Hi, this is Anne with Graphic Design How To, and today is Graphic Design Interview Questions
and Answers, Part Four.
So my husband is going to ask me some questions.
I'll give my answers as I would if I were in the interview.
And then I'll give you a little bit of analysis as to what the interviewer is asking or what
they're looking for.
So let's get started.
Question number one: Have you ever worked from home as a designer?
What are some challenges you faced?
I worked at home for about three months, between full time jobs as a freelancer, and it was
a really good experience for me, but I really saw that I had some problems focusing.
So what I did to kind of take care of that is, I dedicated a certain spot in my house
where I would always do freelance.
I wouldn't let other activities interrupt my freelance time, like doing laundry or doing
dishes or anything like that.
I also had a dedicated start time and ending time, so that I wouldn't just keep working
late into the evening.
It was definitely challenging at first, but I made it work for me.
The analysis: So I think with this question, the interviewer is trying to see how you would
deal with working from home.
Some employers want to have you working from home some of the time.
But they also understand that it's a struggle for some people to stay focused, and they
want to see how you can overcome that.
Number two: Do you have any freelance projects right now?
And how do you manage that with a full time job?
I have a few freelance projects going right now.
And the way I manage it is, I always think of my full time job as the most important.
It gets top priority and I make sure to communicate that with my freelance partners.
So if I have a tight deadline with them, that I'm not able to meet, I just make sure to
let them know as far in advance as I can, because I won't allow my freelance to kind
of spill over into my full time work.
I don't really actually feel like I'm working too much, even though I sort of have side
jobs, as I mentioned, because I love doing art all the time.
I just, it's something that's fun for me.
Freelance is always very flexible.
I set it up that way.
So if I feel like I'm getting too overwhelmed with projects, I'll just have them cut it
back some.
So that's how I'm able to manage my time between freelance and my full time job.
The analysis: With this question, I think they're wanting to make sure you're not overloading
yourself and facing burnout.
They also want to make sure you're not going to be doing freelance at work.
So I think as long as you are truthful in what you say, they'll understand.
And then also, some companies don't allow freelance at all, so you might want to try
to find out before you go the interview.
Number three: What makes you want to work for our company,
as opposed to somewhere else?
Well, I took a look at your work online, and I really think it matches my style.
I really love the style of work you guys do.
And I really liked what I saw as far as like green initiatives.
I like your culture, where you allow employees to volunteer one day of the month.
I think that kind of thing really aligns well with my own values.
And this just seems like a really awesome place to work, and I'm really excited about
it.
The analysis: For this question, I think that they just want to make sure that you care
enough about the company to actually look them up and look at their website and get
to know a little bit about them.
And you're not just going through the motions of another interview.
Question number four: What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
Well, since graduating from college, I think one of my biggest accomplishments is probably
the fact that I've redone my portfolio three times.
So that doesn't sound like much, I'm sure, but it's a lot of work to redo a portfolio,
many, many hours.
But when it was finally done, I felt really proud of myself.
So I do think that's a big accomplishment because as a designer, I always need to stay
fresh.
And after a few years, probably everything in my portfolio is going to look at least
somewhat dated.
Another big accomplishment for me was my first 360 ad campaign.
So we had all of these different pieces, and we had to come up with creative for all of
them: print, digital, across the board.
So it was really awesome to get it all completed, the client loved it, and I could, you know,
see my stuff around town...it is just a really good feeling... really rewarding.
The analysis: I think with this question, they're really trying to find out what you're
proud of, what you've done that you're excited about, and also get a glimpse of your motivations
and your drive and the way you work.
Question number five: What kind of design projects interest you?
Probably my favorite type of design is infographics like the ones you see on Pinterest, because
usually those don't have to adhere to brand standards.
They can be just fun and playful sometimes.
So I feel like there's a lot of creative freedom there, and they are a lot of fun to do.
Other than that I really like print.
I like branding.
Those are probably my favorites to design for.
But I also really like the strategy side of things and concepting new ideas, getting together
and collaborating with other designers and the content team.
So I just really like a lot of different parts of it.
It's hard to pick just one, but I would say infographics.
The analysis: With this question, I think the interviewer really just wants to see what
you are all about; what drives you and what motivates you.
You can really show that you're a driven, passionate designer, when you're answering
this question.
Okay, so that's my video for this week.
If you liked this video, please click the 'Like' button, and I'll see you next Thursday.
Thank you!!!