Crushing the Interview
At Bradley Brown Design, our philosophy is that the interview is not just about whether you are a good fit for the position, but also if the company is a good fit for you. It’s a two-way street, so be sure to come to the interview with an open mind and plenty of questions.
Interview Tips
- The floor is yours—use it. The other people in the room will give you cues when you’ve sufficiently answered the question.
- Use their questions to fill your agenda. What sets you apart from the other candidates? If there’s a point that you didn’t get to say by the end of the interview—say it.
- Create narratives about your process, client interaction, overcoming adversity, and inspiration to answer questions creatively. Here is an example from one of our designers: “I was once asked, ‘What inspires you?’ Ultimately, I landed on a personal experience about a logo. It was for a stream project, and I was struggling with finding the right curves to represent the water. I just so happened to be eating a bunch of grapes that had some curly vines, which were the right curves that I needed to draw.”
- Why do you want this job? Not just what is in it for you – what can you bring to the team? What will you do to ensure the success of the company?
- A general, canned question often produces a canned answer. Go beyond face value. Think about what motivates the other people in the room. This is a pitch—be unique, memorable and creative.
- Be excited. For the interviewers, they have a long and arduous process of interviewing and discussing each candidate. Keep it interesting. Your energy will fuel theirs.
- Look everyone in the eye when you answer a question. Find a way to include everyone.
- What does your work say about you and your strengths as a designer and creative person? Use your experience and examples of your work to drive your presentation.
- Think about how you work in a team environment. How do you resolve conflict?
- How will you learn and grow as a designer while you are here? What opportunities does this position hold for you that you are excited for?
- Research the company ahead of time. What projects or work have you seen from the company/firm? What did you like about them?
- Always say thank you. Reach out after your interview to thank those who you interviewed with and include some specific details about your experience with them.