This is my unofficial Quick List of informative information (I didn't say brief) of how to interview for a job or internship and still keep your soul.
Ten glorious lessons that I learned from interviewing and being interviewed.
1.Arrive Early to your Interview.
Actually if you've never been to the place your are about to interview then do a site check or a drive-by a day or so before your interview. Know where to park and where the front door is. It will also lessen your anxiety if you see where you're going before it happens. Get good sleep the night before you interview.
Visualize yourself going through the interview. It is commonly used by many professionals and it works. I'm not kidding.
2.Arrive Early: Part Two.
Don't take for granted that life is suddenly going to roll out a red carpet for you the day you go for your all-important interview. Traffic, car problems, road closings, weather,and the occasional spilled coffee on your "interview clothes" can always throw a wrench into any one's day. Leave early enough for your interview even if you have to sit in the parking lot a little longer than expected. Talk radio is always entertaining while you are waiting.
3.Take a Bath.
The old saying "fresh as a daisy" really comes into play here.
Good Hygiene insures the interviewer remembers your work, not your scent.
Leave them wanting more, not less.
Remember that an over abundance of cologne/perfume can work against you as well.
Think fresh soapy smell.
Oh,and try to keep your sweating down to a minimum. Sweating is a normal thing prior and during an interview but I suggest doubling-up with your deodorant or perspiration pads that day. I've actually seen people in parking lots changing into their interview clothes right before they walk into the interview with an employer. (Be aware of windows to the place you are interviewing while you are changing clothes... Hey, whatever works.
Whatever it takes....cool, calm and collected (and dry and smelling good.)
I cannot tell you how many conversation I had at CNN and NBC with my colleagues after someone came in smelling and looking like last nights bar and grill. It just doesn't fly no matter how good a designer you might think you are. Even the Cartoon Network is looking for someone dependable,fun, wacky, gregarious, yes, but also well groomed.
Find a mirror right before you stroll into your interview and take one last look at yourself before your first meeting.
Nose?
(yes, those pesky booger-like things and runaway nose hairs are definitely a turnoff in an interview, unless you're Salvador Dali. I've had to sit and stare at many designers whom I was interviewing only to become obsessed with something at the end of their nose while they were speaking. I swear I don't think I ever heard a word they saying during the entire interview because I found myself mesmerized with some weird little thing on their nose or eyelid. It's hypnotizing. Let the work be hypnotizing not that thing at the bottom of your nose or that onion seed in your teeth. I know it's shallow, but it's true.
Eyes?
Bloodshot? Grab your Murine. Check.
Mouth?
(what's with those weird little white snowball things in the corners when your mouth becomes dry as sandpaper? Be prepared. Think Chapstick!
Did you have a spinach salad for lunch before your interview? Brush your teeth. Check.
Hair? Watch those hair products, the can certainly backfire on you if its the least bit of rainy or humid day. I've never known a person who didn't get a job because of bad hair, but you just might be the first. Check.
Kidneys?
Go to the restroom before you interview.
It's hard to interview on a full kidney. Not a good idea to meet someone for an interview and then ask to use their restroom. It's a bid odd to do so.
It's also a good time for me to mention that you might want to check your buttons, buckles, Velcro and zippers after an impromptu visit to the restroom. I have too many stories about this visual oversight. Somehow interviews become very strange (for all involved) if someone has forgot to close the barn door or button up.
Dress accordingly for the interview. If you've done your homework you know the dress code already but for the interview a coat and tie might be just as inappropriate as a VanHalen reunion T-shirt. Youth inspired but also respectful of the interview process.
Know your place. You might even want to ask during a phone interview should you wear a coat and tie or something more casual.
4.Listen First. Then Speak.
My old Art Director Fran Heaney at CNN used to say "when you're new, be new." Simply put, don't go into an interview and start telling them how you'd like to run the company or how you feel that their product could be better (your are basically saying it sucks) or that you'd really like to work at their company because you just really want to get your foot into the door so you can eventually move around inside the company. Beware of coming on too strong no matter how many cups of coffee you've drank beforehand. Be respectful. Listen.
Learn to talk about your work quickly and simply. (I don't mean speed-talking.)
