Transcripts
1. Introduction: You're on the cost. So close to landing the job of your dreams, you can almost taste it. You made it to the interview stage. You know, the job is for you. I had to do is a C interview, easy, right? But what if someone else is thinking the same thing about this job, this job that should be yours. This course is going to help you nail it, whether it's for a full-time position or freelance projects in each view can be nerve-wracking at the best of times. When you'll also be walking through a creative portfolio, you need to prep a little differently. You'll need to impress your potential client or employer with your stellar work. Be compelling and give yourself a competitive edge. Get a better understanding of how much to get paid. Stand out amongst your competitors and of course, get the job. I'm Yvonne lines, founder of smart like doctests. I help people create a work-life that enhances their ideal personal life. And I specialize in working with graphic designers and other creators. When I was a creative director in one of Canada's major corporations, my team and I conducted many, many interviews for designers and other creative positions. I'll share with you what we looked for, what worked, and what didn't. Also a graphic designer for about 30 years, I've done tons of interviews myself, freelance contract and full-time. Now, I not only help job seekers isn't interview, I also work with large companies helping them pitch their clients. I've got tons of useful information to share with you. Here's a list of what you'll learn in this course. I've broken it into three stages. In the first stage, we'll talk about the interview leader. Well, make sure you find the right client or company to suit you. Build a kick-ass portfolio, bridge any gaps you may have between your skills and what's required. And impress your perspective company or client with your social media activity. In stage two, will ace the interview. You'll be engaging in looking at while you make your one key message, sticking their minds, I'll show you how to nail the standard questions and ask what you need to know. Of course, your captivate them with your stellar portfolio. In stage 3, we'll look at the follow-up, how to tackle an assignment, price yourself well, and seal the deal to get the job. I know it's a lot to master, but don't worry, even if you just focus on one or two areas, you'll be ahead of your competition. You got this, See you in the course.
2. Find your people: I know you're at the interview stage already, but I just want to back up a bit and make sure it's worth your while to put all this energy into going through the interview process. It's like climbing up a ladder and you get the top and you realize you've got that ladder against the wrong wall. I want to make sure you've got that ladder against the right wall so you don't have to start all over again. And I know you're probably thinking, well, I'm applying to big-name company and the gut stellar work. And maybe it's an award-winning ad agency or something that is really impressive. It doesn't mean that you're going to be happy working with them. I want to make sure that the effort you put in is worthwhile. Because what you see as an outsider can be a different perspective. It's only part of the equation. We're going to take a little bit deeper. I'm sure you've done some research already on the company that you're interviewing with, but I want to make sure you've got a pretty good understanding of both the company and the people you'll be working with. Making an informed decision like this can help you get a job that excites you. And you're going to need that information so that you can custom tailor your portfolio accordingly and ask some really great questions during the interview. So by research, yes, I mean, some online stocking, not in a creepy way, just enough to know three things. I want you to know the values of the people that you'll be working with, the work that they do and why they do it, what motivates them, and what sort of lifestyle you'll be getting into, what to expect there. Those three things are going to help you get that ladder up against the right wall before you start climbing it. Let me explain. Let's talk first about values. Lot of people overlook values like it's not a big deal. But working with people with matching values can have a huge impact on your happiness. For example, if you're into customer experience and the company you're applying to is more about pleasing their shareholders. Well, you're not going to be so happy there. Or if you're a long-term thinker and the company you're applying to is shortsighted. Again, not so happy. That sort of situation may be okay for, say, a one-off project, but even then, it's easier to work with repeat clients. So it's important to put some thought into what's important to you so that you can find a company that's aligned with the same values. Now, how do you find, find out what these values are? You can probably start with looking at the website. Is that easy? They usually list what their values are. However, you also probably experienced that what they say on the website may not be true to life. So it's better if you can talk to somebody who works there and get a better perspective. You can connect with somebody if you already know them or maybe you know a friend of a friend who you can connect with, or even just reach out on LinkedIn to somebody who works there and politely asked with the message. Do you mind if I ask you few questions? I'm applying for work at that company and want to see your perspective. Another easy way is to look at a review sites