5 Traps to Avoid When Interviewing for Your First Marketing Job

When you're just about to graduate college, the prospect of finding a full time job can be daunting. You may not know what you want to do or you fear having to move in with your parents after graduation. Avoid these mistakes at your next interview and land that entry level marketing job.

1) Don't "Bro" Your Interviewer

You're waiting in a small interview room and to your relief John walks in and he's also right out of college. This should be a snap! Surely John is on your level, right? WRONG! Don't talk to your interviewer like he's your buddy that you partied with last weekend. Not to say you can't build a rapport, just make sure that you remember your interviewer is a professional so you should treat him (or her) as such.

2) Location, Location, Location

I get it, San Diego is a great place to live. I've been here 11 years so I don't blame you for wanting to stay here after college. Just remember that in an interview when I ask you why you want to work at my company the wrong answer is "I really want to stay in San Diego". An employer is looking for someone that has the right skills for the job and is interested in their company because of the culture or the industry. Do you have a passion for technology? Are you interested in consumer products? Would your bio degree make you a great fit for a biotech firm? Be sure to let the employer know why you're the perfect fit for their company. Just make sure your answer doesn't include the company's appealing location.

3) What's your Name?

Recently a student I was interviewing asked me my name even though our recruiter had provided my details ahead of time. This left a very poor impression on me. If you think you might forget your interviewer's name, write it down on a piece of paper ahead of time. Better yet - go to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and read up on your interviewer. Learn about his/her career and progression at the company and come armed with some questions.

4) Dogging Yourself

Did you switch majors in college? Start off pre-med or pre-law and then decide you'd rather have a root canal that be a doctor or a lawyer? Just because you spent time in college exploring one track doesn't mean you can't explore another career. The key is finding the applicable elements within your education and experience and then highlighting those aspects on your resume and presenting them with confidence during the interview. I landed my first job in publishing not because I had an English major, but because I had spent a semester interning at a local press.

5) Beware of Poor Writing Samples

If you're looking for a job in marketing, you'll need to have some relevant writing samples to show your potential employer. Quality writing samples include articles you've written, short papers or blog posts. What not to show your employer? Anything that couldn't be used for business communication. One applicant I interviewed several years ago had great potential until she provided her writing samples. These included a letter to a newspaper editor that was highly political in nature. Even though my boss and I had similar views to the applicant, the fact that she would provide a political piece to a potential employer showed that she lacked some common sense - something that we couldn't overlook.

By avoiding these land mines you'll be well on your way to acing your next job interview and landing your first job.