On a good day, most employers and interviewers only have 10-15 minutes to spare for interviews.
Try not to explain your work and point at it and touch and hang all over it. Don't make the person who is interviewing you feel like you are teaching them about what Design is...you don't have to point at a poster you created and say "this is a poster about..." They probably already know that. Talk about your process or your concept.
Remember you are visual communicators, so your work will probably speak for itself without further explanation. The employer will ask if they want to know more. That's your cue to speak up.
There is no harm in describing the individual work if asked to do so, but allow the interviewer to ask follow up questions...and then have a few good questions up your sleeve to ask them. They usually want to hire someone who is interested in their own welfare...meaning a healthy work environment.
Be Real.
Most companies already know that you will either stay with them long term or not. It's a joint union between the company and the employee...and both benefit. Be humble. We all can always choose to learn something new from an interview. Sit back and let the interviewer tell their story....and pay attention. Don't interrupt them and become "all crazy-eyed" while they are telling you about their company. Don't yawn in their face. It's so simple. All you have to do is just listen and when the time is right, speak up. Tell the employer what you know they would love to hear. Nothing wrong with that. They are expecting you to do that. Be honest and upfront but remember you haven't gotten the job/internship yet...Things you could possibly say:
"Why yes, I've always imagined myself working here and am so excited that I now finally have a chance to interview," or "I've always dreamed of working here. It's why I wanted to get into design in the first place."
(OK,okay. I can imagine each of you rolling your eyes at this point so you perhaps you don't have to overload it with sentiments like from a Hallmark card, but you get the point. Show some enthusiasm and excitement. You are center stage and the spotlight is only on you. Enjoy this moment where it becomes about you and your work.)
Don't be too chatty or giggly.
Don't be too silent.
Don't mumble.
Don't volunteer too much information about yourself during the interview.
Look them in the eye.
Don't ever look at your watch.
Don't end the interview process yourself.
Don't ask for change for the parking meter outside.
Don't tell them you have another interview right after this one.
Don't cuss or make "off color remarks."
Speak in complete sentences.
Don't faint or fart in the office.
Don't shrug when asked questions by the interviewer.
Don't roll your eyes. Ever.
Don't ask about money or vacation time. (There's time for that later.)
Don't ask what the policy is about dating within the company.
If you know someone else who is working at the company you are interviewing with, it's probably not very smart not to bring that person(s) up in your interview. You never know how they stand in the eyes of the company or the person you are interviewing with. Let the interviewer bring it up and then only answer with "yes, I know them. We went to school together."
Don't say disparaging things about your school, your faculty, your classmates,your past jobs and most importantly, don't say negative things about yourself.
Don't come off as insecure or needy but just as important don't come off cocky.
Don't be a Prima Donna.
Please ask interesting questions during your interview...not the kind of questions which appear too self-serving like...(and these are actual questions I've been asked)...
"So, How's the money here?
How many days for vacation will I get?
When should I expect a promotion?
Do you have a higher salary I can start at?
What is actually considered "late to work?"
Where's the break room?
How long do we get for Lunch?
Can I listen to my iPod at work?
What's my incentive for working here?
Will I ever have to work late?
I have a second job and can only work during these hours...
Do you guys ever go out drinking after work?
Is there a gym here and how much is it to join?
I heard you got free Braves tickets when you work here.
What is the guy to girl ratio here?
Any gay people work here?
Can I bring my baby with me to work?
Is there an incentive program for those who want climb the corporate ladder?
Can I get an pay advance?
Do you have a lactating room?
If I get this job I have to tell you that I need the first week in August off for a wedding I'm in.
If I were hired today when would be my first paycheck?"
These are real questions I've been asked. There's more but you get the point.
Concentrate on asking good questions.
Good questions might come in the form of telling the employer that you're really interested in working in a healthy work environment. You can also ask about things like if they have a good 401K or if they plan to grow the company. Again,you are thinking more long-term and that's what you want the employer to pick up from you. Leave the employer with the thought that regardless of whether or not your are hired full-time, part-time or as intern that you're there (committed) for the long haul.
Anything can happen, no need to point that out. Say what they want to hear. Big points here if you play your cards (and words) right.
