the new position, so why bother?

This limiting belief will increase your interview anxiety killing any hopes of a job offer. To combat this growing fear, you need to consciously think about your success and career highlights as this will subconsciously challenge your negative interview beliefs;

reread positive job evaluations
write a list of your career strengths and skills
compare your rise through the career ranks to others who haven’t been as successful
reflect on your work ethic and attitude
write a list of strengths that your colleagues would say you possessed

Concerns That Double Your Interview Fear – what if I don’t know what to do?

Interview fears

Interviewees, before even being offered the job role will try to second guess the job duties that they will undertake. This seems like a good idea, especially as a task like this can help your predict the job interview questions.

But the anxious interviewee takes this process one step to far and predicts job duties that they cant possible do, even though they haven’t been mentioned on the job specification.

This negative second guessing only increases anxiety. To combat this process think about previous roles where you have undertaken a new role, task and duty and where you have learnt and develop this new skill to become the expert that you are today.

Remember we all grow by learning new skills and we all get bored in a career that offers no variety at all. To learn you have to make mistakes, the trick is to frame each mistake as a learning curve not a negative experience.

Concerns That Double Your Interview Fear – what if they don’t like me

Imposter Syndrome

One of the common worries for interviewees is the thought that the interviewer wont like them.

When we focus on other peoples opinions and second guess their thoughts we only create worry and concern.

You have no way of knowing what the interviewer will think of you, and if your not a good match, you wont work well together, then isn’t it better to learn that in the interview rather then 6 months down the line?

When you focus on other peoples thoughts, you take the focus away from your task in hand – preparing for the job interview. When this thought passes through your head, ask yourself “what 3 things do I need to do to prepare for my interview?”

This question takes the focus consciously back to the job interview preparation

April 9, 2015November 30, 2020

Job Interview Questions and Answers for Boots

Often out of 300 applicants only 6 candidates will be interviewed. In most interviews, but this varies depending on the job sector and employer, you will be asked around 10 questions during a 45-minute interview.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for Boots

- - - - Job Interview Question 1: What is your experience in retail or customer service?

Give an overview of your retail and experience and highlight 3 key career achievements related to retail. Retail employers would like to hear about teamwork, customer service skills and attitude to work

- - - Job Interview Question 2: What would you do to improve customer service in a Boots store?

Answer this question using the 3 way process. State the problem, give the solution and the outcome. Ideally use a real-life example.

- - - Job Interview Question 3: Are you happy to work unsocial hours

Unsocial hours in retail often refers to late evenings and weekends. As this is a key factor in the retail sector you have to answer yes. When possible give examples of when you have been flexible with working hours

- - - - Job Interview Question 4: Give an example of working successfully in a team?

Again with this question you can use the 3 way process. State the problem, give the solution/team approach and the outcome. Ideally use a real-life example where you took charge of the team

- - - Job Interview Question 5: What do you know about Boots and our products?

Do your research. The ideal applicant will know the products and customer base

- - - Job Interview Question 6: What are your favorite products?

Compare the Boots product to products in competitive stores, explaining why the boots product is better value and quality

- - - Job Interview Question 7: What do you know about our current range of products?

Pick a range and discuss how this range is different to competitors – what are the advantages from the customer’s point of view?

- - - - Job Interview Question 8: How would you help an elderly man in the store?

To answer situation questions, use a real-life example – again use the 3 step process; the elderly man wanted X but couldn’t Y, I A, B and C, this resulted in X, Y and Z – a happy customer

- - - Job Interview Question 9: How would you sell this shampoo to a young woman?

Answer by explaining that you would discuss 2 products explaining the similarities and differences. This helps the customer feel like they have choice, but what often happens is the customer will buy one of the products. If you only discuss one product, the customer can buy or leave it.

- - - Job Interview Question 10: Why do you want to work with boots

You need to show your passion for Boots. Why Boot’s and not topshop or Asda? If you want to work for boots, not any old retail store you are likely to stay saving money on recruitment.

- - - Job Interview Question 11: Do you have any questions for me?

Good interview questions to ask interviewers at the end of the job interview include questions on the company growth or expansion, questions on personal development and training and questions on company values, staff retention and company achievements. Many people are afraid of job interviews.

July 15, 2014May 12, 2021

Job Interview Questions for Marks and Spencers

Marks and Spencers Job Interview Process

With Marks and Spencers being one of the most famous and oldest UK retailers, competition for advertised roles is high.

To help M&S decide which applicant to offer a position to their job interveiw process is broken down into 3 stages.

Marks and Spencer job interviews 3 stage Process.

Stage one – online application and test, you are given a number of questions (example below) and you have to choose which statement you are most like and least like.