such as glass door. If it's a larger company, there's usually comments in a site like that. So put some thought into what's important to you. Now don't get me wrong. You want diverse perspectives. The more diverse perspectives you have coming together, the more ideas you have, the better ideas that can come out of it. But the values, your core values, you want to make sure that your core values are aligned with the company and the people that you're going to be working with. The secondary air to look at and consider is what kind of work do they do and why do they do it? Is there are a variety of work or focus area that suits you or you motivated by similar outcomes of the work. So for example, if you know that you really enjoy designing websites and you want to use that skill to promote good nutrition. Could that sort of opportunity bill if it be available to you at the company you're applying for it now requires doing some personal reflection to find out what is it that you really want to do, what do you want to work on and what motivates you. You may have many motivators which may be good and that you can choose several different companies or clients to work with. Or you may be focused in on just one or two things that you really want to go after. And in which case you're going to find a company or client that offers you something more specific, either general or specific, can work for you as long as you're giving it some considerations so that you can find a company that's going to offer you something that will help you grow in an area that interests you. Now, this can be tricky because there may be something on that company or clients horizon that is not out in the marketplace. So you don't know about it yet. So do some pre research, of course, but it's also a good question to ask while you're in the interview itself. The third area to consider is lifestyle. Again, ask your connections, but it's like or make connections and ask them if there's a job posting for this position, dissect it, see what it says, or if there's other job postings for similar roles at the same company, take a look at that. If it's saying things like fast-paced, multitasker, flexible hours, remote, or in housework. Those are clues as to what your lifestyle would be like if you're working at that company, what's going to be expected of you? Now, some of these factors are negotiable. It doesn't mean that they are an absolute deal breaker, but it's something to figure out and talk about and set the terms fairly early in the process. Let me give me an example of an art director friend of mine. She was interviewing at a makeup company and everything seemed perfect. She really wanted the job, but it meant for her that she would have to travel from the east end up Toronto all the way through the city to the Western of Toronto every day. And that was just it wasn't going to work for her. So instead of just saying, no, I'm sorry, This job is not for me. She asked if there was any possibility that she could work in the downtown location and she wasn't expecting yes. But lo and behold, they said yes. So the different location actually cut her commute time in half, made it totally doable and much better lifestyle for her. And she's been working there for several years now and absolutely loves it. She's really happy. Here's something you may or may not be aware of. The majority of hires don't come from postings or at least not the specific job posted. Especially when it comes to graphic designers. Companies often build a network of designers when they're interviewing for similar positions. So maybe you found some good people that you want to work with or a good company. But the specific role isn't for you. It's still worthwhile to go through the interview process, or it may be still be worthwhile and build a relationship with those people. So that when something does come up, something that's more suited to you, you'll be first in line. When I worked full time, it was actually pretty rare that we got a full-time posting or position open. But when we did, we generally had somebody already in mind for the role. We would go through the integrant interview process anyway. And if somebody stood out from those interviews, we keep them in mind. Remember them for the next role. Or if we could, we'd even create a role specifically for them, or we'd hire them on contract or freelance if of course the candidate was open to it. So stay flexible to how you do great work, but also stay true to what may see happening.
3. Build a kick-ass portfolio: Now that you know what your client or company where you're interviewing does, you can cater your work, your portfolio accordingly. Think about the type of work that they do. Logos and branding is an advertising campaigns, content design, that sort of thing. Also consider the market that they work within. So do they cater to kids and families or do they work on consumer products? Do they work in sports or music events? Also consider what platforms that work on. A website, social media, print, outdoor and environmental design, such as billboards and signage. Maybe it's combination of a bunch of things. Once you know all that, then you'll be able to better customize your portfolio. You and I both know that design fundamentals are transferable across different platforms and different audiences. But the people interviewing you, they might not see it as easily as we do. They might feel more comfortable seeing the work in your book that they're already familiar with, something they can relate to. So if you haven't got that sort of work in your portfolio, try doing a personal project to show