Having worked at Merkle since January 2014, Anna's role of Senior Search Account Manager means that she works on numerous accounts for a range of clients. When she is not analysing data, she's known to take the role of an interviewer - here's what she looks for in a candiate.
What degree did you study and has it helped you in this role?
I studied French & Italian at the University of Leeds. It definitely helped give me an international outlook on accounts, as well as translation skills that are often useful at Merkle. I’m very detail-orientated and I think my degree (and my work as a proofreader) has certainly helped me here!
What do you most like about being part of Merkle?
The best thing about working here is a mixture of the people and the clients! I like working with people that enjoy what they do and who want to do the best for their clients.
When interviewing, what’s the first thing you look for from a candidate?
The first thing that I look for when conducting an interview is someone who is interested in PPC, not just Merkle, and someone who can justify why they want to specialise in this particular strand of digital. I often interview candidates that can talk about why they want to work in a fun environment, but when it comes to talking about why they would like to work in PPC, or even Digital, they really struggle to justify their reasoning. This is a red light to me as it means that the candidate might be a risk to the Company in terms of long term prospects. Although we don’t expect people to be experts and we do provide extensive training for all new joiners, we need to be sure that they have a passion for PPC and have done their background research in this particular industry.
What makes a candidate stand out throughout the process?
I'm always impressed when a candidate has read blogs, on our website and through other means. It's great when you come prepared with some good questions, not just generic ones, but ones about the industry. In doing so, it shows that they have more than just a basic interest in digital marketing - so don’t be afraid to grill us on the latest PPC developments!
Are there any specific questions you always like to ask?
During the initial interviews, I like to ask candidates some basic PPC questions as it helps me work out if they have done their background research. I also like to ask what candidates are looking for in their ideal role, to see whether there is anything that doesn’t fit in with what we offer. We don’t want to mislead candidates into thinking the job role is different to what it is, so this helps start a discussion about what they actually want to be doing. Further along the interview process, asking about longer term career goals and where they hope to see themselves in 1/3/5 years time is a great way to see ambition and priorities for each candidate. There is no right answer here, but it is just interesting to see what candidates say!
What advice would you give to graduates or job seekers applying to Merkle now?
Come prepared with some good questions and make sure you do your research beforehand!
Want to join the team?
We are always recruiting for new Search Account Managers, so if you'd like to join our team, check out our current opportunities.