Remember they are going to train you in some capacity to work there, so they would like to at least think that their time isn't wasted on someone who will leave after a few weeks.
Remember that interviewing is a lot like fishing.
You have to have the correct bait (good design) for what you want to capture (a job), then you have to be patient (you can't make someone hire you) and you have to be willing to choose which pond (company) to throw your hook out into.
Practice what you might ask or say in the interview to the employer.
Be comfortable with your words and how they sound once you've said them. Videotape yourself to see what you look and sound like. I know it's frightening to do so, but it will so keep you focused and is insightful.
Write down a quick list of 5 strengths...you might as well write down a few weaknesses even if you can't think of any...come at it from the the positive like "I'm kind of a workaholic because I love design so much."
5.Do your Homework:
You would never think of buying a home, a car or even get married if you hadn't done some type of investigating/legwork in finding out a little history or background behind where you are applying for a job/internship. No two internships or jobs are ever the same. For that matter, no two interviews are ever the same. One interviewer might ask you 20 esoteric questions just to sit back and enjoy watching you squirm while another might interview you on their lunch break..while you sit there and watch them eat spaghetti and meatballs. Hey, at least they cared enough to include you during their lunch for an interview. Go with the flow. Don't get rattled. What they are doing just might be a trick to see how you would react. I kid you not.
Go with it.
Act. Don't React.
Research the employer so you can ask sensible & intelligent questions.
Imagine yourself working there with all the other designers who you've just met on your way into the interview. Try to imagine what it might be like after working there for 3 months or even a year. Visualize yourself doing the work you see others doing visualize yourself at a Mac station or just chatting up some of the other artist about doing creative work. What is the overall ambiance like inside the studio?
Are there windows? Do you hear people talking or laughing? What do the other employers look like? Frightened? Calm? Friendly? Take a clue here when you look around.
All this might scare the heck out of you but it also might calm you down. Own it and don't forget to listen to your soul. It will guide you.
6.Be Yourself:
If you are listening to what is happening around you, if you are in touch with life and living, which I like to call your soul, then you will certainly be led to the right places at exactly the right time you need to be there. Can't make something happen. It just has to happen. Synchronicity.
Trust your instinct. Get rid of the clutter in your life whatever forms it might take.
This might include all the Ney Sayers and crazymakers as well. Distance yourself from those individuals who only want to bring you down to their level. Adios Amigos!
I truly believe that all of us already have all of the answers to all of the questions long before they are ever asked. Just imagine that concept for a minute.
Think of all the times you've run around asking others what you should do...or "if you were me, would you do this or that? or How would you handle this? or, Do you think I should do this?" I'm certain you already know the answer before you even ask for someone else's' opinion.
Some things really are about having faith and letting life happen in it's own time. All the planning in the world can't keep your from your destiny. You might not believe that, but it's held true for me so far.
You have to want it.
You can't pretend to want it and you have to want it for all the right reasons
(those will change according to who each of you are.)
I've said this many times in class, if you don't love what you're doing, it won't love you back. Love it or get into another line of work. It's a relationship. It's a courtship. Sometimes you argue with your work, you have to walk away from your work and you just might want to divorce your work...but if you love it, you will always survive your work and your workplace.
Just don't let yourself get in the way of you and your success.
By that I mean stop over-think every thing...before it happens and after it happens and while it's happening. Go with the flow.
"DP" means "don't project." Be prepared and then let life happen.
Live in the moment and plan for the future. period.
Many times an employer will ask you things just to get your reaction. There is a whole school of thought about creative interviewing and much of that might work for business professionals and attorneys and such, but creative people are quiet a different tribe.
Our profession is still relatively small in terms of numbers and thrive on being unique and different. (Meant in all the positive ways.)
Let go and let your creative spirit step up to the plate and give it a shot.
None of you got to where you are now by mistake. I promise.
Whether you know it or not you have a great big invisible parachute and you'll be safe. Your parachute is your creativity. Think of all the love and effort and time you put into all the projects that you've done thus far in school.
You are a work-in-progress. Your work, your amazing sense of self discovery and work is a chronicle of your history as a designer...of where you've been and how you got to where you are going. It's your labor of love. It will never turn it's back on you unless you do so first.
