The List Goes On
We continue our list of Top Characteristics of Creative Designers according to the opinions of those within the industry.

Not everyone has all of these traits, but we can all learn from the list to understand what design companies look for in their staff.

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Here are the rest of the traits that design firms would like to see in potential hires:

• Care about clients. If a design job is nothing more than a product to the graphic artist, it takes on an impersonal feeling and disconnect from the client. A recognition and understanding that the final creation is for people helps to provide added impetus to do a better job.

• Be able to multitask & juggle projects. In the perfect world, a graphic designer should be able to concentrate on one job without distractions or additional duties not directly related to project at hand. But this rarely, if ever, happens. Being able to intently focus is a good thing, but the ability to multitask is virtually indispensable for successful designers.

• Be deadline oriented. Imagine a graphic design firm where everyone could turn in their work whenever they felt like it. This would not only be a formula for instant failure for the business, it communicates a lack of professionalism. Design firms are driven by deadlines, and so should you.

• Find ways to “break through the clutter. In a design job, there are lots of things to do, but not everything has to be done. The ability to sift through the unnecessary or less important tasks is often the difference between meeting deadlines and missing them. A good designer knows what needs to be done and what needs to be put on the back burner.

• Keep an open mind about things. If the art world maintained that realism was the only way to paint, Picasso, Monet, Dali and many other artists could not have created their unique styles of work. Design is also like this–there is more than one way to approach a solution.

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Desirable Traits and the Real Job World
The attributes that professional designers feel should be inherent in people who work in the industry is varied but can be broken down into these categories: teamwork, professionalism, communication, and work ethics.

Graphic design schools educate graphic arts students on how to design, create, compose, and use various tools for illustration, graphic design, or other fields in design work. But the traits that set a successful graphic designer from a mediocre one sometimes boils down to the personal characteristics of the individual.

Design firms need to hire qualified people for their art departments, but as was stated in the Top Characteristics of Creative Designers articles, employers are looking beyond talent and towards potential hires that have many of the traits that make a designer truly successful.

The Basics So Far
In our last few articles we’ve covered topics related to properly preparing for graphic design job interviews and ideas for designing creative resumes.

In this new series we’ll explore what sorts of traits successful professionals in design or creative positions commonly possess. . .
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What the Employers Say They Want
The original information was researched by Preston Lee, an award winning graphic designer, who queried design professionals from different firms.

He asked them what sort of traits they believed are inherent in people who work in jobs that required creativity.

The following list of attributes isn’t exhaustive by any means but may be useful in determining whether you have “the right stuff” to work for a design or media firm.

The List
What is interesting to note is that of all the traits that were mentioned as valuable for a career in design, very little was said about actual talent.

The responses were generally about personal character, good attitude, and good communication skills.

Of course talent is a factor, but this seems to be a given and employers are looking for that extra “something” from potential hires in addition to talent alone. We’ll list the top responses here with a short comment for each trait.

• Be motivated and eager to learn. Design methods and software are constantly changing, so a graphic designer who continues to learn becomes a valuable team member to the company.

• Be curious about the industry. This could also be rephrased, “Be interested in your work.” A fresh perspective of where the industry is heading shows employers that you are involved and engaged in your work.

• Get a good education. Preparing yourself for a career in graphic design, illustration, or one of the many related fields in the arts means getting the best education that is available to you. Graphic design schools and graphic design colleges can help you to receive the graphic design education you need to qualify for jobs in the industry. Most entry level jobs require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

• Be authentic. It is sometimes hard to admit a lack of knowledge when searching for a solution to a design problem. But pretending to know everything isn’t the way to go either. Just be yourself. Employers want people that can fit into their organizations.

• Network constantly. Or in other words, communicate! Errors in design concepts can sometimes be attributable to nothing more than just a misunderstanding of project guidelines or the assumption that the other party knows what is expected. Design companies need people who can effectively communicate.

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Next Time…
We’ll list some more traits that graphic design employers seek in their new hires.

We’ll also discuss some of the things that you can do to increase your chances of becoming hired with a design company, or other firm dealing with the visual arts.

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What the Secrets Are All About
In our previous three-part series on Interview Tips for Graphic Artists and Designers, we have covered areas on how to prepare and conduct one’s self during job interviews.

In this article, we’ll explore things that are not usually discussed — namely what other things interviewers consider when examining  potential hires.

The Mystery of Landing a Job
What distinguishes one job candidate from another after the interview process has concluded?

