Because nobody is perfect.
Job interviews are the kind of moments you’d like to avoid more than anything else. Especially since you have to show your creative portfolio, and talk about you and your work : doing it in private is often like a second nature. Doing it in front of someone that can give you a job is like falling from a cliff. Here are 10 commons mistakes I usually notice when I conduct interviews.
1. Not to be polite. That could seem a bit awkward at first, but people do not always say hello. If you are to work with a team, be sure to be nice with them from the start, right.
2. Wear ugly clothes. Okay, that shouldn’t really matter. But I really like when people dress themselves up, I feel like they really take it seriously.
3. Have a crappy portfolio. Even if the work inside is not so nice, it’s great to see an original presentation. I’m not a fan of the traditional black case with plastic wraps myself; I much more prefer something that I can touch, look, pass around and play with. Preferably good sized format. Remember that you often get interviewed by several persons at a time : have something that can be shown easily. Like several prints. And don’t forget to give something that can be keep, like a CD, a little book, a poster. Memories can disappear right awy. A nice goodie can stay for years.
4. Try to justify everything. “The printer did a poor job” or “The client made me do this this way”. If you are not satisfied with something, don’t show it. We all know that sometimes, shit happens, but shit doesn’t need to appear on this very moment.
5. Forget to be humble. Even if you’re the greatest designer on earth, we don’t care. Because the personn in front of you probably thinks that she/he IS the best designer on earth.
Be humble, show your will to be part of a team, and not to be god. It helps.
6. Show only commercial productions. People are curious of you as an individual. That’s nice to see your inner-self with personal works. Don’t hesitate to show every medium you like to use — photos, drawings, collage… They all express your creativity. Kepp the balance equal not to look like an amateur, though.
7. Show and don’t explain. We need some background to fully understand your work. Be clear and concise. Be proud and passionate: if you’ve cleaned your book right enough, you should just love what you show.
8. Talk about how much you’d like to feel free in your creativity. We all want that. But, really, telling an agency that you feel it’s the place where you will express all your personal desires is not a good idea. A. you look naive. B.Its a big lie and even if they pretend to say that’s true, you’ll be disappointed at last.
9. Lie about your abilities. If you don’t know something, tell it. And also tell how much you’d like to learn. Because being forced to learn something in 3 days before starting a new job never helped anyone. (Or shouldn’t have!)
10. Ask too much money. Know your field, and be aware of the market. You’ll look like a fool and, one more, you’ll be disappointed.
I love to interview people. It’s such a pleasure to meet people that are passionate about what they do… So don’t be afraid, smile, and remember that the person in front of you has probably passed this moment as well.
