Freelance Graphics Designer

This is the easiest question to answer, as there's really only one correct response-"Yes!" Once you've said that, of course, you have to actually have a portfolio ready to show and talk the employer through some of the pieces inside. This simple question usually comes with a lot of follow-up questions about how you created each piece, how long it took, what your design goals were and so on.

This is the easiest question to answer, as there's really only one correct response-'Yes!'

The interviewer may or may not actually ask these follow-up questions, so be ready to give them the answers anyway. Before you show off each piece, you'll want to give the interviewer an idea of what they're about to see. You don't need to go into great detail, just a sort of "teaser" statement about what's coming up next. Something along the lines of, "This was a print campaign for a local brand where I was only allowed to use one ink color."

Remember to start and end your portfolio with your best pieces. You might only have enough time to go into detail about one or two pieces, so you'll want immediate access to your best work. Pad out the rest of the portfolio with three to five other pieces that you think best represent you as a designer.

If at all possible, try to fill your portfolio with works that are relevant to the job you're applying for. If you're going for a job designing print marketing, have plenty of examples of past print work. If you don't have relevant examples, there's no shame in creating some spec pieces just for the sake of adding them to your portfolio.

For designers just coming out of school, keep in mind that a professional portfolio is a little different than a school portfolio, and what works for one may not be great to include in the other. With a student portfolio, you're trying to show that you understand the techniques you've learned while also expressing your artistic identity. With a professional portfolio, you want to show that your skills are marketable and appealing.

Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can bring additional pressure to the job and employers want to make sure that the designers they work with aren't going to fall apart the minute the going gets tough. Questions like this tell the employer two things-not only how you handle pressure, but what constitutes a stressful situation in your book.

Questions like this tell the employer two things-not only how you handle pressure, but what constitutes a stressful situation in your book.

Be ready to answer this with an anecdote or example from your life that shows you know how to keep cool under pressure. Stories about deadlines, editorial mandates or last-minute changes are good to include, because these are the kind of stresses that will naturally occur in the design field. Showing that you've already dealt with these kinds of stresses makes you a stronger, more experienced candidate.

With all the pressure and anxiety of being under the microscope during a job interview, people often tend to forget that you're just as much interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You should always come prepared with questions to ask at the end of the interview. Not only does this make you seem engaged and show your interest in the position, but it also gives you a chance to make sure this job is the right fit for you.

People often tend to forget that you're just as much interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.

Try to avoid bringing up questions about pay rates or vacation days unless you're in a position where you absolutely have to. Most employers don't like to discuss pay until a follow-up interview, so try to wait out these questions if you can.

Questions about the company, the people you'd be working with, and what the job itself entails are all good places to start. However, you'll want to find questions that make you seem engaged, not just going through the motions. Instead of just asking what their company is all about, inquire about the future of the company: where it's heading, what projects are coming up, and what the future means for the position you're applying for.

A job interview might give you the chance to step into the spotlight, but that doesn't mean you're going to be the only one in it. Employers love to hear you talk about their company and the work that they do just as much as you like to hear people say nice things about your design work.

Employers love to hear you talk about their company and the work that they do just as much as you like to hear people say nice things about your design work.

This is also a bit of a test to see if you've done your homework, so try to be prepared to answer this ahead of time. Again, if you don't know anything about the company and can't find out any info, this is a good chance to hear more about them.

Give your honest opinion, but avoid being too negative-after all, if you didn't like the company or the work that they do, why would you want to interview for the job in the first place? Constructive criticism is okay, but again, you want to frame it around why you're the best person for the job.

It's okay to impart that there is something missing within their organization-perhaps it's a void that only you can fill! But you don't want to come across as someone who is ready to start tearing everything down and doing it all your way.

Regardless of what you know or how you feel, you should have some nice things to say-even if it's just your initial impressions when you came in for the interview.

If you have accolades, awards, academic achievements or other lofty accomplishments in your past, then this question is likely going to be easy for you to answer. This is your chance to blow them away with all the great stuff you've been able to accomplish in the design field so far.

However, many people may have difficulties answering this question for a number of different reasons. Maybe you don't feel as if you've accomplished much of anything, maybe you're actively working towards something big but haven't quite made it yet, or maybe your big life accomplishment has nothing to do with graphic design.

Remember why employers ask this question in the first place-they want to work with people who have ambition, because ambitious people tend to put in the work to accomplish their goals. Employers also want to understand what inspires you; what do you consider an accomplishment in the first place?

...they want to work with people who have ambition, because ambitious people tend to put in the work to accomplish their goals.

Your job in this scenario is to show them why your greatest accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job, even if they don't seem that great or have much to do with graphic design at first glance.