your skills in that area. For example, you can extend the project into social media. If you say done a website for an ice cream company, then it's easy to take that same branding and that same message and turn it into a personal project of social posts. Just be sure to label it as a personal project. So it's not deceiving for your audience, but it will give them something to look at and see instead of trying to imagine what you do. Next. Edit, edit, and edit some more, cater for your audience. Make it easy for them to like your work. Go for quality, not quantity. You'll get probably want about five to ten projects to show. But the person looking at your work is going to be busy. We want to do the hard work for them so they don't have to choose for the cells. You've already done that work. Show them only your most impressive stuff and the most relatable stuff to what they're interested in. Anything that's not quite as strong will bring down your whole portfolio. So take it out of there if you have fewer pieces, but they're all super impressive, That's okay. If you're not sure what to delete, it's a great idea to ask some friends who will give you some honest feedback. Consider what the audience would like. Let your friends know as well and listened to what they say. That should help you with the editing process. Remember, your portfolio is set up to be all about your audience, not about you. It's Graphic Design, which is an applied art, which means you're always focused on your audience. Now let's talk about what platform you'll use to showcase your work. Go digital for sure. Even if you're a print designer, people need to be able to email your work to other associates. So a link to your website or even a group portfolio platform such as Behance.net that can work well. If you're customizing something specifically for this interview, then a PDF under five megabytes can be e-mailed. I know that seems like a really small file size, but you'd be surprised what restrictions on companies have. So if it's larger than that, then ask first before you send it through email or even sending a link to the PDF can be effective. Depending on the platform you're using. You can't always control the order in which somebody views you work. But if you can, then start with something really strong so you make a great first impression and end even stronger for a lasting memory and then put great stuff in between. By strong, I mean the most engaging and the most relevant to the person viewing your work. So your best stuff goes last to make it memorable. Second best goes first for great first impression and then awesome stuff in between as well. So it's not chronological. You're just prioritizing by a great impression. Make sure there's a little descriptor with each piece of work to describe its significance. Even though you're going to walk the person through your work, they may need to show it to somebody else while you're not there. And do not tell me that your work will speak for itself. Trust me, it does not. Other people don't know what's obvious to you. So it needs some contexts to go with it. Explaining the challenge, solution and impact can be a great format to use. So for example, I recently designed a logo for a paddle boarding business that I have with a few partners. If I were to put it in my portfolio, the challenge descriptor could be that the company needed something that would work alone as a symbol on t-shirts and stickers, and maybe even attached to. The solution could be that it used three simplified elements together as a graphic that portrays the current environment that the company is working in and leaves and flexibility to grow into the future. And the impact of scripture could be that it resonated with customers so well that they'd been asking to buy t-shirts with the logo on it that they can wear as a souvenir of their experience, which is free advertising. That's great, right? Good impact. So see how that scripture takes a simple logo and makes it far more interesting for your audience. So take the time to explain your work in some way. Uses story or you can use the challenge solution impact format if that works for you. A word of caution here, make sure you're not showing any confidential information. So what they've done for a past client probably belongs to that client, not you, depending on how you set up your paperwork. Generally, if the work is out in the public market, it's probably fine to show it in your portfolio or if you're not sure, then ask for permission. If it is confidential, then see if we can find a workaround solution. For example, for the past several years, I've been working with a large consulting firm, helping them pitch clients. All of that works is confidential. None of it is public, and I can't show any of it. In a couple of instances. I've reworked some examples to delete or replace confidential information and explained to my viewer that it's an idea of the sort of work that they can expect from me. That seems to do the trick. One last thing here. At this stage, you've likely already sent your resume. But if not, there's lots of online resources that can help you on resume writing such as indeed.com or monster.com that serve platform. Have you resume handy for the interview just in case. So if you're interviewing and person printed out and bring it with you, maybe a couple of copies. And if you're interviewing remotely, get a PDF ready, have the e-mail setup and ready to click Send. It's another piece that represents your work ability. So design it, make it unique to you, representative of your brand. But keep it simple, functional, and easy to read.
