Marketing is one of the most popular sectors among business school graduates. If the quality of the diploma from a Grande École makes it easy to pass the screenings of the largest companies, it remains important to take good care of your application and your profile when you wish to work in the world of marketing. Discover the advice of Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer France, Sébastien Imbert, to stand out from the crowd!
Today, marketing recruits many young graduates, but competition is tough and it has become increasingly important to take care of your application. Sébastien Imbert worked for several years in the marketing and digital sector within Microsoft. He shares his tips for making sure you get the job of your dreams.
#1 Analysis: the spearhead of marketing
Of course, marketing requires being creative, a creativity that is important to show on your CV for example. However, this is not the only essential aspect that recruiters look for in a future marketer! “ In an interview, you have to prove that you have a creative brain, but also an analytical brain. This is an increasingly important concept. »
Among the important concepts to highlight according to Sébastien Imbert, we find the ability to be comfortable with figures and to be able to structure and model them. You must also know how to synthesize the information which is increasingly abundant and have a critical perspective on the summaries written for your marketing director.
#2 Master the tech
Technology is increasingly present in our personal lives, but also in professional lives. From now on, the communication channels to establish contact with your prospect or customer are multiplied. Sébastien Imbert therefore advises getting to grips with the notions of artificial intelligence and technology in general. “ You can’t be a good marketer if you don’t have a good tech background. »
#3 Know how to collaborate
Businesses are also increasingly globalized. Teleworking is becoming more widespread and video meetings with offices abroad or other French branches are very frequent. It is therefore important to demonstrate that we know how to work as a team, especially in the face of the new paradigm of companies that are breaking up their different departments.
In addition, Sébastien Imbert emphasizes the multicultural and plural aspect of group work generally carried out during studies. “ The ability to collaborate with people from other cultures or who have expertise different from one’s own is essential. Creating bridges between people is important! »
#4 Highlight your projects
Increasingly, recruiters are asking candidates for detailed feedback, whether in a company or at school. The marketing industry is very demanding, as the brand’s image in the public eye potentially depends on the work you do once you join the company.
Thus, it is important to mention associative, educational or professional projects carried out during the school years. “ We need to talk about the projects that we are proud of, that we have helped to come to fruition in practice. This could be experience in a junior company or achievements within the framework of a humanitarian project. It is even possible to discuss a potential business creation that could have failed, while showing the lessons learned from this failure. »
#5 Work on your personal branding
More than your CV and cover letter, you need to work on your image, especially on digital channels and social networks which are more professionally oriented, such as LinkedIn or Twitter. “ You must have a minimally supported digital label. Not having an up-to-date LinkedIn profile can impact recruiting. You really need to work on your personal branding. »
Now that you have all of Sébastien Imbert’s advice for succeeding in your recruitment interviews in the marketing sector, don’t hesitate to check out his interview where he reveals behind the scenes of the marketing department of one of the biggest companies in the world.