Tell a story about how you achieved this accomplishment and what obstacles you had to overcome to do so. Also, be sure to let the interviewer know why this accomplishment means so much to you. This way, no matter what your achievement might be, the interviewer knows more about what motivates you and how you utilize that motivation to get stuff done.

Time is money, and the more time you take on a project, the more money it will cost your employers in the long run. However, this can be a problematic question to answer, because you also need to look out for your own interests. Many designers make the mistake of underselling how long it actually takes them to finish a project, which can create a whole heap of problems down the road.

After all, if you say it takes you one hour to do a project that actually takes three, your employer is going to hold you to that statement and you'll find yourself overwhelmed with deadlines you just can't meet. It's almost better in this instance to overestimate how much time you take, just to give yourself a buffer in case you're hit with a particularly difficult assignment. However, that can also be a dangerous game to play, because it may make you look less attractive than other candidates who can work faster than you.

...if you say it takes you one hour to do a project that actually takes three, your employer is going to hold you to that statement and you'll find yourself overwhelmed with deadlines you just can't meet.

What's important here is to give the interviewer a sense of how you manage your time. If it takes you longer than others to get a job done, then you need to be able to show why that extra time makes for a better final product. Break down your workflow into blocks of time so they know exactly how you work and what you use your time for.

This way, if your estimation seems too high, the employer has more information to go on and it just might help your chances. For example, if you spend a lot of your work time coming up with ideas, it might not be an issue at your new job if some of those ideas will be provided for you by a creative director.

Plus, you may find that the employer has no idea how long the project should take and are legitimately asking you because they need to know what to expect. They may be just trying to figure out how to work you into their workflow based on their own timetable.

Everybody has their own opinion on what makes a good designer, and your opinion on the subject can give potential employers some insight on how you operate. That's because the qualities you describe are going to be ones that you either already have or aspire to become better at.

It's best to go for a wide range of different qualities that show that you understand what it takes to be a successful designer. If you say something like "a good designer is creative, imaginative and has a unique sense of style," you're going to come off as a bit single-minded. Saying something like "a good designer is creative, punctual and open to feedback" will make you seem like you understand everything that goes into the job.

But don't forget that the person interviewing you is likely going to hear a lot of the same thing from every designer they talk to. Come prepared with a few unique attributes to set yourself apart from the rest of those being considered for the job. Focus on unique attributes that relate back to your own personal experiences as a designer, and also tie into the job you're applying for. Surprise the interviewer with an answer that is well thought-out and one they haven't heard a dozen times before.

Surprise the interviewer with an answer that is well thought-out and one they haven't heard a dozen times before.

This is one of the most typical interview questions. In fact, it doesn't matter if you apply for a position of a graphic designer, a teacher or a product manager. It will most likely come in any job interview.

In order to answer it well, you need to understand the basic principle: What is a strength for one job is useless in another position. And what is a weakness for one employee, cab be a strength for another one.

Let me list the strengths of graphic designers right now. You can pick few for your answer:

► creativeness

► ability to understand the needs and desires of various people and transform it into final design works

► analytical thinking

► detail oriented personality

► ability to teamwork

► patience and perseverance

► drawing and other artistic abilities

► Why did you decide for a career of a graphic designer?

► What caught your eye on the job description?

► Why do you want to work for us and not for other company? There are many offers for graphic designers…

► What characterize a good designer from your point of view?

► What are your strengths and weaknesses?

► What do you want to accomplish on this position?

► Where do you see yourself in five years time?

► Describe a situation when you needed to meet a tight deadline with a project.

► Describe a situation when you worked under pressure. How did you handle that?

► Describe a conflict you had with your boss, or with your colleague. What was the situation and how did you solve it?

► What kind of design projects are you most interested in?

► Name all software products you can work with. How long have you been working with it. What do you like about this and that program? Why do you prefer it to other, competing programs?

► What do you consider to be the current trends in the area of graphic design?

► How important do you think communication in graphic design is?

► What is a primary goal of a graphic designer? Is it important that the design is good looking, or what else should a designer consider his first priority?

► Tell me something about your latest design projects. What challenges did you face and how did you handle it?

► What do you consider your most successful design project and why?

► What are the differences between associative hatching and non-associative hatching in CAD?

► If you wanted to select a line and there were other lines on top of it how would you select it in CAD?

► What is the difference between a crossing polygon and a window polygon?

► What is Linking Layer in Photoshop?

► How to modify one image from one layer to another layer?

► Explain about Lasso tools in Photoshop.

► What is the shortcut to zoom back to 100%?

► When are you able to start?

► Do you have any questions?