4. Mind the gap: We already mentioned how design fundamentals are transferable. And you can do a personal project to showcase an area that may be a gap between your previous work experience and what the interviewers might be looking for. But maybe you're still thinking this company does work. I haven't done before. That both excites me and scares me. I want to learn new stuff, but the interviewers might think, I don't know what I'm doing in that area yet. Sometimes that is a reality. A quick, high-paying freelance job will require you to jump in with both feet. Take lead for the creative work and create excellent, fast. If you're, if you're being hired and paid well for your expertise in a specific area, it can be really tough if you don't have it. The company won't be looking for you to learn along the way. However, full-time or long-term position can be a little bit different than the interviewers will likely be looking more for your growth potential. They won't want to be like everybody else. They're unique and they might be looking for your ability to bring new perspectives to the work that they already do. For instance, if you're really good at creating logos and branding, then you can talk about how your brainstorming and brand positioning process works well for advertising design. Or if you've done editorial layout and content marketing, then you can explain how your background transfer is really well into Stellar social posts. Let's look at subject matters too. If your work background is in, say, consumer products, but you're interviewing for and really passionate about sports. Make sure your passion comes out. For example, explain how you saw some screen graphics while you're watching the Super Bowl. And how you think it could be better designed using 3D technology or a better experience using second screen virtual reality or whatever your great ideas. Soft skills are also transferable and extremely important things like communication, organization, budgeting, persuasion, leadership, storytelling. And not just from your previous work experience, but from your personal life as well. Let me give you an example. Designer that you see on my team went off on mat leave. She was gone for a year. And when she was away at home managing her household, she came back with some amazing managerial skills that she didn't have before. Her growth was tremendous and it was such a benefit for her to bring those personal skills that she learned at home into the workplace. So if you've got something, a situation similar to that or maybe you've got a gap in your work history. You can also fill those soft skills with your personal life. If you do have any gaps between your previous work experience and the work you're applying for. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can transfer and make sure you communicate it at some point during the interview. Even if the gap subject doesn't come up in conversation, it will be thought about. So you might as well address it preemptively.
5. Get social with social: Since he made it to the interview stage, you've probably already been Googled and you're probably pretty good in this area. However, there will be several new people checking you out. I'm just checking in here. How did your social profiles look to a potential hiring manager? Overall, there should be absolutely nothing offensive on any of your social media anywhere. That's number one. Remember, these are strangers who are searching you, so they may not understand your sense of humor if you put something up there. Next, try posting some new stuff that's related to the work that you want to do. Here's some ideas. Share some graphics that you think are cool. Take a photo that showcases pentose color of the year. Applied, a great comment on a relevant article, or share some positive thoughts on the branding of say, a new business that's opened in your area, whatever you like, but demonstrate that you do take an interest in what you say you're interested in. Let's talk specifically about your LinkedIn profile. When it comes to work, LinkedIn is where most hiring managers will stocky first. There are great resources for setting up an effective profile right on the platform. Just search, create a good LinkedIn profile. You'll probably find an overwhelming amount of information, but don't get stressed. You don't have to do everything. Just do the basics enough that somebody who is reviewing you will understand what you do. You may want to also update what you say to be a little more specific to the job that you're going after. I have several friends who don't want to have a photo of themselves anywhere in social media for various reasons, let's say for privacy. In case you have concerns, I urge you to either post a headshot up yourself in your profile just temporarily while you're looking for work. Or come up with another creative solution. Just do not leave it blank. That says you can't be bothered. It says, making the process easy for your potential employer isn't important to you. That's the wrong message or share. At minimum, put in something that shows your personality. Maybe it's an image of you in your studio where it's far enough back that you're too small to be recognized, but the surroundings are intriguing in a professional way. Or create an illustration of yourself that you can use or even crop of a piece of your work. It can also be effective, but don't ignore it and expect to be seen as someone who takes initiative. These sort of details matter.
6. Lookin' good!: Dress the part. You're a graphic designer, look like one. Good news. No suits required. Even if you're interviewing in a corporate environment, people including HR, appreciate our creativity and that extends to the way we present ourselves. So dress to impress pressure where something stylish or trendy, maybe put on an interesting accessory, something unique to you. Still though, be respectful. So no backwards baseball caps, no undergarments hanging. These were enough clothing to cover yourself properly. Even if the interview seems casual, it's still an interview. And how we present ourselves makes a big difference. If it's a video call. Look the part, at least on top. Some people say where something professional on the bottom, even if it can't be seen, it will boost your confidence. However, we're creative people where non-conformance and rule-breakers, or R2 is more about fun perspectives and divergent thinking. So if it won't be seen and wearing silly pants or bunny slippers puts you in the frame of mind that you desire then good for it. But do something intentional, whatever works for you. Let's talk a bit about body language. The number one most important thing is smile. It's an attractive quality and happiness is contagious. You want the other person that you're speaking with to be in a good mood, bother with you right? Now it sounds simple, but when you're nervous it can be a little bit harder. So try thinking of your nerves as something more positive, like excitement. That way you will make it a bit easier to smile or you can try switching it the other way round. So before the interview, smile and hold until it signals to your body that you're happy. And then while you're in the interview, it'll feel more real. So even if it's a phone interview and the person that you're speaking with won't see your face MSU smiling. Do it anyway because that smile will come across in your tone of voice. The second most important thing for body language when you're in-person or on a video call is contact. It could increase connection. Now, on a video call, our tendency is to look at the screen like this. But that doesn't give you eye contact Much better, right? So look directly at the camera lens when you're both speaking and listening. Now, I know it's hard, but it is, it does make a difference, is way more engaging. So try a couple of tests. Charlie, adjusting the video bar on your screen so that it's right underneath your camera lens. And then you're looking really close to the camera lens. If you can't look exactly right and you're pretty darn close. Or even try to sketch out some eyeballs on a post-it note and stick it right beside the camera lens to remind yourself to look there. When video calls first became popular and I was just getting used to looking in the lens. People often ask me why on earth, I would have eyeballs stuck to the top of my computer. I know it's odd. It is, but it works. Also if using video, set it up in a well-lit place and use a simple background. Try not to use those fake backgrounds. If you can avoid it. They're distracting. It's better to put some effort into creating a better backdrop. Something that reflects who you are, you are environment also sends a message.