This part of the Marks and Spencer’s interview is to highlight your personality and work ethic; referencing customer service and teamwork is key here.

Answer this question “I am the sort of person who” for all answers – add most like and least like.

1 A Seeks to understand the actions of others
B Shows enthusiasm
C Is effective in problem-solving
D Assesses own work in commercial terms

2 A Puts the customer first
B Is prepared to make tough decisions
C Is respected by others
D Focuses on the longer term

3 A Writes clearly and succinctly
B Adapts to change positively
C Builds effective teams
D Is positive about work

4 A Recognises the potential of others
B Is committed to achieving high standards
C Takes responsibility for own decisions
D Assesses the risks involved in decisions

5 A Sticks to recommended working procedures
B Keeps track of own activities
C Promotes teamwork
D Absorbs knowledge quickly

6 A Works hard to meet customer needs
B Is effective in written communication
C Recognises how people are feeling
D Takes calculated risks

7 A Allocates realistic time scales for activities
B Is reliable
C Takes care in self-presentation
D Takes an energetic approach to work

8 A Draws appropriate conclusions
B Is flexible in approach
C Is effective in providing a strategic view
D Takes responsibility for the consequences of own actions

9 A Advises others on how they may best apply their talents
B Acquires new skills rapidly
C Remains focused when faced with difficulties
D Has strong commercial instincts

10 A Checks work for errors
B Is able to settle others in conflict
C Co-ordinates group activities
D Identifies urgent decisions

11 A Observes others’ behaviours
B Encourages a culture of continuous learning
C Drives others towards goals
D Thinks in strategic terms

12 A Generates workable solutions
B Encourages co-operation within teams
C Recovers quickly from setbacks
D Encourages risk-taking

13 A Delivers high-quality service to customers
B Is aware of competitor activity
C Makes time for planning
D Can be trusted not to compromise on standards

14 A Warns others in advance of unplanned schedule changes
B Expresses self confidently in groups
C Stands by own decisions
D Structures work appropriately

15 A Is determined to succeed
B Demonstrates commitment to the development of others
C Is open to new ideas
D Takes calculated risks when appropriate

16 A Establishes good relationships with others
B Finds out the causes of problems
C Ensures the team remains focused
D Supports colleagues

17 A Shows drive and determination
B Makes the best use of learning opportunities
C Identifies opportunities to reduce costs
D Takes risks rather than missing opportunities

18 A Identifies talent
B Focuses on organisational plans
C Accepts accountability for own decisions
D Works to please the customer

19 A Is decisive
B Introduces fresh insights
C Keeps the attention of the audience when speaking
D Pays attention to planning

20 A Arrives at work on time
B Shows commitment to the organisation
C Remains objective under pressure
D Writes in a fluent manner

21 A Gives advice to others
B Relates to others at all levels
C Considers what the organisation will achieve in the long-term
D Avoids jargon in written communication

22 A Follows safety rules and regulations
B Remains composed under pressure
C Seeks responsibility
D Analyses relevant information

23 A Admits own mistakes
B Is effective in dealing with commercial issues
C Takes customer complaints seriously
D Gets the best out of individuals

24 A Changes the opinions of others
B Keeps sight of overall goals and objectives of the organisation
C Takes risks by adopting new directions
D Fits in well with the team

25 A Generates imaginative alternatives
B Is realistic about time scales
C Makes quick decisions under pressure
D Uses feedback to increase organisational effectiveness

26 A Motivates others to achieve goals
B Is effective in persuading others
C Quickly builds rapport
D Is prepared to take the initiative

27 A Wants to get ahead in the organisation
B Chooses appropriate words and expressions
C Identifies customer needs
D Follows instructions from others

28 A Defines team goals
B Effectively manages own emotions
C Recognises own mistakes
D Identifies the core of a problem

29 A Remains confident in ambiguous situations
B Connects well with the team
C Is profit conscious
D Takes calculated risks

30 A Works towards long term organisational goals
B Memorises facts and processes
C Produces clear project plans
D Presents a positive image of the organisation

Stage 2 – Assessment

The assessment consists of one exercise that is designed to assess your ability to deliver great customer service.

There will also be an opportunity for you to talk with a member of the Marks and Spencer team during a one-to-one discussion where you can ask any questions you may have regarding the job.

This discussion does not form part of the assessment. The whole assessment should last around an hour.

Stage 3: Job Interview Questions for Marks and Spencers

Below is a list of 10 Marks and Spencers Interview questions. As part of your job interview preparation with have created a list of potential answers to commonly asked retail interview questions.

Job Interview Question 1: What is your experience in retail or customer service?

