The Importance of Fit

If there is one thing that all human resources people will tell you that they look for in potential candidates, it is this: you must fit in. In this way, the advertising industry is pretty unique, I think. Obviously, your hard skills are required to get you into the interview, but after that it's all about your personality and if you will fit in nicely with the team. This could be verrryy very daunting, because they're essentially saying that you may have the skills to do the job but, meh, we don't really like you all that much. This is a bit of an exaggeration, but still not far from the truth!

I think it's completely understandable that if you don't fit in with the company you may not get the job. These people are going to working long days with you.. and if they can't stand you, it could be detrimental to the team dynamic they've fostered for years. Now, there are some ways to get past this 'they don't like me that much' problem.

oh :(

You can research the company, find out what they stand for and see if you would naturally be a good fit with them. What kind of content do they produce? Are they kinda funny or more of a serious and strict agency? Is it a fun work environment? All of these questions can be answered with a quick Google search, and can be especially valuable in the interview. Showing that your passionate about the same things they are is a sure way to stand out from the competition and land you that job. If you find that you can really connect with the agency and believe in the message they want to communicate, both you and the agency will benefit. Also, if you find that you don't really fit in, who cares? It's an agency that might not share the same values or interests as you, and you're probably better off not working there in the first place. 

I think that in order to see if you will truly be a good fit, you have to do some introspective thinking; 'what do I believe in, what type of team do I want to be a part of, what are my values, what is my work ethic like, what is my personality like' are all questions that have to be answered before you even go into an interview. By understanding yourself, you'll be more confident in the interview and be able to be honest with both yourself and the hiring staff, which will turn the interview into a conversation. Also, you won't have to put on a fake smile and exaggerate your own skills to impress them... you're honesty and self-reflection will.