As a graduate, I consider myself to be fortunate because I have a lot of opportunities to be interviewed, interview other people and discuss with the HRs who are experts at this. In this Blog post, I want to share with graduate students some interview questions that you will be most likely to be faced in an interview of a Marketing Agency for an Account position in Vietnam. Since a marketing Agency is in the Creative industry, there are some similarities in the way an interview is held and the concern that the interviewers want to explore about you.

To begin, you should be prepared to meet the Director of the department you are applying for. Since you apply for the Account department, be ready to meet the Account Director and maybe also the Account Manager. Sometimes, the HR manager also joins. Relax, motivate yourself that you can do it. Get ready for the question list:

1/ Tell us about yourself

This is a very frequent-asked question. The Account Director is super busy and I am sure he/she has not yet looked at your CV before the interview. This is a good start for the interviewers to get to know about your background. Remember with this general question, keep it concise and include all the best of the best of yourself.

2/ Can you tell us more about this [activity/ achievement/ event]?

When you give the interviewers a general description, they will sometimes pause you for further explanation. So please be prepared for the details for your introduction.

3/ Can you tell me more about the internship/ position you just had?

The interviewers are likely to refer to past activities as a good indicator of future performance. They will ask you about your recent activities or internship. The “tell me more” form is quite popular. You should craft a script that contains what you think is key information. Again, do not talk all over the place. Stay focused, quick and concise.

4/ What have you learned from your past position?

Very very frequent and easily predicted question. The interviewers want to ask what experience you have gained. The learned lesson can be a lesson/ a skill/ an attitude/ etc.

5/ What difficulties did you meet in your former position? (Or Describe a situation when you face a challenge during work)

I can say behavioural questions are the Account Director’s favorites. Those questions are the most direct and best exploration tool to predict the behaviour of the future employees. For this question, use the STAR model: situation, task, action and results. And also prepare for an answer for the answer you just gave. You will be interrupted.

6/ What is your favorite brand/ slogan/ campaign/ marketing area?

Hey, remember that you are applying for a Marketing agency. You need to have some expert about it. It is a good check whether you are really a Marketing/ Advertising guy.

7/ Case study: With a Brand problem like this like this, how can you resolve it with a campaign?

Probably the most challenging question to prepare for overnight. It comes back to your real expertise. This can be a straightforward method for the interviewers to decide whether you are the right person.

8/ What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This is cliche. Some may ask, some may not. But these are important guidelines that can help you better position yourself through the interview. There will be some moments when you should mention about your strengths or weaknesses to support your presentation.

9/ Why do you apply for an agency?

I think most will ask for this. Graduates are naive. The interviewers wonder whether you really know what you are about to mess up with. Answer them by talking about your career goal, both short-term and long-term.

10/ How do you imagine a normal day working at our company?

In some tough environment, this question is asked to confirm whether you have prepared the mentality of sacrificing a lot of time and brain power. Do some research, ask some friends and make them laugh on this question.

Although I am sure there will  be some questions that are not in this list, this list is an accumulation of my interview experience and experts’ insights for the Account position. Thank you for reading. I am looking forwards to your responses.