So today I had an interview as I want a more challenging design role and need to move financially.

Anyway I wore a suit for the first time so felt more confident than normal. Go in no ones wearing shirt and tie not unusual for a design company but I was turned down for a position in April due to my lack of suit.

My real problem comes when explaining my work, I was told to take a lot of examples so I did this, but when it comes to talking through the work I seem to have little to say or at least it feels as though the interview is going poorly as the interviewer is not really asking in depth about my work. Then I get these awkward silences and say something which makes me sound worse than what I actually am.

I have a portfolio that I feel is of a high standard and my CV is certainly up to scratch, so why on earth when I'm in front of a big company who are forward thinking do I just absolutely bugger it up!! So frustrated I'm 99% sure I will not get this job, I feel destined to work for small companies with a low wage all my life

Reading that back sounds like a brain fart mleh!

for me an suit is mandatory for an interview regardless of the position (unless I have been informed otherwise). I wouldn't worry about everyone else's attire.

confidence goes a long way in interviews.
contrary to what people think, there are interviewers that are useless and can make for an uncomfortable environment so don't always think that its your fault.

If you don't get the job, don't give up as the right post will come up soon enough.

don't worry fella, interviews can be hard. just have the belief in your work….

besides you havent had the bad news yet!!! you may get it.

if not keep plodding on…

best of luck

(maybe have a dry run interview with mates, family get used to talking about it so you get bits stuck in your head)

You never know with interviews – I was a contractor and had plenty, and sometimes I've come out kicking myself for being a numpty and still got offered the role.

It might be worth getting in touch, saying that you were nervous because the role was important to you and asking if there was anything that you could help clarify/add more information to.

Scratch that. As the Dutch say "you already have a no". Definitely give them a call and make them want you that little bit more.

Good luck.

Last design interview I went for was competency based, I seemed to be giving the same answers, to the same but slightly different questions, they showed little or no interest in my actual portfolio.

I'm stuck in a souless design job and I'm looking to move on too!

I'm contemplating going it alone.

or me an suit is mandatory

Thats the thing in the design industry suits are in the minority, unlike IT perhaps. The recruitment agent did say to wear a suit when I inquired but I'm not sure she new the job as well as she thought.

I just felt it went poorly the interviewer did not show me around which seems the norm, shame as I really thought it could have been a place to stay at for a number of years. Plus I was supposed to have two people interviewing me and one had to go take a conference call, the chap who took the interview was nice but if the other applicants get both guys I'm out for sure. Bloody annoying as I can't keep taking time off work as it's so obvious in a small company like mine.

Do you have any friends who work in the same industry who'd be willing to help you practice interviews? Ideally, wear the suit and video yourself and get a thorough debrief afterwards.

Talking about your own work without sounding big-headed is incredibly difficult. Competency based questions can be planned ahead; you need to spend a few days thinking about it. If they ask you about your work, try to answer it in the same way.

IE, what the goal of the project was; what you found challenging about it; how you overcame the difficulties; and what you took from the experience.

The last interview I had was easily my worst, just a load of management-speak guff questions. There was one where I just had to apologise and say that I couldn't understand what they were asking and therefore had nothing to say. Got the job though. So even when you think you've blown it you might not have.

A key thing to bear in mind when attending an interview is, "What do they want from me?"

I.e. when asked a question (open or closed), think to yourself, "What do they want to hear" vs "What would I normally say" = work out what sounds best/right for each occasion.

Also come up with a list of questions you want to ask them, e.g. about the role, the responsibility, the team, the company's objectives/goals, their philosophy, etc – after all, it's about what they can do for you as well as what you can do for them.

Also, toward the end of the interview, ask how well they feel you suit the position – this can give you clues as to how well you fit or don't fit – you can then reinforce or counter or say whatever you feel is right at the time.

What sort of industry is the company involved in? Are you a product designer, a graphic designer, illustrator, CAD artist or CGI artist? Easier to give advice if we know the general area you're involved in.

I'm contemplating going it alone.

Perhaps eventually but i'm only 3 years into my career.

What do they want from me?

This is part of the problem, they want to hear I'm great wear as I tend to down play my achievements.

