Gettin’ Creative with your Creative Job Interview
In movies, job interviews tend to involve suits and ties, nylons and high heels, notepads, and awkwardly scripted questions. Sadly, 21st-century reality isn’t always much better and even virtual interviews can be a trainwreck of ‘Tell me a time when you…’ moments.
But for creative positions—Creative Director, Copywriter, Art Director, Graphic Designer, and the like—the tired, I mean ‘tried and true’ format fits about as well as your over-starched power tie or secondhand Manolo Blahniks. Here are a few ways to sell yourself, your artistic content, your company, and your oodles of potential to an employer (or employee!) looking for that certain spark. No script required.
For Interviewees
*Organize your portfolio. Sometimes the organization method makes sense (date created, type of output or media, completed/published/fully realized campaigns, etc) and sometimes you may need to get creative. But have a flow and a plan; show movement.
*Creative types often work alone but that may not always be realistic. Think about group projects and be ready to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Don’t insist on flying solo, in most cases that’s for freelancers and not new hires.
*Dress just a tad fancier than you think. You can always take off a jacket or loosen a tie, if need be, but showing up (even for a Zoom) looking nice shows you’re taking the interview seriously. {Mental trick: Even if you’re only on camera from the waist up, go all in. Full outfit, snazzy hair, socks AND shoes. There’s a difference in your bearing, posture, and overall panache when you look good and know it.}
*Speaking of Zoom or Teams or another virtual platform: do you have the link? Nearby. Without scrolling through last month’s Uber receipts and Venmo purchases. Are you going to show up with a bunny nose against the background of Mount Fuji? Maybe turn off those filters…all of ‘em.
For Interviewers
*The standard AI-drafted questions aren’t ideal for this type of interview. What does the position actually DO on a daily basis? What are your goals for the role you’re filling? Do you need a content-generating machine or someone to refine current output into something special? Think about—and document—who this person will work with, what is expected in a typical week, and even throw in a few ‘well if I could design my dream person, I’d add ____’ wish list items. You never know…
*Make a list of software and programs the actual candidate will actually use during their workday. Trust me, it’s easy to forget or use in-house nicknames and the interviewee may not speak company jargon.
*Echoing question two for interviewees, most artsy folks are solitary creators. Explain how often they’ll need to work as a team when they can cut loose, and talk through what to do if creative differences arise. Every company has a hierarchy for these reasons.
For Everyone
*Do your homework. Read up—no, skimming doesn’t count—about the person or company. Take note of accolades, achievements, shows, publications, and their overall journey. Look for indications that they’ve learned something on the road from ‘humble beginning’ to ‘exciting future ahead.’ DIG BEYOND THE FIRST PAGE, it won’t take much extra time and makes you look invested.
*If your presentation uses, or requires a presentation…test things out. Make sure devices are charged. Do you need an external speaker? Is it connected (beforehand) to your device? Are there other tabs open in your browser? Do they need to be? Just because things worked last time, doesn’t mean the gremlins won’t have moved in…double and triple check. And throw a few extra mouse batteries and connection cables in your pocket just in case.
*Tie the company into the job, if that makes sense. Interviewees, feel free to ask where you fit into the food chain or show ideas you’ve drafted based on their products and services. Interviewers, talk about ways to rise or move laterally if things are a good fit. Explain mentorship or shadowing programs, volunteer opportunities, and ways new hires can have—and use—their voice.
It would be nice if we all had access to a service that’d match employees with employers and not waste our time digging through online ads, LinkedIn offers, headhunter pipe dreams, and friend-of-a-friend referrals….Oh wait, we do! If you’re on the cusp of an interview thanks to M+P or your own hard work and grit, congrats! Hopefully, a few pointers and a little luck will result in a win/win for everyone. Now go get ‘em, tiger…
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