You’ve just finished an advertising interview. How do you make sure you stand out from the other candidates?

Everyone is quick to drop an email but you should take the time to write a personalized thank you note showing your appreciation. And, to take it one step further, send a promotional piece that reinforces your strengths and skills. It will surely standout and help you maintain top of mind awareness.

By making sure you realize you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing them. By ensuring that you asked at least two thoughtful, curious questions and that you absolutely know why you want the role. Confidence can't help but seep out when you know and own your own truth.

When someone takes the time to send a note of thanks, it shows their professionalism and genuine admiration for the opportunities they've been given. By expressing appreciation thoughtfully and politely, we can leave a lasting impression on the recipient. This act of gratitude showcases our professionalism and reflects our character and principles. It's a gesture that shouldn't be underestimated, as it can have a great impact on building and maintaining professional connections.

Stand out from the crowd with a handwritten thank you note. While emails are convenient, a personalized message shows genuine appreciation and leaves a lasting impression. To amplify the impact, include a brief marketing piece highlighting your strengths and skills. This one-two punch will keep you top of mind and solidify your personal brand. Here's what's changed: Removed unnecessary phrases like "everyone is quick to drop an email" and "take it one step further." Used stronger and more concise verbs like "stand out" and "amplify." Rephrased "maintain top of mind awareness" with "keep you top of mind" for a more natural flow. Replaced "promotional piece" with "marketing piece" for a slightly more professional tone.

To stand out after an advertising interview, highlight your creativity, relevant experience, and passion for the industry. Emphasize specific examples of successful campaigns you've worked on, demonstrate a deep understanding of current marketing trends, and express your eagerness to contribute innovative ideas to the team. Additionally, follow up with a personalized thank-you email expressing gratitude for the opportunity and reiterating your enthusiasm for the position.

Sharing your portfolio post-interview allows you to reinforce your personal brand and the unique value you offer. It's a tangible demonstration of your skills and thought processes, and it provides a deeper insight into your capabilities beyond the interview conversation. Tailoring the content to reflect the prospective employer's brand and challenges can significantly boost your candidacy by showing a proactive and customized approach to their needs.

When it comes to showcasing a strong fit within the organisation, it's super important to make sure our work aligns with the goals, values, and brand identity of the company. Sharing this valuable information with potential employers can be done in practical ways, like providing a link to an online portfolio or attaching a PDF file to the email. These approaches give employers a comprehensive understanding of our capabilities and contributions. By demonstrating this alignment, we can effectively convey our suitability for the organization and boost our chances of success in the hiring process.

Following up with your portfolio after the interview allows you to solidify your personal brand and demonstrate the unique value you offer. It serves as a tangible testament to your skills and thought processes, providing deeper insight into your capabilities beyond the interview conversation. Tailoring the content to the prospective employer's brand and challenges further strengthens your candidacy, showcasing your initiative and genuine interest in aligning with their needs.

I'm guessing you've already shared your portfolio to get the interview, so I wouldn't just send off the same link to them after the interview, unless they specifically asked for it. But what I would suggest is, after hearing more details about the role during the interview process, that you find a specific piece of work in your portfolio and share a link to that, with some language surrounding WHY it is relevant to the role. It's what you might do with your team if you eventually land the job. I.e. "I know you're working on this, I have some experience with that. Here's what I did and how/why it worked."

By sharing articles, case studies, or trend reports that align with the industry, product, or target market of the company, we can demonstrate our proactive and well-informed approach. It's like a symphony of knowledge, playing in harmony with the company's goals. Furthermore, offering constructive feedback, suggestions, or innovative ideas to enhance the company's advertising strategy or address their challenges can be a powerful strategy to showcase our problem-solving skills and unleash my creativity. It's like a burst of fireworks, illuminating new possibilities.

Landing an interview is future networking in disguise. Even if you don't land this role, the recruiter or whomever you're interviewing with will, someday, work somewhere else. And if after your interview you remain in contact with them, sharing relevant news articles, or even giving away cool ideas that they could consider, or pointing out some unique newsworthy opportunities they may not have seen, you'll prove your value quickly. So even if this isn't the role for you, you might on the top of their list for the next one (at that company, or another.)

Engaging with the official company accounts on various social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram, by liking, commenting, and sharing their content, can be seen as a strategic approach. By connecting with the interviewer and other employees on LinkedIn and sending them a personalized invitation that refers to our previous discussion, we can further strengthen our professional relationships. Additionally, it is highly effective to showcase original content, such as blog articles, podcasts, or videos, that highlight my expertise in the advertising field. This is an excellent way to demonstrate our skills and knowledge in an engaging manner.

Social media engagement can be a strategic approach to strengthen your candidacy. By liking, commenting, and sharing the company's content on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram, you showcase your genuine interest in their work. Additionally, connecting with the interviewer and other employees on LinkedIn with personalized invitations referencing your prior discussion can further build professional relationships. Furthermore, demonstrating your expertise in advertising through original content, such as blog articles, podcasts, or videos, can be highly effective. This allows you to showcase your skills and knowledge in an engaging and memorable way.

It's important to demonstrate an active approach during an interview by seeking input from the interviewer. Showing appreciation for their time and requesting constructive feedback can display a genuine interest in self-improvement and professional development. Additionally, asking about the next stages in the hiring process demonstrates a strong interest in the role and a desire to stay updated on the progress of the application. This level of involvement not only showcases a firm commitment to personal growth but also highlights your enthusiasm and dedication to the position. It's essential to maintain a professional and polite demeanour throughout the interview process, as it leaves a lasting positive impression on the interviewer.

I don't want to be a contrarian here, but I might wait to ask for feedback if you find out you didn't get the role. If you don't land the role, asking for any feedback the interviewer had that might help you grow and learn from is a great idea. You may learn how to become a better interviewee, and it might also position you in the interviewer's mind as someone who genuinely wants to keep learning--which is a coveted skill. But if you haven't heard a result about the position yet and you start asking for feedback, it might show that you're unsure of yourself, or your skillset. This isn't to say you shouldn't ask for feedback if you do get the role, I just might wait until after you're settled in your new position to do so.

Be patient, but keep interviewing. It can take time, like gobs of time, for an Agency or Brand to get back to you following your interview. Be patient, but definitely check in regularly. And at the same time, until you have an offer letter in your hands, keep interviewing.