Marketing, PR and Digital Interview Guide (UK): Portfolio, Case Tasks and Common Questions
Marketing interviews are less about reciting definitions and more about proving you can get results. Interviewers want evidence: numbers, campaigns, examples. If you can show what you did and what happened, you are already ahead of most candidates.
What the process looks like
Expect a first screening call, then an interview with a marketing manager, often followed by a task. The task might be to review a campaign, build a small plan, write a social post or present your ideas to the team. Some employers ask for a portfolio or for access to accounts you have managed.
Build a results story
For each campaign you mention, be ready to say the goal, the audience, what you did, what you measured and what changed. "I managed our Instagram" means little. "I grew followers by 40 per cent in six months and doubled click-throughs to the website by testing posting times" means a lot. If you have no job experience, use a personal project, a society, a volunteer role or a small business you helped.
Typical questions
Tell me about a campaign you are proud of.
How do you measure the success of a campaign?
How would you promote a product with a small budget?
What marketing channels do you know best and why?
How do you stay up to date with trends?
Digital topics to know
Be comfortable with the basics of SEO, paid search and social ads, email marketing, content planning and analytics. Know what metrics such as click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per acquisition and return on ad spend mean, and which ones matter for which goal. Familiarity with Google Analytics, a CRM and an email platform is useful.
UK specifics
Marketing in the UK is subject to rules from the ASA and the CAP Code, and to data protection law, including UK GDPR and the rules on email consent (PECR). Knowing the basics, such as ads must be honest and you need consent for marketing emails, shows maturity.
The presentation task
Keep it short, clear and visual. Start with the objective and audience, show two or three ideas with the reasons for them, give a rough budget and say how you would measure success. Then leave time for questions.
Common mistakes
Talking about creativity without any numbers.
Not knowing the company's own marketing. Look at their website, social accounts and ads before you go in.
Having no opinion. Bring one thing you would try.
Quick answers
Do I need a marketing degree? No. Many marketers come from other subjects, and CIM and Google qualifications are well regarded.
Should I bring a portfolio? Yes, even a simple one-page summary with links and results.
Our question bank includes marketing, PR and digital roles with model answers, and every role has five questions free.
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