Career Advice
December 22, 2021

8 Tips to prepare for a design interview

8 Tips to prepare for a design interview

8 Tips to prepare for a design interview


Congratulations on landing an interview 👏🏻🎉👏🏻! Pat yourself at the back. Now, there are a few things that need to be done before the interview day. These eight tips could help you in your preparation for your upcoming design interview. Get excited and of course, motivated 🔥.

1: Research the company

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Most of the choices in life begin with research. Before ordering a boba tea, you read the menu thoroughly to ensure the topping is right and it‘s your favorite boba tea flavor. Before starting a diet, you do a quick Google whether you can commit to the diet or just be another halfway commitment. 

The same goes with going for an interview. You choose the company for a reason. It could be to change the working environment culture, you have been dying to work in that design company, or you believe that you can grow and develop better in the design company. There is something you love about that company.

Now you receive the call you have been waiting for, time to do in-depth research on why they should hire you in their company.  Study the company’s culture, clients, products, and how the information could fit well with your talent.  If you show that you have done some background research, your potential employer would feel appreciated and reflect your effort to work with the company.

2: Organize documentations

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Organize your resume, certs (if needed), or any documentation that is requested by the company beforehand. Do not chunk everything in one small bag, a ‘crooked-looking resume speaks volumes about how you handle your future tasks. Keep your documents neat for the company to have a look through, this ensures a smooth interview process without the awkward ‘too-long-waiting-for-you- to-hand-in-the-right-documents-to-me’ moment. 

Who knows, perhaps the interviewer might be impressed with your efficiency in organizing your documents in place.

3: Prep yourself

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You know the excitement and the time you are willing to spend to prep the chicken before roasting. Channel the same excitement to prepare yourself before the interview starts. Do some trimming to your hair, practice mock interviews with your friends (or your favorite figurine), choose your best and comfortable outfit (even if it's an online interview, make sure your top looks neat). 

Make yourself look confident and feel confident!

4: Be Punctual

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Make it compulsory to attend the interview on time or 15 minutes earlier. Nobody likes a latecomer unless you have a valid reason to be late ( do not get funny ideas people!). 

Plan your journey well and have a Plan B just in case some issues prevent you from arriving on time. 

Set the alarm or get someone to call you up and remind you to be on time. Even if you present confidently, you look good and show remarkable work samples, a poor habit will make the interviewer think twice before hiring you.

5: Present resume highlights

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Some companies prefer to ask interviewees to present their resume highlights, rather than looking through the resume as this has been completed before you were chosen to be interviewed. 

This is the time for you to verbally showcase your achievements and experiences. The chance for the company to get to know you better such as your current skills and knowledge.


6: Share credentials

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While sharing your resume highlights or after sharing your resume highlights with your interviewer, you can share your hardcopy or soft copy portfolio work samples. Kind of to provide the evidence of your work; that you walk the talk. You ain’t play no game 😆

Compiling your best works will increase the probability for you to get hired by the company.

7: Prepare to answer questions

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Be confident with your answer. A long pause or too frequent uncertainty moments will show that you are incompetent for the design role you applied for. Memorizing or scripted answers will not make you stand out from a pool of talents. 

Answers each question calmly reflects your understanding of the topics. Sometimes it's not always about giving the right or wrong answers, but how you manage the topics that you are not familiar with your efforts to share your knowledge, matters more. 

There are many types of questions that the interviewer could ask you during the interview such as your past collaboration projects, your goals as a designer, and a given scenario critical thinking task.

Learn more on the types of design interview questions here.

8: Ask questions

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Show your interest in the company. Get to know the people in the company, the work culture, or if there is a funny-looking statue on your way to the interview room you can ask about that too 😅. At least, if you are not hired, you gain new information about the company that might be useful in the future. 

Most importantly, before you go back to your crib, ask about the time frame for the company to get back to you on your job application status. 

Learn How to Practice Your Mock Interview effectively.