You’re in a job interview and the interviewer is trying to trip you up. How do you stay assertive?

1 Know your worth

Before you walk into the interview, make sure you have a clear idea of your strengths, achievements, and skills as a marketer. Review your resume, portfolio, and previous feedback, and prepare some concrete examples of how you delivered results, solved problems, or improved processes. This will help you answer questions confidently and showcase your value proposition to the employer.

2 Listen actively

One of the most important skills for any marketer is to listen to the needs, wants, and pain points of their audience. The same applies to job interviews. Listen carefully to what the interviewer is asking, and try to understand the underlying purpose or goal of the question. Don’t interrupt, argue, or assume you know what they want to hear. Instead, ask clarifying questions, paraphrase, or summarize the main points to show that you are engaged and interested.

3 Be positive

Even if the interviewer asks you something negative, such as your weaknesses, failures, or challenges, don’t let it affect your mood or tone. Instead, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate your resilience, learning, and growth. Focus on how you overcame the situation, what you learned from it, and how you applied it to future projects. Avoid blaming others, making excuses, or being too self-critical. Emphasize the positive outcomes and the value you added.

4 Be honest

Sometimes, the interviewer may ask you something that you don’t know, or that you are not comfortable with. Don’t panic, lie, or evade the question. Instead, be honest and admit that you don’t have the answer, or that you need more information or time to think. You can also use this as a chance to show your curiosity, initiative, and willingness to learn. For example, you can say that you are not familiar with a certain tool or technique, but that you are eager to learn more about it, and how you would go about doing so.

5 Be concise

One of the common mistakes that candidates make in job interviews is to ramble, repeat, or go off on tangents when answering questions. This can make you sound unsure, unprepared, or unfocused. To avoid this, try to structure your answers using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This will help you provide clear, relevant, and specific examples of your marketing skills and achievements, without wasting time or words. Also, avoid using filler words, jargon, or slang that may confuse or distract the interviewer.

6 Be respectful

Finally, remember that being assertive does not mean being aggressive, rude, or arrogant. You want to impress the interviewer with your marketing skills and personality, not with your ego or attitude. Be polite, courteous, and respectful to the interviewer and anyone else you meet during the interview process. Thank them for their time and attention, and express your enthusiasm and interest in the role and the company. Follow up with a thank-you note or email, and restate your value and fit for the position.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?