Very very easy interview, no brainteasers, nothing out of the box. All behavior based questions, tell me about a time that you succeeded, Tell me about a time you had a conflict, Tell me about a time that you were a leader. Know your resume inside and out. It is not necessary to have had an internship before to land this job. Be kind, respectful and very outgoing! Showing what a value you could be the company won't get you anywhere, past experience will get you the interview but NOT the job. Campus Interview, 30 minutes, two people interviewing you. They should call you back in the next 1 to 2 weeks if you get an offer. If they ask if you have any other offers...ALWAYS SAY YES! Don't be nervous for this interview, the people that work at Marathon are honestly the nicest people you will ever meet. They want to make sure that you will fit the company culture, speak intelligently but don't be a stiff! Above all else, be yourself (fun, outgoing and bright), your personality gets you the job!
What will get you rejected: showing no flexibility, this company and the positions that they hire for are all about constant travel! Marathon offers internship programs that run year round in several different cities. The interviewer will ask you what you city preferences are, tell her honestly, but make sure to add that you are very flexible or open to any location. A bonus will be if you are open to an internship that will be in either the fall or the spring instead of just summer!
This is a very unique company, they are Fortune 50, but have the company culture of your basic small town business. Findlay, OH is a small town that is very tight knit, everybody and their mother works for Marathon! They are looking for people who want to be with the company for the next 50 years, do their job to the best of their ability and not cause any trouble - word of caution, they are NOT looking for the new hot talent. If you are a person that needs the fast-paced, constantly evolving work place this is NOT the company for you. However, if you are the type of person who really values a sense of community, finds comfort in a smaller town, but still wants the the perks that come along with working for a Fortune 50 company (company car, excellent starting salary for a new college grad and the best benefit plan I have ever seen), then this is the company for you!
Marathon hires marketing interns so that one day (often 2 to 3 years down the road) they will be Territory Managers. Being a Territory Manager is an amazing opportunity for a young college grad, aside from the good pay and company car, you basically get to manage your own business, you have tons of flexibility and make your own schedule (which means you don't have to be in the office everyday). A TM does not work in Findlay, they are stationed around the U.S in one of Marathon's available territories. At Marathon you control your career, if you want to be a TM for the rest of your time with the company that is fine, the company offers you promotions and career shifts almost every 2 to 3 years.
A final word of caution, most companies that I have worked for base the final decision to hire you based off of your performance over the course of the internship. This is NOT the case with Marathon. The decision to hire is made by three big heads of the company that didn't even interview you (still the nicest people you will ever meet). A bad internship performance will cost you the final job offer, but a good one won't help you much at all. To receive a final offer for hire you will go through the same exact process as someone who didn't intern. The decision to hire depends almost completely on your final interview ( Three hours long, with three different senior leaders). The format for this is exactly like your campus interview, ALL behavior based.
I ended up interning with Marathon and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. While Findlay may not be a bustling metropolis, its location is ideal in that it is only a couple hours away from several major cities. I traveled every weekend, made amazing friends and had the time of my life; case and point, Findlay is what you make of it, you can stay there and be bored out of your mind every weekend or go out an experience life. Marathon truly is a gem, and I highly recommend considering an offer to intern with them, whether or not you choose to stay at the company if offered a full-time position depends on what you want out of life.
(On a side note: Marathon requires a drug test, so if you are a college student unwilling to give up a certain *lifestyle* (as many people put it), I recommend going a different route.
I know that this is a long post, but I hope it provided some clarity that other posts may have been lacking.