What a marketing coordinator does
The official job profiles we checked don't use the title marketing coordinator. Similar profiles are marketing executive in the UK and marketing specialist in New Zealand and the US. Check the job ad for how much of this work the role includes.
New Zealand's careers service says marketing specialists promote products and services through plans and campaigns. It lists marketing assistant as another name. The UK's profile for marketing executives lists tasks such as:
- researching customer and market trends
- writing and editing content for print and online campaigns
- checking brand guidelines are followed
- organising and promoting events
- managing marketing budgets
- analysing data to plan and judge campaigns
The US profile for marketing specialists adds measuring how well marketing, advertising and communications work.
Skills employers look for
The National Careers Service lists skills that an interview can test:
- clear spoken communication
- using your initiative
- being thorough and paying attention to detail
- knowledge of media production and communication
- persuading skills
- using a computer and the main software confidently
New Zealand's profile says you need to be creative and accurate, and to communicate well. O*NET lists curiosity and attention to detail among the work styles.
The interviews you may face
Each employer runs its own process. You may face some of these:
- A screening call about your experience. See our phone screen guide.
- A portfolio review, where you talk through campaigns or content you worked on.
- A written task, such as a social post, an email or a short campaign plan.
- A data question, such as which of two ads did better, and why.
- A presentation of an idea for the employer's brand.
- A behavioural interview about deadlines and teamwork. Read our guide to behavioural answers.
For a take-home task, check the deadline and how long they expect it to take. Our guide to tests and take-home tasks has more.
Questions that test each skill
These are themes, with sample wording. Real questions vary by employer.
- Campaigns: "Tell me about a campaign you helped run. What was your part?"
- Results: "How did you measure whether it worked?"
- Writing: "How would you change this message for a different audience?"
- Brand: "What do you think of our recent marketing?"
- Organisation: "How do you keep several deadlines on track?"
- Teamwork: "Tell me about working with sales or a designer on a deadline."
Answer "tell me about a time" questions with STAR: the situation, your task, the actions you took and the result. Our free STAR answer planner helps you shape each one.
What to prepare
- Study the employer's website, social channels and recent campaigns.
- Pick three pieces of work. Note the goal, your part, the channel and the result.
- Put them in a simple portfolio you can share on screen or as a PDF.
- Prepare STAR stories about a campaign, a mistake, a tight deadline and a result you improved.
- Only show work you did, and say clearly when it was a team effort.
An example answer about a campaign
Here is a made-up answer for a made-up person. Use it to see the shape of a strong answer, then tell your own true story.
Made-up example
Chloe, a marketing assistant applying for a coordinator role
Question
Situation
Task
Action
- I split our email list into former members and people who had never joined.
- I wrote two versions of the main email and tried each on 10% of the list.
- I sent the version that worked better to everyone else, with a reminder a week later.
- I tracked sign-ups from each email with its own link.
- I shared a one-page summary with the team, with what to keep for next year.
Result
Chloe tests, measures and shares what she learned. The result compares with last year, so it means something.
Questions
Do I need a portfolio for a marketing job?
It helps. Even two or three pieces with results show what you can do. Remove anything private, and say what your part was.
What if I don't have marketing work experience?
Use work from study, a club, a small business or your own channel. Show the goal, what you did and what happened.
How do I talk about a campaign that didn't work?
Say what you measured, what you learned and what you changed next time. An honest lesson can be a strong answer.
Sources
Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on . Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.