What are the most common mistakes you see candidates make during an interview for a demand generation position?

I’ve grouped the most common areas of opportunity for candidates below. See these items as opportunities for growth that are very doable to overcome.

• Not being prepared. This may seem obvious, but it happens often enough to note it. Specifically for demand gen, you have to be able to demonstrate either a deep understanding on a topic or be trainable for an entry level role. 
• Not being familiar with a recent update in the industry that is timely. For example, if you are interviewing for an SEO role and an industry shaking update was just released, be prepared to speak to it in the event it comes up.
• Not having a perspective on a topic. Demand generation is a career path where it’s helpful to have a testing mentality and a perspective on what will work. When asked, it helps to have a point of view on the topic or at least a direction you want to take that part of the conversation.
• Curious and ask questions. Personally, I want to get a sense for your interest in demand gen and gauge that curiosity with your questions. This is also a good time to get a better understanding if this is the kind of leadership you will see growth under. 

You’ll notice common themes with what I noted above. You can easily address these items by going into the interview informed. Depending on the level of the role, this will look different. Be sure to tailor these items based on the expected knowledge level.

One of the mistakes I see most often (and this applies to any interview) is not doing your prep work. Take 15 minutes to read about the company and understand what they do. The goal of this isn't to answer the question "What do you know about us?" but to inform the questions you ask your interviewer.

For example, if I know the company I'm interviewing with sells AI technology, I can ask about how they are dealing with the popularity of ChatGPT. Or, if the company sells into real estate, I can ask how they are adjusting their marketing messaging with interest rates up and home sales down.

Other mistakes I have seen:

• Answering "nothing" when asked about their biggest weakness. Everyone has a weakness - the best answer here is something true, but framed in a way that shows you know yourself and are working to improve it (ie, sometimes I interrupt people, so I've started counting to 3 before speaking to slow myself down)
• Talking yourself down (ie, saying "I'm bad at technology")
• Thinking you know everything. Everyone always has something to learn, even about their current discipline. Be careful when making statements about the company you are interviewing with, especially (no "oh sounds like you definitely need more ad programs!" for example).
• Losing focus on what the company is looking for. If you're interviewing for an ABM-focused role, talk about your ABM experience and give examples that align with that. If you're interviewing for a more high-volume lead generation job, give relevant examples related to that.