- Hello and welcome to this Beginner's Guide Series
to Graphic Design.
From what graphic design is,
skills to be a graphic designer, design theory,
education you need, equipment you need,
to the graphic design portfolio and interview advice.
This series is for anyone at any level.
So if you're interested in graphic design
and considering becoming a graphic designer
then join me as I discuss a series of graphic design topics.
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So you applied for a design job, they are interested
and want you to go in for an interview.
For some, this can be met with mixed feelings
of excitement, extreme pressure and worry.
The design interview will possibly be the biggest challenge
you will ever face as a graphic designer.
It's the one time where you are judged
on the things you say and how you present yourself.
How you perform in the interview will determine
if you get the job or not.
Now, I often get asked the question,
"What things can I do to best prepare
for a design interview?"
So in this video I'm going to attempt
to answer this question and share some of my experiences,
and offer some tips you can do to help prepare
for a graphic design interview.
Now you can never be too prepared for a design interview.
You never know what an interviewer is going to ask you.
In my experience I find the better prepared you feel,
the more confident and relaxed you will be.
And there are lots of things you can do for this.
So my first tip would be prepare your presentation.
Now, unlike most job interviews where you might have to sit
opposite an interviewer and answer questions,
the design interview is more like a presentation.
For a graphic design interview you should be ready
to present your work and yourself.
So these are some tips to prepare for your presentation.
First tip, practice your portfolio presentation.
Now some people are gifted and can talk
about their work very well on the spot.
For others this can be very hard.
If you're like me, and struggle to talk
about your work on the spot, I would recommend
before the interview, decide what you're going to say
about your work and in what order,
and try and memorize it.
Now you may be presenting with a print portfolio
or you may be presenting on a laptop or tablet.
Be sure to practice your delivery.
This may include parts of your portfolio
you may want to zoom into on the screen.
Pages you want to pause on, links you want to showcase,
or print examples you want to pull out.
Be sure to practice your presentation a few times
either to yourself or to a friend.
If you can get someone to present to, get them to ask you
lots of difficult questions.
Get comfortable presenting in front of people
and being challenged about your work.
Get used to thinking fast
and delivering answers to questions.
By doing this you will be more confident.
You will have a good idea what you're going to say
and you will be better prepared
to deliver a smooth presentation and answer questions.
Next tip.
Be prepared to only talk about three of your projects.
Now this could catch you off guard.
Sometimes the interviewer will ask you
to only talk about three of your projects.
Now this could be for a number of reasons.
It could be down to time constraints for the interview,
or a test to see how prepared you are.
So be prepared to talk about three of your projects.
Now don't pick your favorite projects.
Make sure to pick the projects that best demonstrate
your skills and experience.
Next tip.
Tailor your portfolio.
So before the interview, keep in mind
what the design job is requiring.
One of the smartest things you can do to prepare
for an interview is tailor your portfolio
to the role you're going for.
In some cases, if you have too much variety
in your portfolio it may confuse a potential client
or employer.
Tailoring your portfolio could be a key factor.
This can make you seem more suitable
and specialized for the job.
So if the role is for a brand designer
include your best branding examples.
If the role is for a motion graphics designer
include your best motion graphics examples.
If the role is for a web designer
include your best web design examples.
Try and edit anything out that you feel is not relevant.
However, having said that, if the role is looking
for an all rounder, you may want to show a variety of work.
So remember, tailor your portfolio
to your potential employer.
Next tip.
Have the portfolio ready on device.
If you're planning to showcase your portfolio
on a laptop or tablet, make sure your devices
are fully charged and the portfolio is preloaded
on your computer or tablet.
Be ready to pull out your laptop or tablet
and present your work in seconds.
If you have accessories for your devices
to present on a TV screen, take them with you.
You may find yourself in a room with a TV screen.
Take advantage, and present your work on the big screen.
Next tip, have examples at the ready.
So as you go through your portfolio
and talk about your projects, be ready to show
any examples that will go with it.
If you plan on talking about your print project,
be sure to have examples ready to pull out and show.
If you have digital work like websites, videos, or apps,
be ready to have them open and ready to show
on your devices.
So the last tip here is have something to leave behind
after the interview.
Be sure to have something prepared to give them
before you leave.
Now this could be a simple as a business card
or something a little more creative.