Summaries your retail experience “Collectively, I have X number of years experience in retail…”
Explain what you enjoy about this line of work “…I enjoy A, B and C..”
End with your career goal “..long term I want to become ( a retail manager as an example)”

Job Interview Question 2: Why do you want to work for Marks & Spencers?

Mark and Spencer have a long history. During the interview answer, you can embed some of the history into the answer.
Also, review M&S company values to show how your personal values are in line with M&S company values.
Finally, talk about your (positive) experience of being a Mark and Spencer customer.

Job Interview Question 3: What makes Marks and Spencers better than its competitors?

Be specific – focus on customer service, quality, history, anything really that makes you want to work for the organisation.
If known, talk about a local competitive company and compare both organisations.
End, with an idea on how M&S can have an advantage over the competitive company.

Job Interview Question 4: Give me an example of a time when you’ve had to work in a team.

Ideally, when answering a ‘skill’ question, use an example relevant to the role – customer service, team leader or cafe worker.
But this isn’t necessary. M&S, here, are looking for an example of teamwork and a teamwork example can come from a sports hobby or a team tasks at university.
In the example, explain the task, actions, and outcome. In the actions make it clear what duties you completed.

Job Interview Question 5: Give me an example of when you have to work individually to complete a task quickly.

In retail employees mainly work as part of a large team. But day-to-day tasks are individual.
Employers are searching for evidence of self-motivation, work ethic, and enthusiasm.
First, explain how you are a self-starter who enjoys completing tasks. Then give an example – Explain a time-bound task that was needed to be completed urgently. Discuss how you managed your time by ordering the required actions by importance. Finally, state how your self-motivation ensures the duties were completed by the deadline.

Job Interview Question 6: How would you react in a situation where a customer is upset?

A good starting point is to reference how you are a great communicator or experienced in customer service.
If you have dealt with an ‘upset’ customer you can answer this question with an example (follow the teamwork interview answer structure)
For applicants with no customer service experience, explain the steps you would take to help the customer: listen to the reason why the customer is upset, what you did to support the customer and the outcome to these actions.

Job Interview Question 7: What can you offer this role?

This open question is great as it allows you to discuss your strengths.
Think about the job criteria and discuss personal strengths relevant to the job role.
Be positive, enthusiastic and tell any unique selling points.

Job Interview Question 8: What is good customer service?

Key customer service skills are: listening, explaining, empathy, supportive, negotiation, and friendliness.
As well as listing customer service skills, explain why customer service is important – the bottom line is customer retention.
If you have an example of providing exceptional customer service, discuss this here.

Job Interview Question 9: How is online shopping affecting retail businesses?

Online shopping is becoming highly popular. But some customers still value the in-shop experience. Explain the different ‘wants’ of each customer type.
Focus the main part of the answer of how you and M&S can improve customer experience to increase customer loyalty – mention how your skills could support this.

Job Interview Question 10: Do you have any questions to ask me?

How does senior management embed the company values into day-to-day tasks?
What training and development opportunities are available to staff members?
What are the busiest periods?
How long do employees often stay with the company?
What do you like about working for Marks and Spencer?

May 24, 2014December 10, 2020

How to Answer the Interview Question “Why did you leave your last job?”

Why did you leave your last job?

Explanation of the Question:

Be positive with this answer and smile – employers like to hear that you left for a good opportunity or reason, a chance to do something special or for a good career move.

Start the answer with a look back
Explain what you enjoyed about your previous role
Give a Positive reason for leaving

Example Interview Answer

“I enjoyed working at Company Name and really enjoyed the interaction of working with a wide range of individuals-I feel I gained a lot of transferrable skills from this experience, which I can use in this role.

It was a hard choice to leave but I felt that this great opportunity is the next obvious step for me”

June 18, 2013November 24, 2020

Five Failsafe Ways to be Prepared for your Job Interview

Be Prepared for your Job Interview

This Months Guest post comes from Simply Marketing Jobs

The golden rule of being interviewed is BE PREPARED! It sounds obvious but so many well-qualified job seekers make the mistake of arriving for interviews without planning properly in advance, hoping their experience and personality will carry them through. So what can you do before the big day to ensure you impress the interview panel and land that job?

How to Prepare for a Job Interview.

Carry out extensive research on the organisation

It’s vital to do all the research on the company that you can.

Spend time going through the company website and if the post you’re applying for is senior, get a copy of their latest published accounts (normally these are available to download from a company’s corporate website).

Google is of course a fantastic tool for finding out some interesting facts about the organisation you’re hoping to work for.

