HOW TO PREPARE FOR A GRAPHIC DESIGN JOB INTERVIEW

Hey, and welcome back to Beginner's Guide Series to Graphic Design

So if your aspiration is about being a graphic designer, watch the full series and discover the exciting career of graphic design

From what is graphic design, design theory, education you need, equipment you need, skills needed to be a graphic designer

and the most important topic of portfolio creation and interview advice. Topics covered are for amateur to intermediate level of experience

So now that you've applied for a job, they are interested and you want to go for an interview

This can be excitement for few but extreme pressure and worry for almost many students out there

and these interviews will be the biggest challenge you will ever face as a graphic designer

It's this one time you will be judged on how you say and present yourself

How you perform in this interview will determine if you get the job or not

So the intention to create this video is to help you prepare for a design interview in easy two steps

We will attempt to answer this question and share some of my experience to help you prepare for a graphic design interview

You can never be completely prepared for the interview as you never know what an interviewer is going to ask you

So you have to start with doing everything that can make you feel prepared, confident and relaxed

There are lot of things you can do for this. So step one would be to plan and prepare your presentation

Graphic design interview is more like a presentation and you should be ready to present your work and yourself

So these are few tips to prepare for your presentation. Some people are gifted and can speak very well about their work

Some people are gifted and can speak very well about their work. But for most this can be very hard especially if you are like me and struggle to talk about your own work on the spot

I would recommend before the interview decide what you are going to say and in what order and try to memorize it

You can present with a print portfolio on a laptop or tablet

You can present with a print portfolio on a laptop or tablet

Be sure to practice your delivery. It can also include parts of your portfolio like links you want to showcase, print examples etc

Be sure to practice your presentation a few times either to yourself or take help from your family or friends

They could ask you difficult questions and challenge you about your work

Be comfortable to present your work in front of a crowd. Think fast and deliver answers to questions

By doing this you will be more confident and you will be better prepared to deliver a smooth presentation or answer any questions

Sometimes interviewers will ask you to only talk about one of your projects

This could be due to time constraint for the interview or a test to see how prepared you are

So you have to be ready to talk about one of your best projects showing your skills and experience

So before the interview find out what this design job is requiring out of me

One of the easiest way to do that is edit your portfolio to the role you are going for

Too much variety in your portfolio will confuse a potential employer. Editing your portfolio makes you seem more suitable and specialized for a job

For example, if the role is for a logo designer, include your best logo designing example

If the role is for a motion graphic designer, include your best motion graphic examples

However, if the role is for an all-rounder, you may want to show a variety of work

Always edit your portfolio based on the role and the employer you are going for a job

Carry all your hand-drawn layouts, logos etc to show that you can draw and create the same on device

If you are planning to show your portfolio on a laptop, make sure your devices are charged and portfolio is properly loaded

You should be ready to pull out your device and present your work in seconds

So as you go through your portfolio and talk about your projects, be ready to show any example that will go with it

If you are planning to talk about your print projects, be sure to have examples ready to pull out and show

If you have digital works like website, videos or apps, be ready to have them open and ready to show on your devices

So moving on to the last tip is to stand out. Have something to leave behind after the interview

This could be something like a little creative. Be sure it is very well thought out, memorable and unique

People love surprises. Unwrapping and being presented with something hands-on by leaving something behind you will stand out

showing that you are willing to go the extra mile. If it's good quality, chances are that the person receiving it will not want to throw it away and you will remain in their presence

We see again. So by being creative and making something a little more unique, you can make a lasting impression

So that's a few things that you can do to help prepare yourself for your presentation

Moving on to the next step, which is prepare for your questionnaire

Now, one of the most important thing I would recommend you to do is prepare for the questions

Well, this can be the most dreaded part of the interview. You can be very well prepared for the presentation, but you never know what the interviewer is going to ask you as the next question

But just imagine you are challenged on the spot and you have a good answer

That leaves a great impression. This will show that you have done your research and have a genuine interest in the agency, which will help you get the job

So these are my tips to help you prepare for the questionnaire, which is the step two

So tip number one is to do a thorough research about the company before the interview

Read about the company you're applying for. Research about them on the Internet

Visit about us page on their website. See who's working for them, their clients, as these may be your discussion points or the question asked during the interview

Or they may ask a question to you to test your knowledge about the agency or the company you're applying for

If you could mention a few names or reference of some of the points

this will show that you are proactive and have taken time to research and have interest in their agency or the company you're applying for

Tip number two would be to research about their work. Have at least three projects to talk about

Why you like the kind of work they do and how that inspires you to work for them

This will show you have a genuine interest and a passion to work for the company

Tip number three, what kind of projects you would like to work on

This is where an interviewer will want to know a little bit about your ideal projects, your passions and your ambitions

What would the creative work be? What would you want to produce

Who would it be for and why? Moving on to tip number four, what do you want to achieve at the company

During an interview, you may be asked what you would like to achieve at the company

The interviewer will be interested to know what your intentions are and how ambitious are you to join the company

Be ready to talk about what you want to achieve at the company

This could be what you want to learn, gain responsibilities, experience you want to get and the type of work you want to create

and possibilities of promotion. So the last tip is to have a set of questions for the employer

Yes, at the end of the interview, you will be asked if you have any questions for them

So this is another opportunity to show that you are active and have a genuine interest in their agency

You can ask questions about the agency, role you are applying for, growth opportunities with the agency

Try and ask positive and well thought out questions which will count a lot in your interview and help you get the job

So to best prepare for the graphic design interview, I would recommend you to follow two stages

Stage 1, prepare for your presentation. Stage 2, prepare for your questions

So what do you think? Do you agree with the points? Or I have missed anything

Be sure to share your comments below. Well, I hope you have liked this video

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You can also follow us on Instagram at kaisanmultimedia.institute. In the next video, we are going to talk about design industry and what it is like to be a graphic designer and career options within the industry

Thank you so much