How to land a job at Goodpatch — or any design firm for that matter
Are you starting out in your design career or looking for a new and exciting place to work on challenging projects? Applying for jobs isn’t always a walk in the park, and it’s tricky to figure out what to put your focus on. As a team that has grown from one studio with only four people in Berlin to three locations and thirty team members scattered across Europe, we’ve received our fair share of job applications. Whether you want to work for Goodpatch or another design agency, here are our tips and tricks for making an excellent first impression and landing your dream job in the design industry.
Let your personality shine
As cheesy and over-used as it sounds, our number one tip is: be yourself! From your very first point of contact, be it via phone or e-mail to the very last interview round, don’t be afraid to show your true colours. Our hiring manager Sandra always says, “Be you. Be authentic. Be personal.” There is no point pretending to be someone you’re not because sooner or later, it will be hard to keep up the act. We look for individuals who not only fit to our culture but also add to it and complement the people and skillsets that are already here.
We’re big fans of bringing your whole self to work. Do you have quirky hobbies, interesting facts about yourself, or do you speak additional languages? Show them! As an agency, we always have different clients from all sorts of fields and areas, and you never know what skills or knowledge might be of use. You used to be in a choir — that experience might be essential when we do a pitch for the next big music platform. You used to be a semi-pro in a random, highly-specialized sport no one knows — that might come in handy when you create a service for professional athletes and your insight could help create a truly fantastic product. Matthias is absolutely obsessed with cars and has helped build & shape our automotive offerings and now gets to work at his hobby every day.
Why do you want to work for us and no-one else?
Just like you have your unique makeup of personality, skills, and values — so does each business. Especially in the design world, many companies have a strong brand and a USP attached to how they work and what they work on. They want to know why you want to work for them — and not somewhere else. Our pet peeve is when you can see an application has been copy- pasted. Remember, there is always a person on the other side, reading through your application, and they want to feel your excitement for the company and the position.
A little bit of genuine flattery goes a long way. Do your homework and figure out what makes the place you want to work at so special. Do they have a case they seem really proud of, and you think is really great? Tell them! Or is there a small part of the website dedicated to the office dog and you’re a total dog person? Use this as a conversation starter to show how you are a culture fit.
Find ways to reach them at different touchpoints
Many design firms are bombarded with CVs, and yes, sometimes they do get buried under applications. If you really want to stand out, find out ways to not be “just another CV attached to an e-mail.” Does the company you’re interested in have other initiatives where you can get to know them? For example, we have local meetups (in Berlin, Paris and Munich) once a month and this is a great way to get to know our team in an informal setting. Take the time to show up. It proves you’re interested in the bigger cause and gives you a chance to talk to other employees or your possible future colleagues.
Social media is also a great way to engage with the company you’re interested in. A quick follow will give you some company culture insights that could be useful for your application. See what literature they are reading, see behind the scenes work, and maybe even start an online conversation with them before you meet. At smaller agencies, chances are you might even be interviewed by the person you interacted with on their social channels.
Perfect your portfolio AND your letter of motivation
Once you’ve ticked all the boxes and done your homework, you still need to send in your official application at some point. Make sure to tailor both your letter of motivation and your portfolio to the company and the position. Forget everything you’ve heard about motivation letters being a thing of the past: we love them! A few tips from Sandra and the team are: don’t make your letter of motivation a written version of your CV. Use this one-pager to show your interest in the company, describe your personality, and explain the ways you have grown in your career as well as where you see yourself in the future.
As a designer, your work is your business card. A common mistake is to have a “one fits all” portfolio to send out to everyone. Use this chance to tweak it and showcase the specific skills the company is looking for. If you’re applying for a UX position, show your process, if you’re applying for UI really make your work speak for itself. Also, find out what the company works on and adapt your project presentation to it — do they make apps? Then cut down the branding projects and really emphasise the work that fits the company, their service offering, and the position you are applying for.
What is your superpower?
I clearly remember one of the first questions Sandra asked me in our first Skype interview together: ok enough with all the skills, what is your secret superpower? It ties to the first tip about showing your full personality and any seemingly random strengths you have. What can you do better than anyone else? Let’s say you’re a designer, but have a background in journalism — you could use your writing skills to turn your designs into comprehensive case studies. Or are you a secret pokemon go nerd who has a thing for gamification? The company might have a big contract coming up where they need that personal expertise & interest in a specific hobby.
Most importantly, even if your position or job isn’t advertised yet, don’t be afraid to write an application anyway and who knows you might offer something they didn’t realize they were even looking for.