“What do you know about our company?” is one of the most commonly asked interview questions, so having to scrape around for something to say instantly looks bad. If the information is on their website, there is no excuse for not knowing about it, and having pre-prepared opinions about recent business activities and marketing campaigns will demonstrate your interest. It’s best to keep any negative opinions to yourself of course.

Areas of the business you must research:

· What does the company do?

· What’s the company culture?

· Which products and services does it sell?

· Growth plans for the future

· Main competitors

· Financial performance

· Recent published trade news

· Who will be interviewing you and what is their role?

Presentation

First impressions really do count so don’t risk everything by looking scruffy or inappropriately dressed.

Always overdress rather than risk being under-dressed. Studies show that often the average length of time between a candidate entering the interview room and a decision being made is less than four minutes.

After this time, recruiters are often looking for evidence to support the decision that – perhaps subconsciously – they have already made.

If you are at all unsure about the dress code ask the recruiter well in advance. Remember to think about your body language too – smiling often, sitting upright rather than slouching, and making plenty of eye contact will all show you in a good light.

Punctuality

As a professional, you don’t need to be told to arrive on time, but if you have interviewed extensively yourself you’ll know just how many job seekers still arrive late.

Make sure you find out where you are going and plan how you are going to get there. If you are unsure of the exact location of the interview print out a map.

Allow plenty of extra time in case of travel delays, particularly if you are heading into central London, or any other major city for the job interview. If you arrive very early find a nearby café and collect your thoughts and make any final preparations e.g. ensuring you have your mobile phone turned off before you go into the interview.

Prepare for the likely questions

Many people fall down here, simply because they haven’t spent sufficient time thinking through answers to fairly straightforward questions. Here are a few classics that will remind you of what to expect at an interview and what kinds of answers to give.

Why do you want to work for us?

The interviewers want to know you are genuinely interested in the company and the opportunities this job provides.

So you must demonstrate that you understand what makes this company different from its competitors, and what you think will be the interesting/challenging/rewarding things about working there.

Think carefully about what really appeals to you about this job and company and how you can stand out from the other people who are applying for this job, and come up with at least three points – e.g. the brands are powerful and widely admired in the marketplace; it’s an award-winning company; you’ve read fantastic client testimonials on the company website.

How would you describe yourself?

Whatever you say it’s important to be honest and genuine.

You want the interviewer to feel confident that they are seeing your true personality rather than telling them what you think they want to hear.

Remember to give plenty of evidence to back up statements or claims about yourself. Rather than telling the interviewer you are ‘target driven’, give live examples of when you have hit or exceeded targets and describe the steps you took to ensure targets were never missed.

What are your strengths?

The interviewer wants to know what your key strengths are in relation to this particular job. Make sure you choose examples that are relevant to this role but also examples that set you apart from other applicants.

Try to have four or five strengths available in case the interviewer asks for some further examples. Remember that for most jobs you will want to include an example of working well as part of a team, and fitting in well with others.

What is your greatest weakness?

Of course, be careful not to say anything too negative about yourself – such as you struggle to concentrate, or are badly organised.

Prepare an example of a weakness that you have overcome – for instance, your time management skills have improved in recent years because you now use a certain system. “I used to accept too much work in an effort to please everybody, but soon discovered that I was diluting my focus and not performing as I should…. Today I try not to be superwoman, but explain carefully to colleagues why I must prioritise my workload.”

Where do you see yourself three years from now?

Don’t overstate your ambitions here. The company really just wants reassurance that you’ll stick with the company and stay motivated over time. So it’s best to say something like: “I envisage myself enjoying my work in a progressive company like this one, and being valued as an asset to the organisation. I hope I would have performed well enough to have earned a promotion, having proved I am worthy of such a position.”

Have questions prepared too

‘Do you have any questions?’ is actually a very important part of the interview process, so don’t say ‘no’, whatever you do.

Asking insightful, pre-prepared questions when given the opportunity is as important as any of the answers you will have already given during the interview, this is well worth remembering.

Not having relevant questions or squirming uncomfortably as you try to think up an intelligent question on the spot will make you look badly prepared and disorganised.

Have 10 questions prepared before you go into the sales job interview. As the interview progresses several of these will no doubt be answered as part of the general interview dialogue. However, when it is your turn to ask questions, pick the 3 to 5 questions that seem most relevant at the time.

Good questions to ask might include:

• What is the company’s approach to training and development?

• How would you describe the company culture?

• What is the biggest challenge facing your company currently?

• How will my success in this role be measured over the next 12 months?

• What kind of person does really well in this division?

Being fully prepared in these ways should set you off on the right track. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will appear on the day, which should also help reduce nervousness. So put in the time, and the rewards really are within reach!

This article was provided by Simply Marketing Jobs, a leading marketing recruitment board.