7. Stick one key message: So this lesson is a tough one. Let me just start by saying, thank you for spending your time with me this far. This one requires some deeper thinking, but it will also give you a competitive edge. The thing that won't be asked in an interview, but gives you a huge advantage, is to choose one key message and communicate it clearly. It's the one message that you want interviewers to remember you for most. So it will be about how you can contribute, not about you, but focused on them, how you can solve their problems. And of course, you want to solve their problems with a skill that you have. But put the emphasis on them and how you can make their life better once they hire you. So when they leave the interview and they turn around and talk to somebody else about you. What do you want them to say? We should hire your name because they can help us with your solution. Let me give me an example. We should hire sam because she'll help us with thinking strategically. So you need to know what they need most. Think back to the research he did to get to know your audience and then do some more digging. See you can cater your answers in the interview accordingly for yourself in the shoes of the people who will be interviewing you by position title, directors and above, generally look for somebody who can contribute to the business and round up a team. And manager may be looking for somebody who possesses certain skills that you can contribute in that way. And peers might just be looking for somebody who is fun and they can get along with easily. They will all be influencers. But the ultimate decision-maker is probably the one with the highest title. Even if they say otherwise, and even if they don't appear to use a hierarchy. So you probably want to have a really good understanding of how the role that you're being hired for benefits the business. Once you have a good idea of their needs, then think about how you can solve their problems. Narrowed down to one solution, only one. Keep it simple and make sure that regardless of what questions are asked in the interview, that one key message gets communicated. Well, you can say something like, I know XYZ company is a small shop set-up to grow quickly. So you'll need someone with diverse skills who is willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in wherever needed. Or here's another example. I know that you really want to connect with 20-somethings. So you're looking to round out your team with somebody who is really on top of emerging trends in social media, even soundbite, if you can. So it's catchy. Calming strategy Sam, or the designer with diverse skills. Or the 20-something connector, you're putting words in their mouth that they're going to remember and repeat how effective it can be. So this is why you need to put some deep thought into it. If for whatever reason you can't find out what they really need beforehand, then have a list of questions ready for your conversation that will help you get to the root of it. Just remember, you're going through this process because you're looking for a place where you're going to be happy, place where you fit and thrive. But to get the job, the focus needs to be all about them.
