Get my Ducks in a Row?

I’m not sure how it translates in other languages, but this expression just means that you’re going to get your stuff together. You’ll be gathering all of the things that you’ll need on your quest for a design job. You’re going to find out what you need, figure out what you’re missing, and fill in the gaps.

(If you missed part 1 of the How to Land a Design Job series, you may want to go back and take a look at: How to Land a Design Job — Part 1: Choose your Path.)
 

Who are You and Where did you Come From?

Let’s start with the things that you should have on hand for the interview, and ready-in-waiting if you should get the job. There is a good chance that you will NOT need all of these things, but there is also a good chance that you will need some of them. Every interview I’ve been on—and every job I’ve accepted—has had different requirements. I’ve been asked for everything on this list at least once. My advice is to make it easy on yourself. Be ready for anything. Here are the things you’ll want to gather:

Birth Certificate
Social Security Card
Drivers License
College Transcripts
Copy of your College Degree
Also does not hurt to have a second photo ID (passport or school ID usually work fine)

Dig up ALL of this stuff, make copies of it, and keep it in a safe place. Don’t know where your birth certificate is? Get to a courthouse for an official copy. Didn’t save your college transcripts? Send away for them. If you end up not needing this stuff, fine. Hang onto if for another time. If you DO end up needing it for a job or interview though, you don’t want to be scurrying around, or explaining to a potential employer why they need to wait three weeks for something they want right away. 
 

Detailed Life History Please

You’ll be surprised at how detailed some of the job applications are that you will be filling out. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember the exact day that I started my second job, or the phone number of my first job. You’ll want to take the time now to go back through your employment history and get your facts straight. Write it all down on something that you can carry with you to every interview (sounds like a perfect reason to buy a new Moleskine!) That way, when you’re nervous about your interview, you don’t have to add to the craziness by trying to remember your exact quit date of your third job. Again, I’m asking you for details you might not need. But, there is a chance that you WILL need these facts, so in the spirit of “better safe than sorry,” go ahead and write it all down. Here are the things you’ll want to have:

School Info:
College Name
College Dates (Start and Graduation)
Major, Minor
GPA 
College Address, Phone Number

For Every Job You’ve Ever Had:
Company Name
Company Address
Company Phone
Manager Name (if you have more than one manager, use the one that likes you the most)
Start Date, End Date
Duties/Responsibilities/Accomplishments
Reason for Leaving

I do know people who have lost jobs (after holding them for years) because it was found that they lied on their resumes or applications. You don’t want to be making up dates or names when you’re filling out your job application. Take the time to do the research and get your facts straight. As you grow in your career, continue to add to your list. There will be MANY times in life when you are glad to have it! And, as an added bonus, you might just impress your prospective employer with your organization.
 

Does Anyone Like You?

Another part of the interview process is recommendations and references. As you go through life, collect letters of recommendation. Worked for somebody that loved you? Ask for a letter. Had a teacher who thought you were the best student ever? Ask for a letter. Some jobs will ask for letters of reference, and all grad programs will ask for letters. Avoid using family or friends. Keep them professional, employers or instructors are best. Print out five or more, and ask the person to sign each. Bring them with you on your job interviews if you know they are required. Bring them with you even if they are NOT required, just in case.

I’ve never filled out any type of application (not even for a waitressing position) that didn’t ask for references. They will ask you for three to five people who will vouch for you. You want someone who will say “Hire them. They are perfect!” The employer wants someone who has actual experience working with you. No relatives, neighbors, friends, or significant others — not unless you did work for them. Look instead to teachers, past employers, or clients. You always want to ask a person if they mind being a reference ahead of time. It’s common courtesy, and it gives them some time to come up with some great stuff to say about you! The application will ask for their name, company (if applicable), position, relationship to you, address, and phone number. So, you’ll want to write all of that down and bring it with you on your interviews along with all of the other stuff you’ve gathered so far.
 

Lining up the Elephants

Okay, we’re done with the easy stuff. Now for the BIG ducks. There are still quite a few things you need to gather up that will take a bit more time and attention than tracking down a few documents. You want to make sure that you meet the requirements of the job BEFORE you apply. So, that’s where you’re going to start.
 