So Relax and enjoy this time of change and growth.
Each time your interview you will become more confident and actually start to believe your own story as you tell it over and over in the interviews.
Imagine that! This is why I have always felt that class critiques are so important.
Unfortunately so many of you fail to realize this until it's over or you don't take it seriously. Critiques are a place where you can learn to speak about your work,your thinking process and your end results. You are among friends and colleagues who are there to support you. You are safe within this environment. Your class is literally your "safe house" and you should be able to expose your strengths and weaknesses without fear of repercussion.
The critiques are not intended to be personal even though your creativity might be very personal to you. Learn to separate the two.
Everyone has good interviews and bad interviews. It's a fact so get used to it and don't loose your sense of humor. Not everyone is going to love and adore your work.
Toughen up.
7.Be Spontaneous:
Some of the best interviews I have ever witnessed where the ones where the person seemed so comfortable in their own skin they actually put me at ease during the interview. This is true of the interviewer and interviewee. Not an easy thing to do for most of us, but it has to do with just knowing who you are, warts and all, and not apologizing for it. Of course you can't afford to become too overly confident either.
Don't ever speak down about yourself in an interview.
Don't diminish your creativity. It's listening to you.
Be optimistically honest.
Be prepared that not everyone, everywhere is going to love or even like all your work...and that's just fine. You get points for trying.
Gather up your little creative jewels, put them back into your portfolio case,
thank the interviewer for their time and leave with your head held high.
"Nothing lost, nothing gained."
Some connections just don't ever make.
Oil and Water.
Britney and K-Fed.
Don't sweat it because the next interview and job is just around the corner.
8.MIA: Missing In Action:
I would never,ever, never leave my original portfolio work with any employer.
Sometimes employers will ask you to "run it by and leave if for them to look at at their convenience." If you do, the you are taking an incredible risk that you might not ever see your portfolio again (Missing in Action) or at best, you might get your portfolio back damaged or soiled or even pieces missing. I've heard of employers asking artist to leave their work and when the artist went back to retrieve it several pieces were missing. Stolen. I've heard this happening too many times to many designers. Tell the employer that since the all the work inside your portfolio is original work that you'd be glad to wait outside until they've had a chance to view it. It shows you care and have pride in your work. They wouldn't leave their work with you. So it's fair game. You won't be penalized for it.
You aren't making hamburgers. These design artifacts are indeed your children.
Speaking of children...you would never think of leaving your "child" in a hot or cold car for a long period of time, right? So don't do this with your portfolio. Keep it in a good climate controlled place for safe keeping until you use it again.
9.Get the Job First:
Try to see all this interviewing as a great big high-stakes gamble where you don't really loose. It's a game of sorts, but a game of consequences with an outcome of either good or bad. It's the interviewing experience that really counts. Put on your best self, go in for the interview, be prepared, be rested, speak your own creative voice and leave the rest up to the universe. That's all you can do.
Your energy and enthusiasm and spirit will come through if you let it.
But be prepared to make a decision if the all important question is asked of you:
"We would really like for you to come work with us. When can you start?"
So many people are so busy focusing on the interview process itself that they tend to forget what happens if they actually land the job or internship. Know what you are going to say or at least to have thought about what you might say while you were in the car listening to talk radio because you got to the interview too early (as recommended.)
NOTE TO SELF: Remember you now suddenly have options when someone asks you to come to work with them so don't forget that.
All at once the entire interview process-table has been turned and now YOU are in charge. Although this brief moment is quick, short-lived and mostly uncharted, you now have to be wiser beyond your wildest imagination and lived years.
(BTW Don't forget to enjoy this moment of being wanted and having your creative ego stroked. Wallow in your reverie for at least a nanosecond.)
Still, you must formalize an answer into a complete sentence that will satisfy the job offer just asked by the employer and thereby still allowing yourself some "wiggle room" if you so desire.
In my opinion, it's fine to tell them "yes, I'd love to work here." You can negotiate when you want to actually start later in the conversation, but accept the job first. Just say "Yes" first. Say "yes."