8. Nail the standard Qs: During the interview, you may be asked some pretty standard questions. They may want to know about your strengths, your challenges, your goals, you process. The may also ask you about price, but we're going to talk about that in its own lesson coming up. So let's go back to strings. So let's start there. This is a great place where you are going to present your one key message. Or even if you've mentioned it already, reiterate your one key message, you really want to focus on those strengths. But you may also need to elaborate a little bit. So you might want to talk about some technical skills that you have. So maybe you're an excellent researcher in Photoshop. You can make anything look realistic or that you can create beautiful, seamless pattern in Illustrator and use it in various ways. You can also talk about some soft skills here as well. So perhaps that you're a really good, empathic listener. And that enables you to get along with pretty much anybody or that you really adaptable so you can flex with new ideas and new approaches or that your strategic with your creative sort of thing. But don't forget to reiterate that one key message and make sure that it sticks. Let's talk now about challenges. Now if this comes up during your interview, is not that they're trying to put you on the spot. Hopefully, it's more that they're trying to see how you solve problems. So you want to give them an example of a time where you've gotten to the root of a problem. You've overcome the challenge and you've come out successful. So for instance, I was once working on a job, a project where we had over 30 version revisions. That's a lot of back and forth with the client. It's excessive. We decided to, together with the client, take a step back and re-evaluate from the initial brief. And at that point, we realized that although we would had been responding to the brief in a way that was what we had asked. It wasn't really wasn't really answering what they truly needed. So we collaboratively, the client and our team collaboratively thought more strategically about what would resonate with the audience. And then we're back to the drawing board and approached it from a new perspective and with much better success. So after that experience, I would now add strategic thinking to one of my strengths. Ok, So you see there I gave the real, the province showed how I solved it. And then I even ended on a positive. And if there's any way that you can tie that positive message back into your one key message, then that would be absolutely fantastic. Let's move on to discussing goals. 30, 60, 90 is a pretty common structure these days for full-time or long-term position. What they're meaning is what are your goals for the first few months, the first 30 days, you for 60 days in first 90 days. So depending on the position, you could answer something like this. In the first 30 days, I would focus on getting snow. You, your company, your values, your, the people who worked here, your objectives. I would ask a whole bunch of questions and listen a lot. The first 60 days, I want to start bringing in some new perspectives. So some best practices that I've learned from my previous experience, and then also some new ideas that may have come up in the first 30 days. By 90 days, I'd really want to have implemented some of those best practices and then start evaluating iterating. And I want to be able to lead in certain areas. So I want to be the go-to person for and then whatever it is, that's your skill. So what would be the go-to person for logos or strategy or Photoshop or whatever it is. If you can get your key message stated in here, again, that would be fantastic. Now the interviews, interviewers probably looking to see if your vision aligns with their vision. So do your best to get to know what their vision is and then that will enable you to answer. More specifically. Let's move on to the process question. Do you work collaboratively together with a group or on your own? You work iteratively so you're making small tweaks along the way, or do you prefer to perfect something and come and present a few options? This question is asked because the client is trying to get some idea of how you work, some insight, some set some expectations so that they know what would be like if you were working with if they were working with you and do you fit into their processes? Again, the more you know about how they work, the easier it will be to make an informed decision about how to answer that question. And remember, this is a two-way conversation so you can ask them questions about their processes well, and that will help you understand if you're going to be happy working with them in their environment and their processes.
9. Ask what you need to know: We've talked about how to answer their questions and that to get the job, your answers are going to be all about them, their benefit. But to be happy with the job, let's refocus a bit and talk about you. You probably like finally we get to talking about me, oh, I know a urea. So asking questions is going to help you get a better sense of what it will be like to work with that company. Similar to the Find your people lesson. Now you've got a chance to ask them directly and get another perspective and discover more about anything that may have come up during your research that you want further explained. If you want to know more about their work culture, you can ask a specific question that would require some details to answer it, such as, what was it like working with X client on why projects? Or to reveal more about the process, you can inquire about how they came up with an idea. It's something that you admire. You may want to go back to their values and ask for an example. So for instance, if they list integrity as one of the values on their website, to get a better idea of what they mean by it, you can ask what they do if something goes wrong. So for example, like what happens if they have a client complaint or if they put an ad out, this got an error and a typo. So you how they respond to that and see if it aligns with your values as well. Perhaps you want to know a little bit more about what lifestyle to expect while you're working with this group. Here's an area we can actually get good answers asking directly. So discuss deadlines and pace and what expectations there are around time flexibility, and maybe what co-workers do to socialize. Interviews usually last about 30 minutes to an hour. And since you'll be walking through a portfolio as well, that time can go super fast. So preparing a priority list of your questions so that you get to the ones that you definitely want asked. If you are prepared question, subject comes up while you're in conversation. Perfect. You can be curious at the moment and start asking your questions then. And then have a couple lesser priority questions ready just in case they've got some spare time at the end and they asked me if you have any further questions. Those questions are still relevant. You can ask them that.
