Being in the field of SEO I have come across various interviews at start-up as well as branded companies. During these experiences I learned a lot of things about different kinds of opportunities, company expectations, companies involved in SEO services, nature of interviewing candidates, evaluating skills and many other observations. I hope my below compilation of findings for newbies and intermediates will help them to achieve success in their interview.
Preparation:
- First and the foremost important thing study the required job profile closely.
- Compare the requirements against your skills and expertise.
- Make sure your fundamentals are quite strong in all the areas.
- Study the company, its presence among SEO industry, achievements, culture etc from web resources.
- Take a look on the company website, carry out SEO analysis of current state and possible scope of optimization. This should be short and precise like some important findings.
- A print outs of above analysis shown in interview makes a good impression representing that you are proactive and have done your home work well.
- Prepare a questionnaire based on the job description given and skills required for the profile.
- Prepare a report on your achievements that can summarize your credits well.
At Interview:
- Well begin with full confidence and eye contact with interviewer.
- Every answer should be to the point.
- Most interviewer would like to know how you started off your career, reasons for moving in different company, make sure you prepare yourself for such answers in advance.
- You must be able to demonstrate your skills with some reports.
- Since some SEO points can run into debatable ones, try to normalize them and conclude them by saying its solely on your experience and personal opinion.
- At times you should avoid routine answers given by most candidates like to gain rankings we have to do article submission, SMO etc.. instead explain how you are going to do them.
- Bring out some remarkable points in your discussions like “I created my own strategy in achieving the company’s first lead for the new product” or “I was one among the marketing team who saw the potential market through social media that company utilized to increase their customer base.
- It would be good to mention the challenges involved in project and what was your approach in tackling them.
- Since SEO has to deal with designers, developers, content writer and other people show how effectively you were capable of getting the work done from them.
- Showcase your reputed clients you worked for and their feedback.
- If you have done your homework, show them some reports representing potential scope of optimization for company’s website.
- An interviewer is more comfortable if you are good at multiple things like experience with variety of tools, proactive approach, self motivated and quick learner.