Latest / The Marketing Career Podcast with Fexingo: Marketing Jobs, Skills, and Career Growth / How AI Is Reshaping the Marketing Job Interview
Transcript
- Lucas: So you're in a marketing job interview, and the hiring manager asks you to describe how you'd build a lead gen campaign from scratch. You pause for a second — and you've got ChatGPT open in another tab, feeding you a perfect, structured answer. Do you use it? Luna: I think a lot of marketers would say yes. And honestly, I get it. But here's the thing — the hiring manager probably knows. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what we're digging into today. I've been looking at a survey from earlier this year — May 2026 — of about 500 marketing hiring managers across B2B and B2C companies. Sixty-two percent said they can now spot ai generated interview answers within the first thirty seconds. Luna: That's a huge number. And it's only going to grow. Lucas: Right. So the question isn't really whether you should use AI in an interview — it's how you use it. And whether you're honest about it. Luna: I think the honest part is key. I've heard stories from friends who are hiring managers — they'll ask a candidate a question, get a perfectly structured answer with bullet points, and it sounds like it came straight out of a prompt. They'll then ask a follow-up that requires a personal example, and the candidate fumbles. Lucas: That disconnect is exactly what hiring managers are trained to look for now. I spoke with the VP of Marketing at a mid-market B2B SaaS company — they recently changed their interview rubric to specifically flag answers that sound too generic. They call it the 'ChatGPT tell' — overly formal language, no specific numbers, no indication that the candidate actually executed something. Luna: So what's the alternative? Just don't use AI at all? Lucas: I don't think it's that simple. Because AI can actually be a great tool for preparation. The smartest candidates I've talked to use it to brainstorm frameworks or practice answers, but they always customize — they inject their own experience, their own numbers, their own voice. Luna: So it's about using AI as a thought partner, not a crutch. Lucas: Exactly. And some candidates are taking it a step further — they're being transparent. I've heard of people saying, 'I used ChatGPT to structure my thinking on this, but here's what I actually did in my last role.' And hiring managers actually appreciate that honesty. Luna: I can see that working. It shows self-awareness and strategic thinking. Plus, it demonstrates that you know how to use AI effectively — which is a skill in itself for many marketing roles now. Lucas: Exactly. A lot of job descriptions in 2026 explicitly ask for experience with AI tools. So hiding your AI use is actually a missed opportunity to showcase a relevant skill. Luna: That's a really good point. It's not just about getting the answer right — it's about showing that you understand the landscape. Lucas: Let me give you a concrete example. There's a marketer I know who applied for a senior growth role at a tech company. During the interview, the hiring manager asked how she would approach a new market entry. She said, 'I used Claude to brainstorm potential channels and initial messaging, but based on my experience in the region, I'd prioritize LinkedIn and industry events because I know the audience is older and values in-person relationships.' Luna: That's perfect. She showed she could use AI efficiently, but she also demonstrated domain expertise. Lucas: She got the job. And the hiring manager told me later that her transparency was a big factor. Luna: I think that's becoming the new standard. The bar isn't just knowing your stuff — it's knowing how to leverage tools without losing your own voice. Lucas: And that's something we talk about a lot on this show — the skill of being a modern marketer. It's not about rejecting AI or embracing it blindly. It's about using it strategically. Luna: Which brings me to something I've been thinking about: if these conversations about marketing career strategy have been useful to you — if you've actually applied something you heard here — that's exactly why we do this show. Lucas: Yeah, and keeping this podcast ad-free and focused on real, actionable content is important to us. So if you've gotten value from episodes like this one, and you want to support the show, there's a simple way to do it. Luna: You can buy us a coffee. Seriously, it's just — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. All lowercase. Lucas: And that support helps us keep doing deep dives like this one. No pressure — just if it's something you want to do. Alright, back to the interview topic. Luna: So we've covered the do's and don'ts of using AI in interviews. But I want to talk about something else: how hiring managers themselves are using AI to screen candidates. Lucas: That's a huge topic. Some companies are using AI to analyze video interviews — tone of voice, facial expressions, word choice. And there's a lot of debate about bias in those systems. Luna: Right. But from a candidate's perspective, knowing that the system might be looking for certain keywords or patterns changes how you prepare. Lucas: It does. And one thing I've heard from career coaches is to speak naturally but be deliberate about including relevant keywords from the job description — not in a forced way, but woven into your stories. Luna: So it's like SEO for your interview answers. Lucas: Exactly. And the same principle applies to written applications. AI screening tools parse resumes and cover letters for specific terms. If you're not tailoring your language to the job description, you're probably getting filtered out before a human even sees it. Luna: That's frustrating but real. So what's the one piece of advice you'd give to a marketer preparing for an interview right now? Lucas: I'd say practice your stories out loud — without AI. Know your numbers, your specific results. Then use AI to refine your structure or anticipate tough questions. But when you're in the room, you need to sound like you, not like a language model. Luna: That's solid. And honestly, it's advice that applies whether you're using AI or not. Authenticity is still the differentiator. Lucas: Absolutely. And as AI tools get more sophisticated, the premium on genuine human experience only goes up. Luna: Which is a good note to end on. Thanks for listening, everyone — we'll be back next week with another deep dive. Lucas: Take care.