Comms manager interview - what to expect?

[Elwynne]

I need your help! I have an interview for the role of Head of comms for an international science/tech organisation.

I am currently comms manager for a similar but much smaller organisation. All feedback suggests I'm very good at what I do and I know I meet the requirements of the job I'm interviewing for, however I got my current role through a promotion rather than interviewing for it, so I feel a bit clueless as to what to expect from the interview questions. It is a long interview too, 1.5 hours , with a panel of 6 . No presentation expected to be prepared in advance.

Have any of you been through something similar, can you give me some advice about what to expect in terms of questions? Any tips would be highly appreciated too and if anyone can tell me a way not to wave my arms around when I'm talking, I'll forever be in your debt.

Look at the essential requirements/ person spec for the job and turn them into interview questions. For example, ‘Must have international campaigns experience’ ‘Tell us about an international comms campaigns you have led/developed etc. How did you make sure it was a success/ measure success ...That’s how I use to write questions for interviews. I’m sure other people will have other ideas to. Good luck!

They will also probably want to know what your strategic vision is for their comms.You probably know that already but I fudged that topic at a final interview and it went to the other candidate.

Thanks @yellowrattle that's really helpful!

Make sure you have a view on their comms- what are they doing well, how do they compare to similar organisations, what would you change/vision for comms and the team, where is the opportunity for them.

I would have at least one example of another organisation you admire/think is doing great comms work.

In particular thinking about science and tech I’d make sure you have a really strong example around managing stakeholders who aren’t natural comms people/highly technical experts.

Worth preparing an example around measuring success, using data and insight to drive campaigns, audience segmentation etc. Especially if there are people on the panel who aren’t comms people and might need a bit of convincing on value.

Increasingly looking at how you either reach diverse audiences or amplify under represented voices is key in comms so if that’s something you’ve done before think about how you could apply it to them if relevant.

Good luck!

I can't help with the interview but re. not waving your hands - clasp them in your lap.

If you can get a friend/family member to give you an interview rehearsal, 'hand posture' is something you can practice.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help me out, with these really useful answers, I really appreciate your help!

I'll let you know how I get on.

In particular thinking about science and tech I’d make sure you have a really strong example around managing stakeholders who aren’t natural comms people/highly technical experts

This is a really important point - demonstrate that you have the expertise to convert technical language into more accessible comms messaging to bridge the divide between tech and 'real-world' end user speak.

If you can research who your different stakeholder groups are, that will also help so you can demonstrate how you're able to tailor your Comms to each stakeholder group.

I bet they're looking for a calm grownup who can take responsibility and deal with any crises. As well as all the fluffy vision stuff. Good luck! Oh and make answers specific based on what you actually did. Make it easy for them to score you highly.

Star technique is really useful for interviews. S for situation, T for task, A for action and R for result. Really helps you explain and offer examples as responses to questions. Good luck

I have been searching for this thread to update you all. I got the job!!! I start next month So thank you so much for your help I couldn't have done it without you incredible people and your top tips

Congratulations!! Well done!