Interviewing 101: Advice from Managers at Gupta Media

Interviewing for a job, especially your first job, can feel overwhelming but when you show up prepared and confident you increase your chances of being hired. At Gupta Media, our management team conducts many entry-level interviews throughout the year. So, we asked them to share their best advice on making a good impression. 

Prescott Taylor, Head of Finance:

"Ask questions. And not generic questions about the company you can find on their website.  But questions about culture and people.  You are going to be spending a lot of time at this company with these people, so remember that you are interviewing the company to see if it fits you, as much as they are interviewing you to see if you fit them."

Courtney Griffin, Associate Account Director:

"Be thoughtful about answering their questions with specific examples, but don’t panic if you don’t have directly relevant experience. They’d rather you be honest about wanting to learn a new skill than scrambling to make something up."

Joe Schlesinger, Group Account Director:

"Show the company how you are bringing value to them, even at an entry-level position. Don’t just talk about what you did in your past experience, tell them your plans to improve the organization. Put time into thinking through that before your interview and drive back to that as you go through the conversation. Make it feel like they will be losing out if they don’t hire you."

Jess Dashner, Director of Media Strategy & Operations:

"Business is about building relationships. Make sure you connect with your interviewer on a personal level. You need to do more than convey the information you know they want to hear. You want to present yourself as an authentic, compassionate person who people will want to work with."

Samantha Saner, Associate Account Director:

"Exude confidence and positivity in your body language. Maintain eye contact with your interviewers while you are speaking to them. Lean forward in your seat instead of back. Grip the handshake extra strong at the end. Smile often."

Ilyssa Hecht, Account Director:

"Research the company thoroughly before the interview. Read their website, bios, case studies, etc. Even if you aren’t asked questions specifically about the company, find ways to include what you’ve learned about them into the conversation to show you did your research. Think deeply about why you want to work for this company so you can effectively answer that question and have your enthusiasm for this specific company come across throughout the interview."

Laura Bouclainville, Associate Account Director:

"Remember, they hand-picked you from a pile of applicants, so show them why they had the right instinct. You're not expected to know every little thing about the company before you walk in the room, but make sure you're asking enough questions to triple your knowledge by the time you leave the room. Show them what you can bring to the company, and don't think that because this is your first job out of college that you don't have anything impressive to bring to the table."