You can have the best product in the world, but unless you market it properly, you won’t succeed. We live in an era of information overflow. People are extremely busy, and 90% of them simply do not have time to analyze different products, and to think about their purchases in-depth. They buy what they see on TV, billboards, or online ads. And of course what their budget allows them to buy. They purchase what they need, or desire, or at least that’s what they think, whereas many such needs and desires come from outside, created in their minds by smart marketers.
In any case, marketing has become extremely sophisticated and data-driven in the recent years. Working as a marketing analyst, you will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. What will happen in an interview for this job? And what you have to do and say to succeed in the meeting with the hiring managers? We will try to find the answers on the following lines.
First of all, marketing analyst is an entry level job. They expect you to have an undergraduate degree from market research, marketing, statistics, or similar field, but no previous experience is required (though it is a plus). You will learn almost everything on the job, and though it sounds super-sophisticated, your job actually won’t be that difficult. Hence they have no reason to ask you some tricky technical questions in the interview. They will inquire mostly about your motivation, career goals, expectations on the job, and about your attitude to some situations you may experience in the job. Let’s have a look at the questions, one by one.
- Why are you interested in the position of a Marketing Analyst? …
- What is your experience so far in the field of marketing? …
- If you get into a workplace conflict, how will you resolve it? …
- How do you define the position of a “marketing analyst”?
Marketing Analytics: Case Studies & My Favorite Tools
When someone has trouble understanding your data model, how do you effectively communicate the major points it is trying to get across?
Explaining a data model is always a challenge, because we like to think that they are clear when we make them, but it is important to also remember that our job serves a wide variety of people in the company. I like to approach this situation by finding out what confuses people the most, then stepping through that part of the model. Once they believe they are getting it, I ask them to explain how that part fits with the rest, so I can hear that they are understanding and discussing it. As we go, if there is anything in the model that they missed or start to misinterpret, then I help guide them back.
Why do you want to work as a marketing analyst?
You can start by emphasizing the importance of data in the marketing of 21st century. Without knowing your customers, and without analyzing each campaign in detail (tracking clicks, conversions, lifetime value of the customer and other indicators), businesses are just throwing money away, walking in the dark. You’d love to have an impact in your professional career, and realize that as a marketing analyst you can have a big impact on the success of the business. This alone motivates you, plus you like the job description, and for sure you will enjoy doing the job.
You should also try to connect your personality and skills to the profession. Say that you are good around computers, and have been working with PPC campaigns and Google Analytics for years, not to say computer programs for data analysis or MS Excel. What’s more, you have good attention to detail, do not mind repetitive work, and enjoy a fast-paced workplace of a big corporation. Hence you see the job as an ideal choice, at least at this stage of your professional career.
What is your experience with MS Excel (or any other software program or data analysis tool)?
As I’ve already said, you will learn the job during your training. But they expect you to have at least a basic knowledge of Excel, or similar software programs. Tell them how long you’ve been working with the software, and the principal functionality you used–analyzing data sets, creating charts, time rows, and other outputs. Stress that you have experience with the majority of mathematical and statistical functions of the software.
And if they ask about some program or online tool you have no experience with, ensure them that you are a quick learner, have high computer intelligence, and have worked with a variety of tools over the years. And since the interfaces are pretty similar every time, you are 100% sure you will quickly learn to work with any programs you may need in your job of a Marketing Analyst.
