Mock Interviews: Understanding My Strengths

Recently, I've been preparing for marketing roles by taking part in a couple of mock interviews. One was an in-person interview and the other was an AI-based practice interview.

I found both useful for different reasons. The in-person interview gave me feedback on how I communicate and present myself, while the AI interview helped me look more closely at my experience and the skills I can bring to a marketing role.

In-person Mock interview

"Terra came across as a very determined and structured individual with excellent communication skills. Their passion clearly lies within digital marketing, media and design.

Having had the responsibility of running a brand, Terra has developed a wide range of valuable skills. Terra has learned the importance of listening to others and responding positively to feedback. When faced with negative feedback or a challenging situation, she is able to step back, take a breath and approach the issue with fresh eyes and a clear perspective.

Terra also demonstrated a very caring, understanding, and considerate nature. This is a valuable quality that will continue to support her as she pursues her passion and develops her career.

They communicate with confidence and ease, understands the importance of time management and organisation, and consistently demonstrates an awareness of company values. Overall, Terra presented herself as a motivated, thoughtful and capable individual with a genuine passion for her chosen field."

AI Mock interview

Utilising AI for a practise interview, here are some strengths identified based on mock interview answers, my CV and a typical job description for Marketing Assistant at Bishop's Palace.

1. You have unusually broad experience for a Marketing Assistant role.

You're not coming into this purely from a qualification. You've actually worked across social media, websites, email marketing, copywriting, analytics, graphic design, branding and campaign work.

Your Oaktree experience in particular maps very closely to the Palace role: WordPress, Mailchimp, social media, analytics, print materials and working across departments. Your Rubies experience then adds another layer of commercial marketing, branding and asset management.

2. Your graphic design background is a major differentiator.

You have a BA and MA in Graphic Design alongside your marketing qualification, and you've used Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva and other visual tools professionally.

But more importantly, you're demonstrating that you understand design strategically. Your point about photographing with negative space for future CTAs/text is a great example.

That's particularly valuable because this job specifically wants someone who can lead on content creation, photography/videography and creative assets.

3. You're genuinely community-oriented.

This isn't something you've simply added because you saw it in the Palace's values. Your work with Weston Pride and Pink Hub Club demonstrates actual experience working with community organisations, developing their identities and communicating with their audiences.

Your WSM Pride example is probably your best interview example because you can demonstrate:

• brand development

• website/social setup

• campaign planning

• physical and digital assets

• community engagement

• fundraising

• accessibility

• measurable outcomes

• working under a tight deadline

That's a lot of competencies from one example.

4. You think analytically rather than just creatively.

When you see successful content, you don't immediately say “make more of it.” You want to investigate why it worked: format, timing, campaign objective, hashtags, audience, etc.

Likewise, when ticket sales are low, your instinct is to investigate the conversion journey rather than simply blame the campaign.

5. You're audience-focused.

You naturally ask questions like:

Who are we trying to reach? What would make this relevant to them? What do we want them to do?

Your answers around local audiences, community groups and the 12-month visitor pass demonstrate that you're thinking about audience needs rather than simply promoting the organisation.

6. You're comfortable balancing creativity with brand consistency.

Your WSM Pride poster example is excellent here. You received feedback that the work needed to be more colourful, had concerns about losing the brand identity, and found a solution that achieved both. That demonstrates creative judgement + ability to take feedback + respect for brand guidelines.

And your statement that “a piece of work can be better than the original idea” is exactly the sort of attitude I'd want from someone joining a small marketing team.

7. You're willing to take ownership.

Your WSM Pride work is particularly compelling because you weren't simply handed a social media account and told what to post. You helped establish the organisation's brand identity and online presence from scratch.

That suggests you can operate with a degree of independence, which is useful in a small team.

Reflection

The in-person interview gave me insight into how I come across and reassured me that my answers aren't as awkward as I make them out to be in my own perspective. I have learnt that I have the ability to link my experiences into a conversation and that I can be a quick thinker when responding to questions.

The AI mock interview gave me a different type of insight. It was able to analyse my interview answers and give me a brief summary of how I think, which reinforced some of the strengths I have as a candidate. It also made me think more about the areas I should highlight and how I can use my experiences to separate myself from other candidates.

Overall, both interviews have given me a better understanding of myself as a candidate. The in-person interview has given me more confidence in how I come across, whilst the AI feedback has helped me understand the strengths behind the answers I give.