Prepare for your advertising agency interview with a little research.
Interviewing at an advertising agency closely resembles interviewing at any organization. Your interviewers will ask many of the standard questions, including what you think are your greatest strengths or weaknesses, why you want the job and what you would do in specific scenarios. However, they'll also be looking for indicators of your creativity and ability to be a team player.
Portfolio Review
Your portfolio is a key part of the application process, especially if you're interviewing for a job on the creative side, such as a graphic designer, art director or copywriter. While your interviewers will consider your work history, references and your responses to the standard interview questions, they'll also want to examine several work samples, in order to evaluate your versatility, creativity and how well your style matches the agency's.
Team Environment
An advertising agency is a highly collaborative environment. Employees rarely work solo; instead, they function as a team to bring each ad campaign to fruition. In fact, you may report to several people at an advertising agency. Because it's important that the agency's employees work well together as a team, several members of the team may want to meet with any prospective employees, either one-on-one or as a group.
Industry Questions
Advertising is a constantly evolving industry, responding to everything from new technologies to consumer attitudes. Your interviewer will ask questions to find out what you know about the industry. You'll need to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of advertising, including campaigns and trends not related to your own experience. For example, they may ask questions like "What's your favorite current ad campaign and why?" or "What current campaign do you dislike and why?" They may also ask what you think about the future of the industry, such as what trends you think might soon catch on, or what will soon be out of style.
Internet and Social Media
Many companies use social networking sites and mobile applications as part of their advertising strategies. Your interviewer may ask if you're familiar with those sites and apps, and if so, how you use them, what you think of them, and how you think companies can most effectively use them to promote their products and services. And with many companies using corporate blogs as promotional tools, they may ask about your experience and thoughts on those as well.
Hobbies
Alison Hillhouse, director of corporate insights at Taylor PR in New York City, says ad agencies look for people with creative passions outside of work, in the hopes they'll bring that energy and creativity to their job. In a guide on the website for the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, Hillhouse recommends mentioning any creative hobbies you have outside of work, including music, art or writing.
