AIGA, D&AD, Icograda, DBA... just a few of the many trade associations for graphic designers, but how useful are they?
Paul Howard Arden, advertising creative and successful writer, was born on April 7th, 1940, and died on April 2nd, 2008. Here’s a quick excerpt from his seminal book, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be.
The following interview advice for graphic designers was written by Lee Newham of Good People, former design director at London-based Davies Hall.
Graphic design interview tips
- When you arrive in the interview give us your business card. It should be well designed, memorable, simple and hopefully have a great idea. It should be unique and you should be branded.
- Have 8–12 pieces of work in your folio. Put the best pieces at the front and back.
- Have at least six questions ready to ask (if you have less, you'll find they will be answered in the course of the interview).
- Take a pad and pen, take it out at the beginning of the interview. You don’t have to take notes, but it looks as if you are organised.
- Talk about your work before you show it, but don't talk too much. This should be one short sentence to engage the interviewer with you. We will be looking at you as you speak. Then show us your work.
- Have samples and mock ups.
- Bring sketches. We are as interested in how you got to the final solution as the solution itself. You can show other concepts.
- Have a copy of your CV (resumé) at the back of the portfolio. Offer it even if we already have it.
- On your CV don’t tell people about exam results or part-time jobs that have nothing to do with your chosen career. It pisses us off.
- Don’t talk about holiday or money in a first interview.
- Give a firm handshake.
- Tell us you really want the job (believe it or not, hardly anyone does this).
- Ask for our business card(s).
- When you get back home, send an email thanking us for the interview.
- Make sure your branding is consistent on your business card, CV and email signature.
- One for luck: Remember, 80% of design students are crap. We see lots of CVs (95% of which are crap). If you can get into the top 20% you will get a job.
Further resources:
- Favourite job interview questions, on swissmiss
- 10 job interview tips from a CEO headhunter, on Fast Company
- What interview questions are actually trying to discover, on Seth's Blog
- 5 questions great job candidates ask, on Inc.