Artfully Applying: Vol. 3

artfully applying: vol. 3

Win the interview

REACHING OUT

After some time spent pouring through job postings, you’ve found a near-perfect match. Remember, companies are looking to hire people, not machines. Don’t sweat if you don’t meet every requirement. Track down the contact within the job posting, and write a personable yet professional intro email. Include details about yourself that match the needs of the role, as well as some points that will be memorable to the person reading. Our production director, JLo, once designed her resume to look like a recipe card to stand out!

If you were responding to one of our postings, it may sound something like this:

Hi Parker,

I was so thrilled to come across Design B&B’s job posting today on AIGA. In addition to being impressed by your work, I really admire how you live your values of igniting joy and making design accessible. I’m currently a senior graphic design student at Feather University, and I’m seeking a role that allows me to tap into my love for branding. My senior year capstone project involved creating a brand for a plant-based protein brand, and I actually looked at Design B&B’s Incogmeato for inspiration.

Beyond graphic design, l’m passionate about food styling, calligraphy, and playing the drums. I’m always following my curiosities to uncover new hobbies and inspiration. To see how my passions come to life, check out my portfolio at belindabirddesign.com, and find my resume attached. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Belinda Bird

Hi Parker,

I was so thrilled to come across Design B&B’s job posting today on AIGA. In addition to being impressed by your work, I really admire how you live your values of igniting joy and making design accessible. I’m currently a senior graphic design student at Feather University, and I’m seeking a role that allows me to tap into my love for branding. My senior year capstone project involved creating a brand for a plant-based protein brand, and I actually looked at Design B&B’s Incogmeato for inspiration.

Beyond graphic design, l’m passionate about food styling, calligraphy, and playing the drums. I’m always following my curiosities to uncover new hobbies and inspiration. To see how my passions come to life, check out my portfolio at belindabirddesign.com, and find my resume attached. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Belinda Bird

Proofread your message and attach your resume, portfolio (pdf or website), and cover letter. Do include a cover letter, even if not specified overtly, and do cater each cover letter you write to each company you apply to. Speak to the ways you’d be a great fit at the company and highlight your dedication out of the gate. Senior Designer Amy Ackermann got crafty when applying to Design B&B by designing her cover letter with an egg theme to match our branding, and needless to say, it proved successful!

INTERVIEW PREP

Once you’ve locked in a time slot for your interview, it’s time to put in some prep-work so you can feel confident come interview time. The bulk of the interview may consist of you sharing your portfolio, so it’s crucial that you know the ins-and-outs of your work. Beyond walking your interviewer through your design process, consider specifics that you want to highlight throughout each project. Whether it’s gaining a new skill or working under a specific set of guidelines, end the story of each project by sharing a personal takeaway. And of course, practice! If you’re unable to find a willing party to practice with, record yourself and listen back.

In addition to presenting your work, expect to be asked some questions about yourself — after all, it is an interview! Analyze the job posting to hypothesize what may be asked. For example, if the posting states you’ll be working collaboratively across teams, you might expect a question asking about a time you did so.

Sometimes, design job applications may include a spec project (i.e. homework assignment) to see how you’d approach a specific task. DBB doesn’t believe in this practice, and would caution against applying to jobs where it’s required. Again, use your best judgment to determine whether it’s worth your time and effort to complete a free project.

You’ll want to go into the interview having gleaned as much knowledge about the company as you can, so spend time learning from anywhere they show up across the internet (website, Linkedin, socials, etc.) This will not only reflect your high level of interest, but also pave the way for you to ask meaningful questions when the classic, “What questions do you have for me?” arises. Ask about the work, ask about specifics of the role, and bonus points for asking, “What does growth look like in this position?”

DAY OF INTERVIEW

It’s the day of your interview — deep breaths! You’ve put in the hours, now it’s time to shine. If interviewing virtually, make sure you have a strong wifi signal, a clean environment, and triple check to ensure you’re calling in at the timezone of the company you’re interviewing with. (If you received a Google calendar invite, the invite will automatically update to match your timezone with the interviewer’s.) You might prepare some brief notes to leave to the side of your computer to trigger important speaking points, just make sure you’re not reading them like a script. Eye contact is important, even virtually.

