You're trying to prove your creativity to a potential employer. How can you demonstrate your experience?

Employers want evidence of your creative capabilities. Concrete examples from your past work are the best testament to your creativity. Assemble a portfolio of work that spans various projects, highlighting your creative process, the obstacles you overcame, and the impact of your solutions. Utilize the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your case studies, ensuring you include quantitative outcomes where possible (e.g., "Increased user engagement by 30% through a redesigned user experience"). One item I use is the DVF model (Desirability, Viability, Feasibility) it helps you articulate how your creative solutions align with user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.

Yes, sharing examples of how creative solutions were derived in our past roles helps the hiring manager understand our abilities. In my opinion, this need not be something we need to actively think or stress about. If a hiring manager were to truly test our creative abilities, they would pose us non-traditional questions, which we would not be able to prepare for anyway. So, the best solution is to be authentic because then we show up as our best creative selves. Other old-school methods hiring managers use to determine creativity is by making you think quickly on your feet and testing if you could pique their interest with an interesting reply. Please note their creativity tolerance and deliver within the boundaries.

Creative problem-solving often begins with asking the right questions. This demonstrates your critical thinking and your ability to approach challenges from unique perspectives. During interviews, ask strategic questions that reveal a deep understanding of the company's challenges and industry trends. For instance, inquire about how they approach innovation or handle specific market disruptions. You can use the Five Whys technique to dig deeper into problems and showcase your analytical thinking. Please, have a plan going into the interview and do your homework.

Flexibility is a key attribute of creativity, particularly in technical fields. The ability to adjust your approach or strategy in response to new information or constraints showcases your resourcefulness and resilience. As an expert, you can demonstrate your flexibility by sharing examples of how you have employed design thinking to iterate quickly, pivoting your strategy to achieve the desired outcome. The Agile methodology, with its iterative development and focus on adaptability, is an excellent framework to reference when discussing flexibility in technical contexts.

It is imperative to follow up after meetings or interviews, as it helps to maintain the momentum of the conversation and showcases your sustained interest and eagerness. When you send a follow-up, make sure it is well-crafted and takes into account the specific discussions that took place during the meeting. Additionally, emphasize how your innovative ideas can provide solutions to their requirements, and possibly include further insights or suggestions that demonstrate your ongoing reflective process.

This is one of the reasons side hustles or hobbies can be valuable when interviewing. Demonstrating not only that you have proficiency or expertise in a particular area or task, but demonstrating that you can infuse problem-solving in one area with ideas from other. Exist in the seams and intersections of things, that way not everything looks like a nail. This also gives you a chance to imbue the work with more than just one way of looking at things.

Remember, creativity is not just about the end product but also about the process and mindset that lead to innovative solutions. Demonstrating this to potential employers will set you apart as a creative problem solver. Working on side projects can be a fertile ground for experimentation, allowing you to explore new techniques and ideas without the constraints of client or employer specifications. Engage with your professional community through forums, conferences, and social media. Sharing and discussing ideas can open new avenues for creative collaboration.