n00bs: Tips + Tricks for Landing that Design Interview
By the time I started my first “real” job, I had put enough hours into job-hunting to earn a second degree. Over the course of five months, I sent emails and/or applications to almost 300 companies. I was interviewing once a day (sometimes twice). I completed three different “design tests”. The process was grueling, but I set myself up for success and learned a lot along the way.
Since then, I’ve lived and worked in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Tokyo, and now San Francisco. I’ve worked at smaller start-ups, behemoth’s known as Amazon, advertising both state-side and in Japan, and now the scrappy, pseudo-startup called Lyft.
I’ve had countless friends talk about how they never hear back, don’t really know how to “go about” getting a new job, or are trying to transition from one nebulous creative field into the next, etc. As someone who experienced a toxic workplace first-hand, I know how desperate this process can be/feel, so I wanted to share some tips to hopefully expedite the process.
Whether you’re a fresh, green grad just trying to leave your home state, a hipster designer with eyes set on Mother NY, or a low-key pretentious son of a b*tch who thinks working at Apple will make you a god — I have some tips for you.*
*This is all based on the assumption that you have a portfolio ready to share. A follow-up article on that is coming soon.
00. The Soul Search
In order to be successful in your job hunt, there will be a degree of soul searching involved. Embrace this process — it will help you immensely (take it from someone who skipped this step and paid for it later).
I emphasize the importance of this step because it helps you save time and energy by applying to places at which you truly would enjoy working. Honestly, this step will be on-going and forever. So just get used to it. 🙃
Ideally, you’ll walk out of this process with a list of places that line up with your career goals — which helps a lot when you send out applications. Keep a list of kickass companies you find on Dribbble, Instagram, or Behance. If you want to land in a specific city, check out this resource and see if you find something you like.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- What is your focus? Typography? Illustration? Layout? Color?
- Are you a jack of all trades?
- Do you prefer wireframes and apps over logos or identities? Is that communicated well in your portfolio?
- What kind of city do you want to be in? Will that affect the types of agencies you reach out to?
- What life experience do you have already that can help you?
- What kind of team do you want to be on? Small, large?
Stay tuned for another follow-up article on this part of the process.
01. Linkedin.com
Look over your profile — do you have all the basics filled out? Name, photo (save the selfies for Facebook), education, and any relevant experience. Don’t have any relevant experience? That’s okay. Just add something.
Networking via Linkedin is something that will happen naturally over time. But, in order to get your applications out the door (especially in the very beginning), just focus on getting your details set up and move onto the next step.
02. Cover Letter
Mmm, the cover letter — the one input field in every application that stops everyone in their tracks.
I’ve gone ahead and mad-lib’d a cover letter as a head start. For best results, be sure to flavor it with your own personality. Good news, this part of the process is actually pretty minor, so don’t waste a lot of time on it(seriously).
Hello [name],
I’m a [job title] and [optional other job title] based out of [city]. I came across your listing for a(n) [open role] and wanted to reach out. My background is in [background] and for the last [x] years, I’ve been at [company] where I do [thing 1], [thing 2], and [thing 3]. I would love to hear more about the opportunity.
I’ve attached my resume for your convenience. You can also view my portfolio here.
Thanks so much! I hope to hear from you soon.
[your name]
For example, here’s how I might write a cover letter for myself:
Once you have your skeleton cover letter, you’re ready to…
03. Let the Emails Fly
This is the most time consuming and least interesting part of the process. Prepare mentally, brew some coffee, and get it over with.
Two important things to note:
- DO NOT forget to fill in any mad-lib slots (for example, the job you’re applying for or the name of your contact). And, in case you’re wondering: yes have sent a few ‘Hello [COMPANY]’s’ and yes actually, I somehow still heard back from them. 🤷🏼♀️
- DO NOT send these emails Thursday–Saturday. You don’t want to be overlooked because you’re at the bottom of someone’s inbox. I would recommend Monday night, but any weekday should be fine.
It’s likely that whatever email address you managed to find is full of emails exactly like yours. This is why you should keep your email short, with the most relevant points easy to scan.
Same goes for subject lines, some examples:
Visual Designer interested in [company]
[city]-based designer interested in [role]
Illustrator interested in [role]
Designer + Illustrator — responding to job listing
04. Keep Track of your Progress (optional)
During my furious sprint (and subsequent sprints), I kept a Google Sheets document of each company I contacted. Details like name, location, speciality, and date were most helpful. If I had a connection there already, I would list that person. I kept notes as well, so I could remember various things I liked — or didn’t like — about them (size of the team, clients, opportunities to relocate, etc.).
Takeaways:
Just remember, if this process sucks, that’s okay. Just keep at it, and pretty soon, you won’t have to worry about it anymore… at least not until you hate your next job 😉
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Want to know if I’m credible? Check out my work here.
Feel free to provide feedback or fix typo’s in the comments below 🙌🏼
