Designer interviews; what goes wrong

As a part of my job, over the last few years I have had a chance to review hundreds of job applications from designers and talk to some of them on phone and in person. Quite a few of the candidates are turned down because they lack appropriate skills, experience or required domain knowledge. However, there is also a bunch of applicants who, for one reason or another, don’t quite make it. I believe there is a pattern to their nonsuccess and it usually consists of one or many of the following:

Wrong foot in the door

To begin with there is the application email or introductory message. Many things seem to go wrong here. Mistakes in spelling the name of the person or the company or, worse, writing competitor company’s name (it happens!). Rambling on without giving any indication of what value you could add to the job. Obvious cut ‘n pastes from various sources (which shows up in different fonts and tonality)…to list just a few. These may seem insignificant but to the reader they indicate a sense of indifference and well, just plain bad manners. It is an easy fix. It takes 30 secs to read and correct a mail before hitting send.

Does size matter?

When it comes to portfolio, size doesn’t matter. The recruiting managers today are starved of time and attention. Although it might be good to give an overview of one’s experience, it usually suffices to show one or two projects in depth to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. In any case, recruiting managers look for understanding of the process more than the content of the projects. For everything else, if it is not adding any significant value, it is better out than in.

Runaway employee

Many candidates, even at the slightest provocation, start dissing their present employers and colleagues. They probably do it in order to show their eagerness to jump sides. However, it comes across as a sign of desperation and unprofessionalism. Also, it makes us wonder if the problem was in the circumstances or the person we are speaking to. Contrast this with a colleague of ours who we interviewed a couple years back. He fully acknowledged and appreciated the company he was working for but still convinced us about his need for a change.

What’s your weakness?

As a part of our interview process, we ask candidates to mention their strengths. Everyone loves to talk about their strengths. The younger they are, the longer the list. Then we ask them about their weaknesses. Somehow that question stumps most candidates. Long pauses ensue. Some of them come up with weaknesses that are just thinly veiled strengths, like ‘I work too hard’, ‘I think I am too honest’ etc. Now, unless one is divine presence itself, it is very likely that one has some shortcomings. Talking about them shows self-awareness, faculty to think critically and courage to address them.

Ask you a what?

At the end of interview, we check with candidates if they would like to ask us any questions. Many times such opportunities are wasted in asking banal questions like ‘so what is your company up to these days?’ Not that those questions are wrong; just that one can easily find their answers on the company website etc.

The opportunity to ask questions, intelligent questions, is also an opportunity to show that you have done your homework, your ability to think beyond the obvious and create a lasting impression. Imagine the impact of your question if it makes the recruiting manager go, that’s an interesting question. Let me think about that.

Interviews are a bit like dating rituals. One misstep might put you at a considerable disadvantage while a little thought may bring you a world of contentment.