[Help] Help for job interview - digital sales and programmatic advertising

Normal Rob · May 7, 2021

Hi all,

I'm calling on the great and the good of NSC to help me in my quest for a new job. In a little over a weeks time i have a 2nd interview for a role that I'm really keen on. As is fairly standard I have a give a presentation as part of the interview process. Integral to this presentation is to lay out how to expand upon the commercials of the brands existing web presence through the use of digital ad sales and programmatic advertising. This is really not my background and I'm struggling to get my head around ...

A - what programmatic advertising is.
B - How do you make your web presence more attractive to be able to sell programmatic ad space.
C - how to drive traffic to the website in the first place to drive numbers up.

I've probably embarrassed myself in my list of question, but that's my point. I'm happy to embarrass myself by highlighting my lack of understanding here, but I don't want that to happen in the interview. There are loads of elements to the role that I am suited to, and have an aptitude for, but this area is really out of my comfort zone but is highly important to the role.

So can anyone point me in the direction of any valuable instructions websites/tutorial etc that will help me quickly gather a basic understanding of this area that I can then look to apply to the specific role I am after?

Thanks,

NR.

Justice · May 7, 2021

As an advertiser why use third party internet advertising when you can pay to get a first page presence?

Personally the only way I have found to drive relevant traffic to a website is to be on the first page of search results.

essbee1 · May 7, 2021

Rob,

Could you let us all know what happened in the first interview so that we could get some flavour for the
type of things they asked/how it went? You might think that is unimportant - but it might heavily inform what you
should do in the second interview and how you should take it......the full picture sort of thing. But only if you're
prepared to tell us.

Normal Rob · May 7, 2021

essbee1 said:
Rob,

Could you let us all know what happened in the first interview so that we could get some flavour for the
type of things they asked/how it went? You might think that is unimportant - but it might heavily inform what you
should do in the second interview and how you should take it......the full picture sort of thing. But only if you're
prepared to tell us.

I've gone straight to second interview. I've been a long term service provider to the recruiting company and they know me well. The first interviews were primarily a 'getting to know you/ corporate fit' procedure for external candidates. It was felt that this process was not required on my part.

I'm coming in from a specialist service provider background, who would need to demonstrate much wider knowledge than just my area of expertise...

Tom Hark Preston Park · May 7, 2021

[MENTION=323]Normal Rob[/MENTION]: if you're at 2nd interview stage, then you can be absolutely sure that they're as keen on you as you are keen on them. I'd be inclined to think that what they REALLY want to see is how you do a presentation, rather than contents of same. So maybe focus on that? Good luck!

Normal Rob · May 7, 2021

Tom Hark said:
[MENTION=323]Normal Rob[/MENTION]: if you're at 2nd interview stage, then you can be absolutely sure that they're as keen on you as you are keen on them. I'd be inclined to think that what they REALLY want to see is how you do a presentation, rather than contents of same. So maybe focus on that? Good luck!

Thank you. I hope so, but there are another 6 internal candidates who have gone straight to 2nd interview so it's still highly competitive. Plus there may well be other external candidates.

Tom Hark Preston Park · May 7, 2021

Normal Rob said:
Thank you. I hope so, but there are another 6 internal candidates who have gone straight to 2nd interview so it's still highly competitive. Plus there may well be other external candidates.

Well that's maybe the case, and maybe the dice is pre-loaded in favour of their internal candidates. Just try and make sure you protect yourself against them just nicking any decent original ideas that are yours and that you present to them at interview stage, because you can be assured that they'll try and pass them off as their own

Normal Rob · May 7, 2021

Tom Hark said:
Well that's maybe the case, and maybe the dice is pre-loaded in favour of their internal candidates. Just try and make sure you protect yourself against them just nicking any decent original ideas that are yours and that you present to them at interview stage, because you can be assured that they'll try and pass them off as their own

Well I can say with some certainty that, based on current form, they'll be unlikely to nick my plans for programmatic revenue growth! :laugh:

essbee1 · May 7, 2021

Tom Hark said:
[MENTION=323]Normal Rob[/MENTION]: if you're at 2nd interview stage, then you can be absolutely sure that they're as keen on you as you are keen on them. I'd be inclined to think that what they REALLY want to see is how you do a presentation, rather than contents of same. So maybe focus on that? Good luck!