10. Captivate with your portfolio: At this stage, you know how to set up your portfolio. But no matter how great your work is, it won't speak for itself. It's not human, it doesn't speak. You have to Scriptures beside each piece of work. But during the interview, you won't be reading those descriptors. You'll be showcasing your effective communication skills. You can tell stories about each piece of work to get your point across in engaging manner. Be as succinct as possible. Still conveying an emotion with each piece, try diving into a memorable story that feels good while explaining your work or your process. For example, let's go back to the other business. I have four paddle board rentals. Here's a story I could tell, starting with the setup and the challenge. When I was working with my partners to develop a logo, we plan to use a symbol primarily on a t-shirt. So that led us to aim for something that would be pretty cool to wear. So clearly then that we'd even consider tattooing it on our bodies. Not that we would, we would just consider it. Well, maybe we'll see, here's the solution. The challenge inspired researching tattoos for reference. I created several options and we landed on this wave board, sun symbol that can be used on its own. It relates to what we do. And if we bring it on a t-shirt, it doesn't feel too advertising the p-naught, I mean, and here's the impact. People let the symbol so much they've been asking to buy t-shirts with it printed on. That's great promotion for the business. So there you go. That feel good. Story is all wrapped up short and simple and it's memorable. It relates to the descriptor that is in the book with challenge, solution and impact. But it's not read word for word, a story, explanation. Take some prep work. But it's a really easy way to talk effectively about your work and make it memorable. There's no need to talk about every detail. Cut out all those details and just get straight to 1. You will have more stories, are more working your book with more stories to go with them. And together they'll work cohesively to create one full picture.
11. Tackle and assignment: Even though your portfolio will be excellent and you'll nail the interview, the company's process, maybe to ask you to do an assignment so that they get better sense of what it will be like working with you. This more common for full-time work where there's a bigger commitment. Other professions are often asked to put together presentation to demonstrate their plan or their vision. Since you're presenting your portfolio is not likely that you're going to be asked to also present your vision. But the assignment is becoming more and more common. The assignment is not something you're being paid for. So you wanna make sure you're not being taken advantage of. It shouldn't be alive job or something that the company is going to make money on. If it is or if it's something that's going to take more than a few days effort. Maybe suggest doing it as a small paint job, like your first freelance job to get your feet wet and see how it goes. It's possible that they haven't really thought through what they're asking of you. Or the assignment was set up by somebody who doesn't really understand how a creative process works, is their way of building confidence in their decision-making to hire you. After all, how are they supposed to know how much of your portfolio was done by you? Especially if you say that you work collaboratively. You may need to dig a little deeper in the conversation, continue talking with them to come up with a solution that will fairly demonstrate your skills and suit their needs without having you feel like you take being taken for a ride. Pay attention to these red flags. But working with them on an assignment is a great way for you to get snow them on a working level. It might be a good learning experience, fun job, some insight into what it would be like to work with them, which would help with your decision-making. And it's also a great way to start building a better relationship with them. That leads doesn't turn next video. Okay.
12. Getting the dolla bills: Okay, Let's talk about the money. But at this stage you probably already have a pretty good idea of what the market pays for somebody like you with your skills. You probably already know that you and your hiring company are approximately in the same range. So if you are applying for something full-time and you filled out some online recruitment forums, then it's probably already stated what the ranges or you've submitted what your ranges and it's a match. Or they at least said how many years of experience you need in this field. And you know the level of work that comes out of that company and you feel like it's a match with what you do. Many placement firms will also do annual surveys where they post the results online of what the average salary or hourly wage is for somebody with similar skills to you. If you stay on top of these surveys, you'll be able to get a better sense of what the market pays for somebody with your skills in your area. It can vary quite a bit geographically. Try asking around. You might have some friends who work in a similar field as you, or at least in the same market, you don't need to ask them directly what they would charge. That would make them feel awkward. It could put them on the spot. And some people are just plain not comfortable with that. But if they think that you have that sort of relationship with them, ask them first if they mind talking about pricing and if they're okay with it, then you can ask them, what's your range they think you could charge. So you're not asking them directly what they would charge. You? Asking them what I think you would charge. Now they could fall and hear some of their own personal information. That would be great. But don't put them on the spot and expect that to go well. Because some people are just, you know, it's, it can be an awkward situation, but they're more willing to be open about the sort of range that somebody, somebody such as you could