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| © 2013 Don Arday. |
Pre Interview Preparation
1)
Do Your Research - Prepare
by researching the organization. Get to know the kind of work they do and the
markets they serve. Know who their clients are and look at examples of work
they have produced. Use the most current information possible. Do your research
before you make any contact with the organization.
2)
Know Your Interviewer - Get the name of the person you will be interviewing with. Note
whether they are a Human Resources (HR) person, or a creative person. Know
their job title and what they do. If they are a creative person then research
the particular work they have produced.
3)
Research the Job - Begin
with the job title. Try to learn things about the specific job being
advertised. E.g., Art Director, you should know what an art director does. Read
job descriptions carefully to direct your preparation. Also research the
industry. E.g., Flexographic Publishing, do you know what that industry does?
4)
Match Your Suitability – Determine how well you qualify for the job. Define criteria
determine where, and what kinds of jobs, to apply to. It may be location, size
of company, type of work, benefits, etc. Assess your strengths and weaknesses
relative to the job description. Don’t be discouraged; it is rare that any
applicant for a position is a “perfect match”.
Special note: You may not find out the specifics of the job you are interviewing for until you are actually in the interview.
Special note: You may not find out the specifics of the job you are interviewing for until you are actually in the interview.
General Preparation
1)
Know Where to Go - Obtain
maps and any special directions well in advance of the interview time. Know the
floor and office number, parking instructions, etc. It is enough to worry about
the actual interview without having to worry about a parking space.
2)
Be on Time - Take the
trip to the company location in advance if necessary. Always overestimate the
amount of time it will take to get there. If you are early, you can always go
into the restroom, to wash and collect your thoughts.
3)
Dress for Success - It is not necessary for you to try to know or
mimic the culture of the company you are interviewing with, i.e., Hawaiian
shirts, etc. Neat, professional dress or even suit clothing is preferable to
casual. If you arrive overdressed, it will look like you have another important
interview to go to afterward.
4)
Rehearse - Check
over your portfolio. Review some questions to prepare your answers. The more
interviews you do the better you will get at interviewing.
5)
Gather Your Materials - Create a checklist of items to bring, directions, money for parking,
portfolio, business cards, resume, sample leave behinds, note pad, datebook, etc.
The Interview
1)
Plan on 15 to 30 Minutes - There is not much time to tell all the great things about
yourself or your work that you could, or all the clever anecdotes you would
like to tell. It will either seem like it only lasted two minutes or like it
lasted two hours depending upon how it goes.
2)
Introduce Yourself - If you
encounter people at different times, be sure to tell them who you are and
perhaps use an identifier to refresh their memory such as “We spoke last week”
or “I just graduated from RIT” or “Bob Dorsey recommended I meet you.”
3)
Remember Names - It sounds
simple, but it’s one of the biggest mistakes inexperienced job applicants make.
Remember or write the name down of all people you interact with from the
receptionist to the interviewer, and others you may be introduced to. Ask for
business cards, this will help when it comes to spelling a name properly in any
further correspondence.
4)
Your Elevator Speech -
Compose a single or two
sentence sales pitch that promotes you and your work very positively. The
answer to “Why hire you?” including
your strengths, abilities, and what is unique about you. Now is the time to
promote yourself.
5)
Keep the Conversation Going - Answer questions concisely. Be conversational, but try not to be
long winded. Should lulls in the conversation occur, you could direct the
attention of the interviewer to your portfolio.
6)
The Portfolio - Your
portfolio is your interview godsend. It will keep the interviewers attention on
your work and off of you. It is your visual aid, and it will help you tell your
story. It will preempt a host of questions, but remember the portfolio is not a
replacement for you. It may provide the visuals, but you will provide the voice
and movement.
7)
Critique Etiquette -
You are going to receive a
critique of your work, and in some cases it may be a type of harsh critique you
may not have expected or were prepared for. It is important not to be taken off
guard or to let your emotions flare or send the interview into a negative
spiral. Even though you may think the interviewer is being offensive, you
should always maintain a professional demeanor. Conversely, know how to
politely take compliments; you will probably get a fair share of them.
8)
Ask Questions - Based on the research you have done about the
company, you should ask questions about the number employees, the work spaces,
thinks that you observe, etc.
9)
Concluding the Interview -
There are several courses of
action that could occur at the end of an interview. Always be polite and
professional no matter what the outcome may be.
1)
You are told your work is spectacular and
you are offered a job.
