Hey Creatives, All Eyes on You

Insights from an Interviewer

As creative professionals, one of our many objectives is to help build trust with our audience. This applies to a number of situations but the one most often overlooked is the job interview. When you are interviewing for a job, you are trying to build that sense of trust and convince a team of like-minded (or not so like-minded) professionals that you are the one for the job. Remember, all eyes are on you.

To be successful, we must research the recipient, understand as much as possible about their world, and present relevant solutions that will make our product, service, or in this case an interview, more desirable than the next. With that in mind, here are a few insights you may want to consider when you prepare to go out and seek that new job.

1. Know thyself

Do not walk in with a passive approach and an “I’ll take whatever” attitude. Interviewers can see the desperation and moreover they can see the lack of clarity and vision. Look at your track record of accomplishments, identify the values that will help you make this job great, and share your achievements from other projects, big and small. Be confident in your decision to pursue a given position and communicate your value to those you speak to about how you would be a strong candidate.

2. Comfortable Eye Contact

Confidence is key when you walk into a room. Employers and teams want to know that they have a partner who is going to fit in and add to the work culture. Sure, you may be an introvert, you may be shy, but you will still need to communicate a confident understanding of the work you do and the value you add to a team. During your interview, be ready to break out of your shell and communicate with your audience. Eye contact is extremely important. You don’t have to start a staring contest that makes everyone uncomfortable. Just let them know you understand how to talk to humans.

3. The Resume

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a rule breaker, line pusher, and creative defiant, however some things we need not innovate. The resume is not the time to showcase your info-graphic design skills, nor demonstrate how poorly you use a certain application. Believe it or not, the majority of the “designed” resumes that come across the desk are hindering corporate recruiters and employers from taking candidates seriously. We are running software companies, designing apps, branding corporations and executing advertising campaigns worth millions, take your resume and your past work experience seriously. Honor what you have accomplished and present yourself as a creative professional. It doesn’t have to be all bullets and times new roman, but remember, do your research and consider your audience.

4. Have Backups for your Backups

When you arrive for an in-person interview don’t trust technology…at all! Wi-Fi will be wonky, your iPad battery will die, your interviewers will not have a computer and projector with speakers for you to plug a flash drive into. Yes, your work really does need to be online and displayed in a smart, credible layout (both digital and traditional creatives). But you should also bring a printed back up, additional laptop or tablet. Even if you have it on your smart phone as a last resort…show us that you are prepared and ready for whatever challenges come your way.

There are some amazing opportunities in our industry and organizations are willing to pay more than ever for qualified creatives. Make sure you are counted in, and not counted out.

Cheers.
Corwin