Researching the Requirements

You’re not going to know what you need until you find out what people are asking for. Remember Part 1? Choosing your path? You should have a pretty clear idea of what you are looking for. So, now, you just need make sure you can be what THEY are looking for! Check out the job listings. Look for the types of jobs that you would want to apply for. What are the requirements? Make a list. What are people looking for? Don’t brush by anything. Write it all down and put stars next to the things that appear over and over. Look at at least ten ads (more is better). It’s amazing how similar the requirements are, isn’t it? If you are looking at similar positions (all web design positions, for example) you’ll find that most employers are looking for similar skills, similar work ethics, and similar portfolio samples. Those starred items are the things you want to concentrate on first — although I recommend eventually working your way through the entire list. Why not be an over-achiever?
 

A Long Hard Look in the Mirror

Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. What are employers asking from you as a person? Some of the personal requirements  you’ll see again and again in job requirements are “Organized,” “Independent Worker,” “Team Player,” and “Multi-Tasker.” I’m not going to ask you to change your personality to fit these traits. Instead, I’d like you to list them out, and then for each, write out 2-3 examples of situations in your life when you demonstrated those qualities. When the interviewer asks you “Do you work well within a team environment?” it’s going to be better for you if you can answer with, “We worked in teams to brainstorm new concepts during my internship, and I really enjoyed that process,” instead of “Yes, I do.” Do you see where I’m going with this? Don’t change who you are — just find those traits in yourself. And, if you are the most completely disorganized person on the planet, you can always answer, “How are your organizational skills?” with, “I’m not naturally an organized person, but I do have a system for writing things down so that nothing slips through the cracks, and I’m working on becoming more organized every day.” No reason to lie, but still better than, “No, not really.” 
 

Study Up! There will be a Test.

Now that we have the personal requirements out of the way, let’s take a look at the required technical skills for the job. What programs are employers asking for in their ads? Go back to your list. If you see that you starred a program that you’re not familiar with, or that you have used but not mastered, it might be wise to take a week or two to study up on that program. Get some books, browse all of the awesome free tutorials online, or sign up for an 8-hour training session. Do whatever you have to do to get up-to-date and on top of your skills. In a web design job, PHP might be a “plus,” but good clean CSS will be a “must,” so make sure that your CSS knowledge is up to par before making any calls or sending out any resumes. You want to be as prepared as possible when you get a call-back. Don’t disappoint yourself or the interviewer by pretending to know something you don’t. 

For those of you who have never been on a design interview, you should know, there WILL be a test. It might be during your second interview, but there will be a test somewhere in the process. Nobody is going to hire you without seeing what you can do firsthand. I’ve had to take math tests, proof-reading tests, spelling tests, personality tests, and a whole slew of design tests. Usually the tests are real-world applications like “Design a 3-page website using these elements in 2 hours,” or “Create a 2-color brochure using this text and these images and package it for print in an hour.” You want to be prepared for anything though. And, the best way to do that is to brush up on all of the required skills. 

Bonus Tip: You also want to pay attention to the specifics of the requirements in the ad. If they are using Quark instead of InDesign, don’t just assume they are similar. Study Quark. If they are using Photoshop 7 instead of CS4, study up on 7. If they are using PCs instead of Macs, spend some time getting familiar with the PC. You can never be too prepared!!
 

Your Portfolio: The Missing Pieces

The last bit of organization you’ll have to do before we dive into creating your resume and portfolio is to gather up and coordinate the portfolio pieces that you have so far. Using your trusty list, look for your starred requirements. Do people want to see websites? Logos? Thumbnails (your process)? What are they asking for? What do you currently have that meets those requirements? Sort through all of your work. Choose only those pieces that you think are impressive and that fit the job descriptions you’ve been researching. Don’t put something in just because you think you need a certain number of samples in your book. As someone who has interviewed and hired, I can tell you that the old saying is absolutely true: “Your portfolio is only as good as your weakest piece.” You will be judged on your worst sample. Every time. If it’s not up to par, leave it out. Trying to decide between two similar samples? Choose the one that best fits the job description that you are looking at, or the one with the best story behind it. Your portfolio will be the bulk of your conversation during your interview. The more interesting your pieces, the better the conversation.

Don’t worry if you feel like your portfolio is a bit slim. Unless you are more advanced in your career, or coming from a job and looking for another job in the same field, it is normal to have fewer portfolio pieces. In fact, you may have some nice pieces, but you might not have any that really work for the job you want to apply to. That’s okay.

We’ll talk about the best way to round out your portfolio in Part 3 of the How to Land a Design Job series: Filling in the Gaps.