charge. If you're doing contract work or financing. There's a lot of confusion around what to call things and how much to bill. Here's how I define it. Contract work. You're doing regular hours. So you've made a commitment to say 40 hours a week for a certain amount of months, you're going to track your hours and you probably assign a code to it so that the client can put it against the project. But there's a command from both you and the client for a set amount of hours per week. For freelance work, you'll be quoting either hourly or by project or combination of both. But if hourly then you're charging billable hours. So not regular hours like a contract, but billable hours like your lawyer recharge. And these are the hours that you spend adding value to the project. So the rate will be significantly higher than regular hours. You may only bill, say six hours a day, even if it's a long day, because you take breaks and you might go off on, say, a creative tangent that doesn't benefit the client and you don't build for that. However, if you're doing research for the project or administrative work, or creative, creative ideas come to you while you're taking a walker, you're in the shower or in the middle of the night as we do. Still, some of those things can be a bit difficult to track, but you do bill for that because they do add value to the client. Sometimes those hours can be difficult to track and you'll just need to do an approximation. Good rule of thumb is to put yourself in your client's shoes and think if you were paying somebody else to do that creative work or to do that research or admin or whatever it is. What number do you think would be fair? Now, having said that, it's also important to know your worth, how you need your skills are, and how open affect the client. If it's for a national ad campaign that's going to bring your client tons of dollar Darla bells, then price yourself accordingly. Remember, price can be a two-way conversation, but if it's roughly Landsberg, it's up to you to lead that conversation. You want to set clear expectations up front for both of you on how much went to pay and how to pay it. If you need to revisit that conversation down the road, then you can do so. But whatever you do, you don't want any surprises on billing date. Make sure it's really clear right from the start.
13. Seal the deal: When I worked full-time as a creative director, my colleagues and I, we're in a situation where we had interviewed two really great candidates, but for only one position, they had different strengths, but it was just really hard to make the decision. So we put them on hold just for a short while until it was more obvious. They both follow it up with a thank you e-mail. But a week later, one of them emailed me again and said that they are still very much interested in the position and asked if there was anything they could do to make the decision easier. Well, guess who ended up getting the job? Little bit of extra effort to scale. I've certainly noticed a difference when I've been pitching freelance work as well. I recently had a client contact me with work the same day I sent her a message and a connection request request on LinkedIn. The follow-up after the interview can easily be the deal breaker for whether or not you get the work. So many candidates dropped the ball in the follow-up stage. So if you do keep that ball rolling, it will make you stand out incredibly well. People will ask me like, how do I stand out amongst all these candidates? It's the follow-up that is kinda do it for you. Here's a list, five different ideas that will help you build a relationship with your potential client or employer. Beyond that, thank you. Email that will help add value without being a nuisance. One. Email them with an article link that is relevant to something that you discussed in the interview and that they might be interested in to connect with them on LinkedIn with a quick message talking about something that you enjoyed about the interview. Something personal. 3, if they post on LinkedIn like and comment on it. That's a really simple one. For if you have a mutual connection, ask that person to reach out to your interviewer and put it in a good word for you. And 5, let them know about an industry event that you're attending and would love to see them back. Think of the interview as only one part of building a relationship with that person. So the follow-up is really where you can seal the deal and get the job.
14. Class project to solidify your thoughts: We've discussed a lot of information. The whole interview process at the stage may be feeling a little overwhelming for you. I get it. I wanted to let you know though, that no one does everything perfectly. If you're feeling like you'll never fully be ready for this interview. Do not worry, just focus on improving a little bit. If you can choose one or two areas that resonates with you, really want to put your effort that would really make a difference. If I were to choose one area for you, it would be to determine your one key message. Yes, it's that important. One thing that you want to leave as a lasting impression for your interviewers to remember you by, we discussed it a few videos ago. You might want to go back and review it. Here's our class project to help you solidify your thoughts. Right out from your interviewer's perspective, we should hire insert your name here because he, she or they will help us with blank whatever they most need help with. But you have the skills for it. Snap a picture and upload it to our project area. It sounds simple to just fill in a couple of blanks, but that doesn't mean they'll be easy for some thought into it. Thank you for spending your time with me during this course. I would love to hear from you. Please leave a review or add a comment in our discussion area or e-mail me directly, Yvonne hotlines at Smart Life dot tips, TIP AS tell me how your interview goes and let me know when you get the job of your dreams all the best to you.
Yvonne Lines, Mindset Mentor for Lovin' Life!
