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Assignment
Assignment
Choose a specific job at a specific company to apply for (hypothetically). Be prepared to show us the job posting and the company's website.
Prepare your own appearance to look casual, but professional. You will be practicing your interview with video on.
If you do not have a room that provides a background that you are happy with, you can prepare and use a Zoom Background.
Create a profile picture for your Zoom account.
Be prepared to answer the 'Interview Questions' Below, live, in front of your classmates.
Each question must be answered with a real life story from a work, school, or club experience. Answer with a high degree of specificity and gear you answers toward the company you are apply to.
Write your answers down so you can reference (not read verbatim) them during the interview
Overview
Overview
The potential employer has likely already reviewed your portfolio and will want to find out, in the interview, as much as they can about you... the person. To make your answers 'real' in the interview, be prepared to give an example of how you dealt with each of these in the past. These examples, considered together, become 'your story'. The more details you include, the more real the story becomes.
Perform research on the company before you arrive. Learn their language and figure out what is important to them. Then weave their goals into your own and configure a narrative about how you can help them to be successful in achieving them.
Here is a quote from Laszlo Bock from an op-ed interview by Thomas Friedman:
Here is a quote from Laszlo Bock from an op-ed interview by Thomas Friedman:
Friedman:
"What’s your best advice for job interviews?"
Bock:
“What you want to do is say: ‘Here’s the attribute I’m going to demonstrate; here’s the story demonstrating it; here’s how that story demonstrated that attribute.’ ” And here is how it can create value. “Most people in an interview don’t make explicit their thought process behind how or why they did something and, even if they are able to come up with a compelling story, they are unable to explain their thought process.”
Answer interview questions with stories. Each story should include high levels of detail. This detail will provide authenticity. The stories should include:
What you did
How you did it
The impact it had
Interview Questions
Interview Questions
This list was compiled by a survey of over 40 employers in the media arts industry. There are legal restrictions to kinds of questions that can be asked which you can find in this Michigan Department of Civil Rights PDF. These are some typical types of questions. Prepare written notes for answering the questions during the mock interview.
Answer These Questions With Very Specific Answers that are targeted towards the company you are applying to.
Answer These Questions With Very Specific Answers that are targeted towards the company you are applying to.
Personal You
Tell us about yourself
Critical Thinking
What is your creative process?
Goals
What are your career goals?
The Future
Where do you see yourself in 5 years.
Answer these Questions with stories featuring yourself... providing a real life example of a past experience that supports your answer.
Answer these Questions with stories featuring yourself... providing a real life example of a past experience that supports your answer.
Include a lot of detail, such as the name of your employer, club, project, or organization, as well as brief descriptions of your official title or role.
Success
What do you think it will take to be successful in this job?
Contribution
What can you bring to our company that we don't already have
Teamwork
What roles have you played on a team?
Creativity
How do you reconcile your creative ideas with your coworker's?
Management
Have you found yourself in a position of managing a team or project, either directly or indirectly?
Conflict
How do you think you would be able to handle a difficult situation with a co-worker?
Questions to Ask
Questions to Ask
Ask These in an Initial Interview
Ask These in an Initial Interview
What is the work environment like?
Will you be paid hourly or be on a salary?
What are the overtime expectations?
Is overtime paid?
How frequent are the performance reviews?
What are the opportunities for advancement?
How soon would you want me to start if I am hired?
Do you have a project that I can work on for you to show you what I can do?
Negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiate Only After You Have Been Offered the Position
Negotiate Only After You Have Been Offered the Position
Vacation time is usually fairly easy to negotiate
Ask about the frequency of performance reviews. See if you can get one in 3 months (or 6 months) and be considered for a salary increase at that time.
Ask about health insurance... including dental.
Ask about retirement benefits (401k?).
If health insurance, vacation and/or retirement benefits are poor, you can ask for a salary increase to make up some of the difference.
Don't be afraid to negotiate... you will gain respect if you do it (but don't be stubborn).
Salary is difficult, but not impossible to negotiate. See the resources below to get ranges for various positions in various locations.
Researching Wages & Pricing
Researching Wages & Pricing
The resources below can help you to determine fair salaries and free-lance prices. This information is critical for negotiation.
A quick resource is Glassdoor's Salary Calcaulator.
Occupational Employment and Wage Information from US Department of Labor
Occupational Employment and Wage Information from US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines
Listings and pricing information based on surveys of working designers. It addresses legal rights and issues such as how copyright laws affect the income and work of graphic artists. It also provides tips on how to negotiate the best deals and how and what to charge for work, and includes sample contracts. For design and illustration professionals, there is no more comprehensive and informative resource.
Google Sites
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