Interviewing at SHIFT? 3 Questions to Ask

Since starting at SHIFT almost four years ago, I’ve had the pleasure of being included in the interview process when my team has been looking to fill open positions. Whether interviewing an Account Coordinator or Account Director, it’s been a unique experience to sit on the other side of the table and act as the interviewer. However, it’s not always the skills that are presented on a resume that make the candidate most impressive – it’s the questions the interviewee asks throughout the conversation that leave a lasting impression. And the candidates that ask the most SHIFT-specific questions prove they’ve done their research and demonstrate their desire to work for the agency.

If you’re coming in for an interview at SHIFT in the near future, no matter what position you’re applying for, here are a couple questions to ask the interviewer:

It’s obvious that SHIFT cares about data-driven PR, but tell me what that actually means? What’s an example of a data-driven PR campaign or project you’ve executed on your team?

An easy, but fully-loaded question. Anyone who goes to our website will see we’re all about data-driven PR, so this question could be perceived as an obvious one. However, asking the person if they’ve specifically executed a campaign that centered on data-driven outreach can help tell the applicant about types of projects they may have the opportunity to work on.

That’s so cool SHIFT represents big brands like McDonald’s and Toyota – what is it like to work on those types of accounts?

Trick question – don’t ask this question to a SHIFTer in an interview unless you know he or she has worked on that account. We have a lot of clients at SHIFT with many success stories to share (not just the big ones), so instead, ask the interviewer about one of their favorite clients and what they were able to do for them that made it a memorable partnership.

How is success measured at SHIFT and what resources do employees have access to that support professional development?

One of my favorite parts about working at SHIFT Communications is every employee is evaluated based on his or her own personal goals and skills. You work with your Manager, Director or Vice President to outline those goals and are constantly updating them based on feedback and achievements. Further, should you need to work on a specific skillset, SHIFT has an already established Learning and Development program that offers trainings to employees of all levels. For example, if you need help with time management skills, there’s a training on that! Knowing that success is measured on a frequent basis, but that opportunities are available to improve any and all skills is a huge perk about working and growing a career at SHIFT.

There are just a few sample questions you can ask if you’re swinging by a SHIFT office for an interview. And if you need some motivation to get you to the interview stage, here are our open positions.

Emily Wienberg
Account Manager 

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