You can ask for time to consider the offer.
A week is not unreasonable.
2)
You are told someone else will need to
see your portfolio, you are offered a second interview.
You should consider this a good sign.
3)
You are told that you will be contacted
in the near future.
Ask when you might expect to be contacted.
If you do not hear something
you can contact the company.
4)
You are told that the firm is not hiring
at the moment.
Ask if you can check back with them in a
month or so,
and ask if they, could recommend where else you might interview.
5)
You are told
that your work is impressive but not the kind needed by
that firm.
Ask
if they, could recommend where else you might interview.
6)
You are told
that you are not ready for a position at that company.
Ask
what would be required for you to obtain a position there.
7)
You are told
you need to go back to school.
Ask specifically what your deficiencies
were, and what they would
recommend
for you to improve your portfolio or presentation.
If no suggestion or final summary is offered by the interviewer then
be prepared to ask about the potential of obtaining a job, or recommendations
of other companies you should contact, or suggestions that would improve your
portfolio, etc.
The Follow Up
1) Following Up – Write a
note, send a letter, or an email thanking you interviewer for the interview and any
useful comments or help they might have given you. If you were applying for an
open position, you can call back after a week or so to inquire if the position
is still open.
2) Checking Back – If there is no position or it gets filled, you can still
approach the company after a few months have passed as long as you have added new work to your portfolio.
Question Preparation
The
following are examples of typical questions asked during interviews. You can
prepare for upcoming interviews by giving some thought to how you would answer
them.
Corporate Questions
1)
What do you know about our company?
2)
Why are you interested in working at our
company?
3)
What skills
or expertise do you have to offer that could benefit our company?
4)
Can you tell
me a little bit about yourself?
5)
Do you have
any experience working on a team or collaborating with other artists?
6)
How well
versed are you in business software applications, i.e., Excel?
7)
What two or
three things would be most important to you in your job?
8)
What
motivates you to do a good job?
9)
What do you
see yourself doing in three to five years?
10)
What would
you say are your strengths, and your weaknesses?
11)
What are
your salary requirements?
12)
Are you
willing to undergo a physical, psychological, and/or drug test?
13)
Are you
willing to work as contract laborer for a period of time before being hired as a
full time employee?
14)
Are you
looking at other job possibilities?
15)
Do you know
anyone who works for us?
16)
Do you have
any questions to ask during the interview?
Field of Practice Questions
1)
Why did you choose illustration as your course of study?
2)
How much time
on average do you put into one of your illustrations?
3)
When given
an assignment problem, how do you go about solving it?
4)
How did you
execute this illustration? (About a specific piece in your portfolio)
5)
What would
you call your style of illustration?
6)
Have any of
the pieces in you portfolio been in competitions?
7)
How familiar
are you with image-based software, i.e., Photoshop, Illustrator?
8)
How familiar
are you with page layout software, i.e., InDesign, Quark?
9)
How familiar
are you with web creation software, i.e., Flash, Dreamweaver?
10)
How familiar
are you with animation software, i.e., Cinema 4D, Final
Cut Pro?
Be prepared for improperly phrased or baiting questions.
These type of questions get asked more commonly than one would think,
especially during interviews that happen over lunch or dinner where alcohol is
present. By knowing how a question should be phrased properly it will be
possible for you to restate it before answering it.
Improper Questions Proper Version (In Italics)
1)
What
nationality are you?
Are
you entitled to work in the US?
2)
Where were
your parents born?
No
proper version.
3)
How old are
you?
Do
you meet our company minimum age
requirement of 21?
4)
What is your
marital status?
Can
you work overtime or travel?
5)
Do you plan
to have a family?
No
proper version.
6)
Are you
living with anyone?
No
proper version.
7)
What clubs
do you belong to?
Do
you belong to any industry organizations?
8)
Do you have
any disabilities?
Do
you need special accommodations to perform
your job?
9)
Do you have
any chronic health conditions?
Are you willing to undergo a physical or drug test?
10)
Have you
ever been arrested?
Have
you been convicted of (a crime relating to job performance)? E.g., cashier
– stealing?
11)
What is your
sex or preference?
No
proper version.
12)
What is your
height and weight?
Do
you meet our standards to perform the
job of an airline host/hostess, mover, diver,
etc.?
13)
What
religion do you practice?
No
proper version.
14)
Are you
Republican or Democrat?
No
proper version.
15)
How do you
spend your spare time?
No
proper version.