This. 100%. In my experience of interviewing, if you like someone and they come across well, then it's half the battle. Mainly
because you're looking for someone who will fit in. The last thing a company wants is someone who rubs everyone up the
wrong way. Believe me I've seen these types.

essbee1 · May 7, 2021

Normal Rob said:
Well I can say with some certainty that, based on current form, they'll be unlikely to nick my plans for programmatic revenue growth!

Originality (even a bit left-field) stuff often counts for a lot here.

Because it's what the panel remember. Make yourself stand out a bit from the rest. Don't do what I did in one
interview and trip over a chair and land almost on top of the interviewers. But as an interviewee, I always look
for someone who says something that provokes thought even if it is off the beaten track.

The red pepper kid · May 7, 2021

be honest - always- your in with a shout at a second interview and sometimes its also about how willing you are to adopt new ideas and how flexible your going to be to their way of working- you want to join them to improve yourself etc

schmunk · May 7, 2021

essbee1 said:
Originality (even a bit left-field) stuff often counts for a lot here.

Because it's what the panel remember. Make yourself stand out a bit from the rest.

The job's as good as yours.

monty uk · May 7, 2021

https://www.marketingweek.com/programmatic-advertising/

Skaville · May 7, 2021

https://www.grb.uk.com/industries/digital-marketing-graduate-career

Eric the meek · May 7, 2021

Hi Rob, nobody could know less than me about digital ad sales and programmatic advertising. But I liked your OP, so I thought I would contribute. I also liked the red pepper kid's post, which I would agree with. It is very likely you will be presenting to people who can smell BS a mile off. So be honest. If you are asked a question, and you don't know the answer, then say 'I don't know'. Your reputation with the recruiting company has got you to second interview. That's your key, and your USP. Your reputation. You come recommended. You are the real deal. So incorporate it into the presentation. One final thing. At the end, look them in the eye, and ask for the job. Very few people have the cojones to do that. Best of luck.

monty uk · Jun 17, 2021

Normal Rob said:
Hi all,

I'm calling on the great and the good of NSC to help me in my quest for a new job. In a little over a weeks time i have a 2nd interview for a role that I'm really keen on. As is fairly standard I have a give a presentation as part of the interview process. Integral to this presentation is to lay out how to expand upon the commercials of the brands existing web presence through the use of digital ad sales and programmatic advertising. This is really not my background and I'm struggling to get my head around ...

A - what programmatic advertising is.
B - How do you make your web presence more attractive to be able to sell programmatic ad space.
C - how to drive traffic to the website in the first place to drive numbers up.

I've probably embarrassed myself in my list of question, but that's my point. I'm happy to embarrass myself by highlighting my lack of understanding here, but I don't want that to happen in the interview. There are loads of elements to the role that I am suited to, and have an aptitude for, but this area is really out of my comfort zone but is highly important to the role.

So can anyone point me in the direction of any valuable instructions websites/tutorial etc that will help me quickly gather a basic understanding of this area that I can then look to apply to the specific role I am after?

Thanks,

NR.

How did the presentation go?

Normal Rob · Jun 17, 2021

monty uk said:
How did the presentation go?

well I got the job, so well I suppose!

I took the advice given here, plus spoke to a couple of key personnel within the business and evidently managed to hit the spot. Start date TBC as I am on 3 months notice but I'm looking to get that pushed through earlier.

Thanks all,

Rob.

Lethargic · Jun 17, 2021

You are at the second interview which basically means they are happy you are a good technical fit and you can assume so are the others to be interviewed so what they are now doing is comparing you against these other candidates, you can all do the job but who will do the job best.

As others have said it is probably no the actual content of the presentation that is important but the other bits - what was your thought process, how did you put together the presentation, have you looked beyond the core question, how will you demonstrate value or increased profits (it's all about the money).

So try and explore some of the areas on the periphery particularly if you can demonstrate making/saving money. Some areas that come to mind are the advantages/disadvantages of different market sectors, exploiting Covid after all online traffic has increased, data protection and secure coding or some of the softer skills team leading, project management, etc.

Good luck.

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[Help] Help for job interview - digital sales and programmatic advertising

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