I'm in the Exhibition design/furniture design industry.

I used to struggle in interviews, mainly because I didn't understand what the the interviewer was trying to get out of it. In frustration, I bought a book called "Killer Interviews" by Ball & Ball and found it really useful. It helped me focus on what I was good at and get that across in the interview. It also helps a lot to understand how an interviewer thinks it should progress as this allows you to turn it rouond if it starts going badly. I went from not getting most of the jobs I interviewed for to almost always getting an offer.

Thanks for the recommendation rj I'll have a look.

Not sure it helps at all .. I used to really hate interviews, but changed some of that by having the attitude that actually I was interviewing them. In particular, do they/ the company feel/look like the kind of people I want to work with. As someone else said, be prepared with lots of questions, cause it shows you've done your research and are interested. The other thing to remember is that doing interviews can be a nerve wracking experience so often they are more scared than you are !!! (it's not your role to fill all the big silent gaps) – especially if for e.g. there's a more junior person in with his boss. I know the whole getting a job thing is hard, but it sounds to me like you need to take the pressure off yourself a bit. Work out what you want and be confident – goes a long way. 😀

Tricky one. The bottom line is the portfolio. Get that right and you'll just have to sit there while they make you offers. If there's any hesitation or sucking of teeth, then the sort of work you're presenting isn't hitting the right tone.

I've no idea what sort of stuff you're presenting, but the main reason for having work rejected is because it's either not good enough or it's too mainstream. I'm guessing it's not the first and I'm certainly not saying it's the second, but…Working professionally means that you generally have to pull back on the really interesting stuff. It's hard to be cutting edge when you're preparing designs for tooling and manufacture. My partner worked in the packaging industry for years. Although she was an RCA graduate, all she ended up with was a ton of tray and box designs. Regardless of how you dress that up, it's just not that interesting. To create the sort of show-stopping designs that'll get your foot in the door requires a huge amount of effort on the part of the designer, and usually entirely at the expense of their own time. After a day at work, it's very hard to sit down at the PC/sketch pad and do another three hours work…every night, but that's how I've always got my jobs.

I've had two crackers, and both of them were secured on work that had never been seen before the interview. I set myself projects and taught myself the software and techniques in the evening and at weekends. I chose a series of three month slots and produced whatever I could in that time (3 months learning software, three months producing work based on that learning). My latest job wasn't even a design job. I went along as a trainer and took some 'fun' illustrated slide packs with me. I was hired because of the slides and became the principle CGI designer for the company.

It's vital that you believe in what you're doing, and are able to convey that enthusiasm to others. Part of that is immersing yourself in the design world. That means subscribing to design forums, magazines and exhibitions. You've got to build up a library and submerge yourself in the history, present trends and theory of future directions. You have to completely live and breath your design work.

Finally, beware of big companies. Right now I'm in a very small (but big hitting) company and I have almost total freedom. It's extremely rare for that to happen in the design world, and almost unheard of in big companies. However, it's not uncommon for me to work 24 hour days, and on two occasions, 36 hour days.

One final thing…always have a copy of Withnail and I on hand for post-interview failure therapy. It happens to everyone. 😉

Thanks for the advice. It's good advice to add to your portfolio out of work but as you say it is not always possible as it becomes mentally exhausting. I can sympathise with your RCA friend as I know of a few people working at consultancies to support their own studios.

It must be nice having total freedom but I don't relish your 24 hour days.

One thing I have become better it is finding places to apply for as it is rather labour intensive.

On the suit/tie question, it's not as clear cut as one might hope. I recently got feedback on an academic job (a lectureship post) I went for and was told that my suit was off-putting and gave off an unwanted corporate air. Although the other candidate got the job because of his/her willingness to take on managerial/admin roles, impressions do of course count.

I've always played safe in the past on the basis that one should appear respectful of the occasion. Apparently however the audience for my presentation were somewhat startled by both my outfit (navy blue, not luminescent green) and my presentation that I felt was confidently delivered. Surely it is not a prerequisite in academic posts to be nervy, squirmy and unconformable? Do I really have to wear linen and Jesus shirts?!