If you’re interviewing in person, come to the interview with all of your materials: resume, cover letter, and digital device to share your portfolio on. Arrive early and bring your enthusiasm. Remember, you’ve made it this far, which means you’re an extremely solid candidate for the role. Head to your interview with the confidence that you’ve got what it takes!

DAY OF INTERVIEW

It’s the day of your interview — deep breaths! You’ve put in the hours, now it’s time to shine. If interviewing virtually, make sure you have a strong wifi signal, a clean environment, and triple check to ensure you’re calling in at the timezone of the company you’re interviewing with. (If you received a Google calendar invite, the invite will automatically update to match your timezone with the interviewer’s.) You might prepare some brief notes to leave to the side of your computer to trigger important speaking points, just make sure you’re not reading them like a script. Eye contact is important, even virtually.

If you’re interviewing in person, come to the interview with all of your materials: resume, cover letter, and digital device to share your portfolio on. Arrive early and bring your enthusiasm. Remember, you’ve made it this far, which means you’re an extremely solid candidate for the role. Head to your interview with the confidence that you’ve got what it takes!

FOLLOWING UP

Within a few hours of the interview, send a thank you email. If you shared a laugh or meaningful moment that you can refer back to in a natural way, do so. Ask if there are any next steps you should be aware of, and let the interviewer know you look forward to hearing from them.

Hi Parker,

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me this afternoon about the opportunity at Design B&B. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Design B&B’s processes, mission, and culture. Not to mention, it was awesome to connect with a fellow calligrapher.

Let me know if there are any next steps I should be aware of, and have a great week!

Sincerely,
Belinda Bird

Arguably, the waiting phase might be the hardest part of the process. It’s standard to expect about a week to hear back in any circumstance. If it’s been over a week and you haven’t heard back, feel free to send a note inquiring about timing.

WHAT’S NEXT

Whether you find out you’ve made it to the next round, or you learn that the company is proceeding with an alternate candidate, you haven’t reached the end of the road. If you’re moving forward (congrats!), you’ll want to repeat the above steps to ensure you’re showing up with readiness. If you’ve learned it’s not the right fit, show gratitude for the time and opportunity. You can ask for feedback and to be kept in mind should another more suitable role open up at the company.

At the end of the day, everybody’s been through interview experiences both positive and negative. Upon polling our studio for their best job search advice, the resounding response was: don’t give up!

A few more words from our team to send you off with optimism & courage:

WHAT’S NEXT

Whether you find out you’ve made it to the next round, or you learn that the company is proceeding with an alternate candidate, you haven’t reached the end of the road. If you’re moving forward (congrats!), you’ll want to repeat the above steps to ensure you’re showing up with readiness. If you’ve learned it’s not the right fit, show gratitude for the time and opportunity. You can ask for feedback and to be kept in mind should another more suitable role open up at the company.

At the end of the day, everybody’s been through interview experiences both positive and negative. Upon polling our studio for their best job search advice, the resounding response was: don’t give up!

A few more words from our team to send you off with optimism & courage:

“Getting an interview is a huge compliment; people won’t waste their time interviewing you unless they think you are the one.” – Ellie Schwartz, Junior Designer

“Be yourself in interviews (but also like a slightly elevated version).” – Sammy Smith, Designer

“A bad interview (and a good interview) is often more about the interviewer than the interviewee. Don’t take it personally.” -Amy Ackermann, Senior Designer

“Reevaluate as needed, and keep going!” – Robin Beattie, Art Director

“Don’t give up, apply for whatever sounds close, and be open to different opportunities. Make a good choice when you do accept. Words of advice in any job you have: work hard, be honest, be kind to others, and always try to learn more.” – Jeanette Losey, Production Director

At Design B&B, we believe in making design accessible. Our creative career search guide is one small part of our company’s mission to create pathways into the design field for all. 

This article was written by Olivia Noll, Senior Designer at Design B&B, who coordinates our Prosser internship program. Olivia graduated with a degree in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology but has switched focus to graphic design, which landed her a position at Design B&B. She is especially passionate about typography, social media design, and mentoring emerging designers.