This question may be answered in the following five things that are usually not known regarding job interviews.

While these inside tips cannot guarantee you a job, they may help you understand the process of how the whole interview process works and what goes on in the minds of those who interview people for jobs.

The First Minutes Are Critical
How well and comfortable an interviewer responds to you can be crucial in a successful job interview.

Interviewers are skilled in picking up on non-verbal communication such as your body language, how you are dressed, and how sincere your answers are. If an interviewer fails to connect positively with a job candidate during the first few minutes, it can be an uphill battle to regain footing for the job seeker.

Interviewers Are Highly Attuned to Deception
Good interviewers are skilled at picking up signals from job candidates who exaggerate or overly enhance what they know or can do. Of course your portfolio can speak volumes about your talents, but capable interviewers can tell just how much experience you really have as opposed to what you say.

Interviewers Don’t Like Silence
As the interview process progresses, a candidate who pauses frequently, is at a loss for words, or is struggling to formulate cohesive responses usually raises a red flag for the interviewer. While nerves are perfectly understandable, a failure to communicate effectively can be a sore-point.

Interviewers Are Looking for Someone Memorable
When you consider that people who do job interviews can literally screen hundreds of job candidates in order to fill a specific job position, job seekers can all start to look alike after a while.

Candidates who do or say something memorable during the interview process can get the attention of the interviewer. If your qualifications also meet what they are looking for, you may increase your chances of being called back for a second interview session.

Interviewers Look for People Who Fit In
While your talent is certainly important in the process of qualifying for a job, your interviewer is also considering how well you may fit into the company’s work environment.

For example, if the workplace is a pressure cooker, the interviewer will be looking for people who can work well under tight deadlines. If the workplace is informal, they’ll be looking for individuals that are easy going and professional in their work habits.

Should You Take the Job Offer?
This seems like a rather odd question, but it should be seriously considered if the company calls you back with a job offer.

During the interview you should have taken mental notes about the person who was doing the questioning. How did the hiring manager or prospective boss treat you during the interview?

Did he seem pushy, disrespectful or condescending to you? If so, you must realize that this is the work environment that you may encounter if you accept the job.

But if everything checks out and you are satisfied with your assessment of the company and its working conditions, you can confidently say “Yes!” if the job offer comes through.

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The Job Interview Questions Everyone Knows About
At the heart any job interview is a vetting process that relies heavily on a candidate’s response to questions. Interviews can be challenging if you don’t know what sorts of questions will be asked.

But virtually everyone is familiar with the “standard issue” questions:

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• What are your plans for the next five years?
• What can you bring to this company if you are hired?

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While these questions have worked in the past to screen individuals for job positions, the mere fact that they are so well recognized by the general public has taken much of the edge and usefulness away from them.

This doesn’t mean that you won’t be asked these questions during a job interview, but you should also be prepared for questions that are “outside the box.”

Questions That Make You Think
Firms are using an alternative interview method based upon behavioral responses from potential hires.

Questions that are behaviorally based try to determine how well a job candidate may fit into the company based upon the person’s performance on previous jobs.

Behavioral interview questions can reveal how a job candidate reacts under pressure, how well the individual works with others, and how creative the person is in problem solving.

Some of the behavioral questions you may encounter during a job interview are:

• What did you do about coworkers that were uncooperative and difficult to work with?
• When you didn’t agree with your supervisor or manager about something job related, what did you do?
• When you were criticized about your performance on a project you were working on, what did you do?
• Tell me three things you would change about your last job and why?
• Give me an example of how you motivated other coworkers to do better in their work.
• Tell me about a time when you were able to use your creativity and problem solving skills to complete a difficult project or request.
• Tell me what you did when your design for a project wasn’t working out as planned.

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Make Sure You Can Remember
Behavioral interview questions dig deep into your past, so make sure you are prepared to answer questions of this sort. If you just graduated from a graphic design school, the questions you are asked will be in relation to your school experience.

Next Time
We’ll wrap up this series with the topic, “Things Job Interviewers Won’t Tell You.”

In this upcoming article we’ll explore what the interviewer is looking for in a job candidate, what things that can fail you during the interview, and whether you should accept the job offer.

The Job Interview
Upon your graduation from graphic design college, the next step is to look for a job.

The job interview process can be mystifying, but in this job interview series, we list pointers and tips that can help you to interview successfully.