You can always call the employer back (do not email them) and tell them that you have changed your mind but you sincerely appreciated the offer and all. They shouldn't take your change of heart personally if you are just honest with them. You don't have to be glib, but you can say you talked it over with your wife/husband/partner/parakeet and decided otherwise...but again, say "yes" first.
This next part is going to be tricky scenario, so pay attention:
Let's say you just said "Yes" to the employer who just offered you a job (you should always say "Yes.") Once you've said "yes" and the interview is over and you're heading back to your car and you suddenly break out in the "second-guessing sweats" just relax.
Remember you might have said "Yes" to the job offer but the person you just said "yes" to doesn't have any idea that you are now second-guessing your decision. Relax. It's not like your starting work with them in the next 10 minutes. Allow yourself to feel overwhelmed with the job offer and then you'll be able to think more clearly.
This feeling is normal beyond words. Saying "yes" is quite scary and powerful all at once, but saying "No' after you initially said "yes" is quite prolific as well. Make sure if you decide to say "No" after you've originally said "yes" that you really mean it. You can never go back to "yes" again after you've said "No." Make sense?
Think shopping.
Okay, so you go shopping for that perfect "whatever" and you finally find it at the end of a long shopping day (okay, so stay with me here)and it might appear a little overpriced, yet you know it's the only one you've seen all day long. Are you the kind of person who snaps it up with a great big smile on your face knowing you can't possibly afford the item or are the type of person who thinks you can find it cheaper someplace else?
If you walk away from that "whatever item" then you have to "let it go" and not expect it to be there if and when you decide to go back for it if you can't find it cheaper some place else. Nine times out of ten it won't be there waiting on you when you return. And if it's not there then it wasn't meant for you to have it, right? I feel this way about jobs and interviewing.
I have never said "I wish I had" about any situation I walked away from as it relates to employment or creative self-fulfillment. You have to own and live in the moment with the decisions that you make at that particular time.
Just know what you want, be smart, and go get it. Oh, and then try to be happy with it when you have it. People are funny about that sometimes. I want it, I want it...uh, now what do I do with it?
10.Follow-up:
The biggest mistake I see after an interview for a job or internship is that a designer can turn into either a zombie or a stalker. Choose neither.
Instead you want to make sure that after your interview is over and you've had some time to process what took place, then my advice is to follow-up with a casual and creative "thank you" to the employer for taking time out of their busy day to speak and interview with you. Short and sweet but clever. You are a creative person so be creative with everything you do. It's a lifestyle.
Make sure you cover a few points quickly regarding your strengths and interests in their company. Reiterate that you would really enjoy working there and the interview made it even more apparent. Step up and show some courtesy to those who made time to see who you are as a designer and person. It's amazing what old-fashioned respect can
still do in this busy world. It has nothing to do with age.
Word to the wise here is that you don't want to pester the interviewer after your interview to see if you got the job or should you come back again or did they get your letter or email or box of cookies or the lottery ticket you bought them...you get my point. Allow the interviewer a few days to contact you, then I would suggest you give them a call. If that doesn't work, then shoot them an email mentioning that you had tried to call them. This is all good business practice and everyone understands this procedure. You're not trying to get a date, you're trying to secure a job or internship. Be thoughtful that the person you interviewed with just might have other things going on in their professional and personal life. They are not thinking about you as much as you are thinking about you. I wouldn't advise meeting them in the parking lot after work to ask why they never called you. Hello? Call the police!
Again, be patient. Learning when to be patient and when to be assertive is one of those categories of life that is unique to each of us. Listen to your soul.
Most of my Quick List for Interviewing is done with jest, but so much of it is eerily true. I really haven't embellished too much of the examples nor situations. Live long enough and you'll you'll have your own set of stories that appear stranger than fiction. However, it all comes from my own joyful and painful experiences in seeking employment, interviewing and even hiring employees to help fill the jobs that I eventually took. It's that "Circle of life" you hear about.
Enjoy the process because you'll have so many great stories to tell the next generation of great designers and artist. This is your story. You can choose to be the star of it or to be a backup singer. Jump in and participate and broaden the scope of your world. You are a part of a larger creative community so join in on the dance.
Each of you truly do have the capacity to create our own success as well as your own failure. Be optimistic. Many of you deserve more than you are asking of yourselves.
Small world. Big Life.
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