Hey, out of interest, i was wondering what tips people have when interviewing for web design. walk to talk about while going through your portfolio etc, that kind of thing.

 

thanks!

Are you the person applying for the job or the prospective employer?

person applying for the job

relax and speak to the person on who's interview you on the same level.

Check all your links in the portfolio are working the day before your interview.

Iron your shirt.

Know your portfolio inside out. What is your work flow? Where do you get inspiration? What blogs do you follow?

 

Research what technologies/software they use and swot up on them. Look at their past clients/work and give your opinion.

 

Good luck!

Research what technologies/software they use and swot up on them. Look at their past clients/work and give your opinion.

 

As an extension to that, and on a more basic level, try and research the actual company in general a bit. Take an interest in their history and future. Formulate some questions you might have about the company. For example they might ask you "Where do you see yourself in 5 years". By the same token you could ask them this as well.

 

I went for a dev interview once (didn't get it but was very inexperienced). They said to me did I have any questions, and apart from the usual ones I said to them where did they see the company going in the next five years. They told me nobody had ever asked them that in an interview before.

Edited July 20, 201115 yr by Gibson

Dress well

Speak clearly

Prepare some questions to ask them at the end

Prepare answers to some standard questions e.g. why do you want to work here?

Make sure you know what you put on your CV.

Relax

 

Good luck!

 

Oh and if they offer you a drink accept it, its an old trick to see how confident you are. Also you can go for a drink if you need to think of answer for the question.

Offering you a drink is a trick? WTF I never take the drink cos I don't like coffee or tea :|

Be yourself.

 

Don't talk to much, or too little. Answer the questions as simply as possible.

Make them laugh.

Get a *good* nights sleep before hand.

Dress smart, but not *too* smart - your a designer, right? So dress like one.

Relax. (hahaha)

Show passion.

 

If you walk through the office and it's so quiet, you could hear a pin drop, don't take the job.

If there's no music playing, or nobody has headphones on, don't take the job.

If all the 'bosses' offices look out into the studio, like it's some kind of fishbowl, don't take the job.

If their client base is mostly pharmaceutical, legal or generally boring, don't take the job.

If they consider ample parking and coffee as perks, don't take the job.

If your stony broke and are up to your eyes in debt, take the job regardless

 

Never go for an interview on a Monday or first thing in the morning - rather rebook it.

Best time for an interview, is Mid-week, after 5pm. (monday panic is over, weekend slow down is yet to happen)

 

Portfolio - printed material, online porti. Printed material in a decent, easy to use porti case - it's the norm.

Know your work backwards - what the deliverables were, what the client does, why you did what you did.

Taking your own laptop? Probably not worth it - too fiddly.

 

Good luck!

 

EDIT: Ignore the drink bit, it's complete bunk. If your unsure, ask for a glass of water. Anyone who considers your reply to 'would you like a drink' as being part of the interview test, isn't worth working for.

Edited July 25, 201115 yr by bb_matt

Find out as much as you can about them as well. What's their ethos? Their process? How much autonomy does a designer get? Will you be managing your own projects, or do they have middlemen between the designer and the client? What criteria do they use to select the clients they work with? (If the answer to the last question is just "can they afford our rates", run.)

 

Remember, unless you're completely out on a limb and don't know where this month's bills are coming from, you're interviewing them and trying to gauge their suitability too. It's a two-way street.

Show passion.

 

This bit is easy - if you really are enthusiastic about what you do, then I think that enthusiasm comes through naturally. I was on the phone to an agency the other day and they asked me about my coding. I was having a bit of an off day, and was disappointed with myself for sounding a bit flat (or so I thought) - but at the end of the call the agency said that I was obviously "passionate about what I did". I think just because that enthusiasm lies at the core of everything I do, even on an off day. Hey - otherwise we wouldn't be in this crazy trade, right?

 

If there's no music playing, or nobody has headphones on, don't take the job.

If all the 'bosses' offices look out into the studio, like it's some kind of fishbowl, don't take the job.

If their client base is mostly pharmaceutical, legal or generally boring, don't take the job.

 

Jeez I wish I'd known these before taking my last job. I asked them once if I could wear headphones and they said "That's not the way we do things here".

@gibson, I think what Renaissance-Design said rings true " It's a two-way street" - some companies will try to play it the other way, that your lucky to have a job... especially in this current environment...

@gibson, I think what Renaissance-Design said rings true " It's a two-way street" - some companies will try to play it the other way, that your lucky to have a job... especially in this current environment...

 

Too true, man. It's a "relationship" at the end of the day. The Two way street thing is very important.

Job interviews, these can make a person so uncomfortable because most people are afraid when going for a job.

 

Basic instincts can dominate an interview and you are placed in positions where you are not in control.

 

Besides all the work you put in your portfolio (which should be exactly the portfolio THEY want/need to see, and the preparation of a few questions, there is one more tactic you can use.

 

NLP ( Neuro-linguistic programming )

 

This is about your physical behavior, your acting skills, you behaving like their perfect candidate.

 

If you have the time and are willing to put some effort in this there will be lifelong benefits of this technique.

 

job interview & NLP

 

Good luck

 

NLP ( Neuro-linguistic programming )

 

This is about your physical behavior, your acting skills, you behaving like their perfect candidate.

 

If you have the time and are willing to put some effort in this there will be lifelong benefits of this technique.

 

job interview & NLP

 

Good luck

 

+1 for NLP here. Although you have to be careful to find a practitioner worth their salt as the NLP qualification can be pretty meaningless. I've been to a few that had less of a clue than myself but they'd done the day course, paid their money and got their certificate.

 

P.S. I have (had) NLP for my agoraphobia.

I never been to a NLP course, but got myself a few self-teaching books.

 

This has helped me for numerous situations where I controlled and guided the conversation to my desired outcome.

 

Jedi mind tricks that can come in handy.

 

Still your portfolio is your major asset in any interview, next is your personality.