What to Do During an Interview
In part one of Interview Tips for Graphic Artists and Designers, advice was given on what to do in preparation for a job interview in graphic arts.

But what can you do during the interview to make it go smoothly?

Here are some tips:

• Be Yourself. This bit of wisdom is rarely given but is very useful in defusing any jitters you may have during the interview. It’s OK to say, “I’m a little nervous,” to the interviewer. The human resources person or potential boss understands this. Putting on a veneer of self-confidence rarely works and is usually quite transparent, so be yourself. Your honesty will be appreciated.

• Talk. Try to be straightforward with your answers and avoid long pauses or periods of silence in your responses. Part of the interview process is to evaluate your communication skills. If you are naturally quiet, that is fine. Just be prepared to speak more than you usually do during the interview.

• Ask Questions. Although job interviews are sometimes thought of as a one-way street — the interviewer asks questions while the interviewee answers, this isn’t necessarily the best approach for job candidates to take. If a question doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification.

• Demonstrate. If your portfolio is reviewed by your interviewer during your interview, you can offer information on what role you played in designing the pieces. Was it a team project or did you produce the work on your own? The interviewer may ask you what creative processes you used to arrive at your designs.

• Technical Terms. In any job there is a specific amount of jargon you need to know and understand. Your interviewer may present questions that are technical in nature such as, “What do you think the CMYK mix for the color of a red fire engine truck would be?” Brush up on your graphic arts terminology.

The Importance of Education
Getting a chance to interview for a design job can be a very exciting and nerve racking experience.

Your artistic talents are laid out for all to see and your work stands on its own to make or break the job deal and this certainly can be a little stressful.

But along with talent is the necessity to get a well-rounded education in your specific field of design.

If you are contemplating a career as a graphic artist, illustrator or media professional, graphic design schools can be of immense help in providing the career training you need to prepare for jobs in design.

The Next Time
What sort of questions will you be asked during the interview process? Should you take the job if the company makes you an offer? What else can you do to increase your chances of landing a job? We’ll cover these topics and more in the next few sessions.

Job Interviews
If you are a student in graphic design, graphic arts or illustration, you’ve probably wondered about the interview process in applying for a job.

While job interviews can take on a variety of scenarios, you can still be prepared.

The tips presented in this series do not guarantee you a graphics job, but they can help you to organize, plan and possibly increase your chances for a successful job interview.
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How to Prepare Before the Interview
Preparation can play a significant role in the outcome of job interviews.

By doing your research and being aware of what is expected for the job position, you can enhance your credibility and professionalism in the eyes of the interviewer.

Prior to showing up for the job interview you can prepare yourself by going over the following suggestions and plans of action:
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• Portfolio. Assemble your portfolio in a conscious effort to meet the needs of the company or firm you are applying at.  Keep it concise and to the point. You don’t want to bore the interviewer with examples that don’t represent your best work.
• Background. Your interviewer will probably ask what you know about the company. Present a few detailed facts about the firm. This shows that you are interested in the company and have done your part to be informed.
• Dress the Part. Try to find out what sort of dress code the office has for its workers. You want to dress appropriately in order to fit in. Being neat and casual sometimes works better than wearing a suit. Check or ask before your interview appointment.
• Materials: In addition to your portfolio, bring along copies of your resume, a disc of your work examples, and a cover letter just in case the items were lost in processing. Also bring your driver’s license, social security card, and three references.

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• Groom. Personal hygiene should not be forgotten. Do all you can to appear fresh and clean.
• Be Punctual. Plan to arrive early–at least 20 minutes or sooner. This will take into account any time that you may loose by getting lost or other tie-ups. Arriving early also gives you a chance to catch your breath, scope out the area, and relax.

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The Primary Interview Formats
There are usually two types of job interview formats that employers choose to use:

* Traditional - In this method, the interviewer asks candidates about their strengths and weaknesses, why they want to work for the company, what their goals are for the next 3 to 5 years, and other standard questions that are quite common to this style of interview.
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Employers use this method to determine the applicant’s communication skills, experience, and suitability as a team player.

* Behavioral - More companies are adopting this interview approach because it probes the potential employee’s past performance as an indication of how well the candidate may perform in the work firm’s work environment.

Questions are asked about how the individual handled coworker conflicts, project challenges, ingenuity in problem solving and other questions related to on-the-job performance and actions.

Next Time…
In the following parts of this series, we’ll delve into the aspects of what to do during the interview process, how to avoid pitfalls during the interview and more so stayed tuned.