Everyone has bad days, even at interviews.
Suit is good – where I work we're a relaxed company, but if someone turned up not in a suit it would show a lack of respect to me.
Examples are good – just don't use "We then did" type comments, keep it about you. I've interviewed a few folk like that and it ends up they were just on the project, not actually the person doing the role we wanted.
And, some great advice given to me many years ago, 'we can teach you the skills, but we can't change your attitude' – some here will disagree, but if you've got a good attitude coupled with the basic ability to do something then you'll be on a winner. And that can come across no matter what you say in an interview.

Oh, and if you're not sure about dress code then phone reception and ask the receptionist what the dress code is.
They'll give you an honest answer (almost always!) and you'll only ever get good points for being thorough & prepared.

And, some great advice given to me many years ago, 'we can teach you the skills, but we can't change your attitude' – some here will disagree, but if you've got a good attitude coupled with the basic ability to do something then you'll be on a winner. And that can come across no matter what you say in an interview.

How my son got his current job with uni course being paid for 😆

Examples are good – just don't use "We then did" type comments, keep it about you.

See I disagree with this because whilst there are jobs/designs where I have taken the lead and the end product is mostly of my thinking. I would never let a design go back to the client without the head designer, junior designer, project manager, carpenters, painters, hell even the receptionist have a look and hopefully give some input.

Tails, good point, teamwork and peer reviewing is great (indeed necessary).
In your example I'd be looking for "I have acted as lead developer/designer in xyz situation, and whilst working within the team have ensured that abc doco has been passed through appropriate peer review" – I'd then be looking to get specifically what you did as that lead ("mostly" is not a good word for me).
I'd also be challenging you as to how you handled negative peer review, not just emotionally but in terms of management of change and negotiating conflicts in requirements…
I've had situations (think hiring BAs) where they're saying much the same thing (part of a team etc etc) and when you drill into it they were a SME who got involved in the project around their expertise so wrote some notes about it and sat in on workshops – not a BA at all. In fact the team they were interfacing with was more pertinent to the role.
If someone couldn't give examples of their work beyond just being part of the successful team then I wouldn't be hiring them frankly. 😀

So on the advice of a design blog I'm going to buy a portfolio book, from the pages I have seen I'm a little unsure whether it is the way I want to present my work, but it can't hurt to look.

Mangatank if your reading would I be able to email you a couple of pages from the work I take to interview and explain how I present this just to get an opinion?

Thanks for the advice.

So I spoke to the agent today and apparently they really liked my portfolio and me, but are still to make a decision. She also said she'll keep an eye out for other jobs for me which did not fill me with hope!

What does this all mean in HR speak, as both the agent and even the receptionist lad sounded like they'd been smoking weed. Very tired voices.

Would you contact the employer direct? The main reason I have not is the agent gave me the contact details prior to sorting a interview which is very odd, so I don't really want to pull the wool over their eyes.

the current role I'm in I attended the interview in torn jeans and a tatty old mauve t-shirt with a picture of a lioness on it. everyone else suited & booted, I got the job. go figure?!?

Confidence and honesty is everything in interviews.

Try having a couple of drinks before you go for one. It will boost your confidence greatly and you'll be less inclined to keep your feelings about things that annoy you hidden.

ring up the company and ask for feedback, most will have an HR policy meaning they are obliged to do so – although don't be surprised if you get a stock response
.
there are things you must do at an interview, but a lot of it is down to luck

the current role I'm in I attended the interview in torn jeans and a tatty old mauve t-shirt with a picture of a lioness on it. everyone else suited & booted, I got the job. go figure?!?

Don't you work in your mates kitchen?

Wearing a suit is pretty much standard for interviews unless advised otherwise. Obviously there are suits and suits.

I would always ask for feedback following an interview. In situations where it has come down to picking a couple of pretty equal candidates, the interviewers will have to come up with a reason for the unsuccessful candidate. So take feedback with a pinch of salt. Think about what they say in relation to your perception of the interview.

Hopefully you get it though.

occasionally Tails, but I'm whoring myself as a Business Development Manager at the moment, I'm quite the renaissance man you know!