Be sure it is well thought out, memorable, and unique.
Perhaps it incorporates your personal brand.
Think tactile, think surprise, think alternative.
People love surprise and wrapping,
and being presented with something hands-on.
By leaving something behind you will stand out
and show you are willing to go the extra mile.
If it's good quality, chances are the person receiving it
will not want to throw it away
and you will remain in their presence,
to be seen again later.
So by being creative and making something
a little more unique you can make a lasting impression.
So that's few things you can do to help you prepare
for your presentation.
Now one of the other important things I recommend you do
is prepare for questions.
Now for me, this is the most dreaded part of an interview.
You can be well-prepared with your presentation
but you never know what to expect
when it comes to questions.
You never know what you're going to get asked.
In my experience it helps to do as much as you can
to prepare for questions.
So if you are challenged on the spot,
you have a good answer.
In my experience, it helps to do as much as you can
to prepare for questions,
so if you are challenged on the spot,
you have a good answer.
This will enable you to make a good impression,
show you have done your research,
and have a genuine interest in the agency,
which will help you get the job.
So these are some things you can do
to help prepare you for questions.
So my first tip is, clue up on the company beforehand.
Before an interview be sure to read up on the company
you are applying for.
Take some time to research them on the Internet.
Read the history on their website.
See who is working for them.
Find out who their clients are.
These may be discussion points during the interview,
or they may ask you a question
to test your knowledge of the agency.
If you can mention a few names
or reference some of the points you have read
this will show you are proactive,
have taken time to research,
and have interest in the agency.
Next tip.
Have a few of their projects in mind to talk about.
Be prepared to talk about their work.
Research the work they have done
and have at least three projects to talk about.
Be able to talk about why you like the work,
how you think it was successful,
and why it inspired you to apply to work for them.
This will show you have a genuine interest
and a passion to work for that agency.
Next tip.
Know what your ideal project would be.
I get asked this a lot in interviews.
This is where an interviewer will want to know
a little bit more about you, your passions and ambitions.
Be prepared to talk about your ideal project.
What would the creative work be?
What would you want to produce?
Who would it be for and why?
Next tip, know what you want to achieve at the company.
At an interview you may be asked,
"What would you like to achieve at our agency?"
This is where an interviewer will be looking to see
what your intentions are, and how ambitious you are.
Be ready to talk about what you want to achieve
at the company.
This could be what you want to learn,
responsibilities you want to have,
experience you want to get,
type of work you want to produce,
and possibilities of promotion.
So my last tip is have at least six questions for them.
Now, I recommend six because some may get answered
during the course of the interview.
At the end of the interview you will always be asked
if you have any questions for them.
So this is another opportunity for you to demonstrate
you are proactive and have a genuine interest
in their agency.
So aim to have at least six good questions to ask them.
This could involve questions about the agency,
the role you are applying for,
and questions about opportunities within the agency.
Try and ask positive and well thought-out questions.
This will count for a lot in your interview
and help you get the job.
Now if you're wondering what kind of questions will be good,
in the next episode I'll be listing the type of questions
you can consider asking.
So to best prepare for the graphic design interview,
I would recommend that you prepare for your presentation
and prepare for questions.
If you would like to take a closer look
at the lists discussed in this video you can find them
in the PDF document that accompanies this video series.
Download link is in the description.
So what do you think?
Do you agree with the points I have raised?
Or have I missed anything?
Be sure to share you comments below.
Well I hope enjoyed this video.
If you did, hit the like button on my Facebook page.
If you'd like to see more videos like this in the future,
hit the subscribe button.
And you can also follow me on Twitter @TastyTuts.
So in this video I listed some of the key questions
to prepare for, for a graphic design interview.
Now at an interview you will never know
what questions you may get asked.
Depending on how much the interviewer wants
to challenge you, you may be tested to see
how you can react to questions on the spot.
There are hundreds of possible questions you may get asked,
and questions you could ask them.
One of the tips I did not mention in this video,
which I think is particularly important,
is be ready to answer difficult questions.
In my experience, the only way to prepare for this
is to create as many difficult questions as you can
and develop answers for them.
If you're then asked a difficult question,
then hopefully you will have something
to pull out and answer with.
So in the next video I'm going to list a bunch of questions
you can consider asking yourself in preparation
for a graphic design interview.
See you in the next video.
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