1. When you arrive in the interview give us your business card. It should be well designed, memorable, simple and hopefully have a great idea. It should be unique and you should be branded.

2. Have 8-12 pieces of work in your folio. Put the best pieces at the front and back.

3. Have at least six questions ready to ask (if you have less, you'll find they will be answered in the course of the interview).

4. Take a pad and pen, take it out at the beginning of the interview. You don't have to take notes, but it looks as if you are organised.

5. Talk about your work before you show it, but don't talk too much. This should be one short sentence to engage the interviewer with you. We will be looking at you as you speak. Then show us your work.

6. Have samples and mock ups.

7. Bring sketches. We are as interested in how you got to the final solution as the solution itself. You can show other concepts.

8. Have a copy of your CV (resumé) at the back of the portfolio. Offer it even if we already have it.

9. On your CV don't tell people about exam results or part-time jobs that have nothing to do with your chosen career. It pisses us off.

10. Don't talk about holiday or money in a first interview.

11. Give a firm handshake.

12. Tell us you really want the job (believe it or not, hardly anyone does this).

13. Ask for our business card(s).

14. When you get back home, send an email thanking us for the interview.

15. Make sure your branding is consistent on your business card, CV and email signature.

16. One for luck: Remember, 80% of design students are crap. We see lots of CVs (95% of which are crap). If you can get into the top 20% you will get a job.

► What graphic design software are you most comfortable working with?

► What graphic design software do you know best? Which one could you improve?

► What do you think are the most important qualities in a graphic designer?

► How comfortable are you being told what to design?

► How well do you take criticism?

► You are asked to design a new logo for our company. What would it look like?

► Do you sketch your designs first before converting them to digital format?

► How many designs do you usually sketch before choosing one?

► Do you have a tablet at home? What is it and why do you like it?

► How long would it take you to plan, design, and complete a 300×400 banner?

► How familiar are you designing graphics for [online marketing, newspapers, etc.]?

► You may be given strict parameters for your designs. Will that stifle your creativity?

► You are told to create a design without any instructions. What do you do?

► How do you plan your designs before you start drafting them?

► Tell me about some of the designs you have created, and their success.

Liking your job has never been a requirement of employment, but good employers know that happy workers do better work-especially if they like the work they're doing. Every designer has his or her own specialty, something they like to do above all else. If what you like to do just happens to be the same job you're applying for, then you're in good shape.

Liking your job has never been a requirement of employment, but good employers know that happy workers do better work-especially if they like the work they're doing.

If you're afraid that your interests and the job you're applying for aren't the best match for one another, then try to find the best answer that is not only honest, but makes you the best candidate for the job. You could mention that you would like to work your way up into a position that would let you work on your favorite types of projects, if that's a possibility.

Or you could always aim for an answer that is a little broader. You could say that you like projects that allow you to work with a team, or that you like working on challenging projects that everybody else has given up on.

In the end, you want to answer as truthfully as possible, because it gives future employers a sense of what you're good at and where you might fit the best. You never know, you could go in for an interview for one job and leave with a different job you didn't even know was available.

Employers are looking for designers who can not only deliver results, but do so in a timely manner. Failing to meet your deadlines can cost your employer money or make them lose face to their customers, clients and business associates. If you are good about keeping up on your deadlines, you'll be good to go when it comes time to answer this question.

If sticking to your deadlines is something that you have a hard time with, then you need to at least show the interviewer that you respect deadlines and that you do whatever it takes to get your job done. Give examples of times when you weren't able to complete a task on deadline, and explain why you fell behind and how you rectified the situation. Did you ask for an extension ahead of time? Did you bring in another designer to help you with the work?

Keep in mind, there's no reason to punish yourself if you've missed the odd deadline here or there in the past. Potential employers want to know how you're going to handle their deadlines, so you can always turn a negative experience into something positive.

There's no reason to punish yourself if you've missed the odd deadline here or there in the past.

Say you've missed deadlines in the past because of last minute editorial changes. You might answer the question by saying you're good at keeping deadlines so long as you have everything you need to do the job ahead of time. This way, you can answer the question positively and truthfully while also giving the employer some insight as to how you work best.

Each of us has some interests. While someone loves webdesign, someone else is into designing clothes, or buildings. Some guys may love to be involved in product management, having a role of designers and taking care of all the project in its complexity.

However, you should forget on your own interests for a while, and think about the interests of an employer. You should say that you like what they design.

To be able to do it you need to do your homework. Spend some time on their website, check the portfolio, find out what kind of design they are into and stick to it in your answer. Job description should also help you.

It would be tiring and dreadful to work on projects you aren't into yourself. I know that we need some job to make money… But you should chose a job that will make you happy in your daily life.