interview questions on digital design 2023
Today I'm going to show you how to answer the question "Tell me about yourself" in a graphic design job interview, or just in any job interview. Now first, I'm going to go over what to say, and then I'm going to go over a few different examples of different ways you could do it, depending on where you are in your career. And then finally, I'm gonna give you a few things NOT to say, and my husband is with me today, to help me out by being the interviewer, so that's very exciting! All right, let's get started! Okay, so I've been asked this question in almost every job interview that I've ever had, and I've also asked it in every job interview I've given, so it's a very common question....and it's one that you need to be comfortable answering.
The reason interviewers ask this is to just kind of ease you into the interview process. I personally do best when I'm really well prepared, so I actually memorize what I'm going to say in answer to this question. But if you do that, make sure to be able to kind of say it in a very natural way so it doesn't sound memorized. You'll also want to tailor this to every job that you're interviewing for, so you shouldn't be saying the same thing at every interview. I worked with a recruiter once who gave me a really good, kind of, 'format' to use when answering this question, and so that's what I'm going to share with you now. #1: job title, years of experience, and relevant job experience to the current job you're interviewing for, and why you liked it. So usually, this is something like, "I'm an art director with about 20 years of experience, and during that time I really enjoyed working with and helping to lead artists in an agency setting with lots of different clients. I feel like I really thrive in that environment." #2: Your accomplishments. Now, I sometimes leave this section out if I think it's too wordy or a little unnatural sounding, because I also think we'll cover it later in the interview. But here's an example of what this would be like. "In my most recent position, I was the lead art director for a $13 million advertising campaign, and I was also the trainer and lead art director for a team of 10 graphic designers. #3: why you want to work there and why you want to leave your current position. Here's an example of what this would be like: "I'm really excited about this position, because although I love my current job, I saw that you're looking for someone who can see the big picture and think outside the box from concept to execution - and that's what I really excel at." So what would this look like if you're a brand new college grad? Maybe you don't have a lot of experience yet. Hopefully you've had an internship or have done freelance projects during school that you can talk about. Here's an example of this question in that scenario.
"Tell me about yourself." "Well, I just graduated with my degree in graphic design, and most of my experience in the industry is from my internship. I interned at an agency here in town, and I was able to help the team with magazine layouts, branding, and a few website designs, and I really feel like I learned a ton. I know you're looking for someone who can hit the ground running as a Layout Designer, and with my internship experience, I'm ready to do that." Okay, so maybe you're someone who has been out of the workforce for a while. Hopefully during that time, you've been able to take on at least a few freelance projects. Let's look at an example in this scenario. "Tell me about yourself." "I was a graphic designer from 2016 to 2019, but I took a little bit of time off to start a family. During that time, I kept my skills sharp by taking on remote freelance projects, and I was able to create branding and website designs for three small businesses here in town. While I love freelancing, now that my kids are a little older, I'd love the chance to collaborate a little more closely with my coworkers and clients in a full time web position, which is why I'm so excited about this opportunity." Okay, so here are a few tips and things not to say.
First
keep it short. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of minutes to answer this question. Don't say exactly what's on your resume. They're trying to get to know you a little and your personality with this question. Don't get too personal. If you've had a long absence from the workforce, it's okay to mention that and a vague reason, but don't go into too much detail. Of course, don't talk about politics, religion, love life or anything like that. I personally don't mention anything unrelated to the position, unless they specifically ask something like, "what do you do in your free time?" Or "what are your hobbies?" And in that case, I would tell them, but otherwise no, I would not say anything about that stuff.
