THE HIRING PROCESS
OVERVIEW
As you all know, our business is a "show me" business. Our student's portfolios are going to do 80% of the work when it comes to getting their career started. The recommendations on this page are derived from my personal experience in the hiring process both at Kendall, as a small business owner and as a department head in a large corporation. My many interviews with other industry people that are in hiring positions have confirmed that my experiences are not unique.
THE HIRING PROCESS
It's important for all of us to understand this process. Student works from your courses are going to be key components to their success as they navigate this system.
Round 1:
It's not unusual for an office assistant to look at each application and remove any candidates that have not followed the submission requirements exactly. That reduces the pile a bit.
Round 2:
30 seconds to 3 minutes. That is the amount of time that a manger or committee will have to spend during their first portfolio review of all the candidates. Most candidates will not make it past 30 seconds. Because of the competitive nature of the industry, if 2 or 3 marginal works are encountered, they will move on, having dozens more portfolios to look at that evening before they can go home to their family or their hobby or whatever else it is that they would rather be doing. Hiring is typically an extra workload, over and above an already busy schedule.
Round 3:
A second look, of the round 2 winners, by the manager and other people on the staff that have a vested interest in hiring the right person for the position. 3 to 6 minutes is about the average look here. Resumes of the most promising candidates from this group may now be read in addition to the portfolio review.
Round 4:
3 candidates are typically interviewed. Their portfolios are each scrutinized for 5 - 10 minutes and their resumes are reviewed closely before they arrive. The purpose of the interview is to see if you are articulate and if you are someone that will be easy to work with. The latter being absolutely critical.
Round 5:
An offer is made. These days it's typical to be hired on an intern or trial period of 3-6 months. This is to see if you are productive and easy to work with. It is really an extension of the interview process.