Job interview questions

Scenario:

You will soon be putting your self into the design marketplace. You may be looking for a full-time job, or you may be showing your portfolio to secure freelance work.

You will be more successful if you are prepared to explain your work, design process, special interests, and goals.

This is an exercise to discover what you might be asked during interviews.

 

The exercise:

Resources:

What topics will you discuss in an interview? How can an employer find out if you are the designer they want to work with? Here are some web articles that describe how interviews may work.

• Monster.com has process and questions for the interviewers, and a "how-to" for interviewing.
• EverydayInterviewTips.com has the typical questions designers are given.
• Company Folders has a question list; it is more relevant to experienced designers, but you may be asked some of them, such as "What do you think of our work/company?"
• Stephen Gates doesn't mince words; his career advice is very real and honest. Episodes 6–9 deal with personal branding issues; #17 looks at job interviews from the employers' angle. Number 31 features our Jacquelyn's question about salaries in Spokane.

What to do...

1. Review the sites listed above.

2. Take note of the advice given.

3. Collect the various interview questions.

4. Pick out the top 10 questions that you most need to answer successfully.

5. Write short responses to your 10 questions and practice delivering them.