Week Six: Newly Graduated, Preparing for Interviews

By Sarah-Jean Murray

So I had two interviews last week as I talked about a little bit in my last blog post. One of the jobs was not really what I was looking for long-term wise so I had to turn it down. Of course you may be wondering, "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT. YOU'RE UNEMPLOYED". That is true, however just because I don't currently have a job does not mean I will be settling into a job that I know will not be a good fit for me. I was not comfortable with the company culture and despite the fact I enjoyed the interview, I knew that accepting that position would make me unhappy down the road.

Now on to the theme of this week's post: preparing for interviews. Now you may think you have this all down pat, but there is always room for improvement. Take every opportunity to learn from your mistakes so that you can perform better in future interviews. Even if you're in an interview for a job you don't plan on taking, it's good to practice your interview skills.

Appropriate Dress: This should be common sense. It doesn't matter if you're interviewing for a prestigious position at a private marketing firm or a mall job, clean yourself up! You can never be too overdressed for an interview. It shows that you care about the interview and you took the time to prepare beforehand. I have been in a group interview before where a lady was wearing sweatpants. SWEATPANTS. The horror. If you're unsure about what to wear, you can either call or email the person who contacted you about the interview and ask. Completely clueless about professional dress? I've got you covered. You can either browse Pinterest for some outfit inspiration or go to this handy dandy link:

What to Wear to an Interview

Ask Questions: I think this is the portion of the interview that largely goes unused during an interview. I like to ask questions during the interview as well as afterwards. Follow up the interviewer's questions with questions of your own. Try to find out as much as you can about the position (usually they'll tell you all about it though), the company culture and what the company is trying to achieve. Ask about their marketing plans, who their target audience is, what their future goals are and what they're looking for in an employee (if they didn't mention it already). If you're interested in the position, show them. Asking questions is a great way to have a conversation with the interviewer instead of just sitting there answering questions. Be prepared to answer those questions, but try to engage the interviewer past that point. There are a few questions that are similar from interview to interview however prepare yourself beforehand for some off-the-wall questions.

The Ten Most Common Interview Questions

The Follow Up: Many people leave the interview thinking that they're done. They just have to sit back and wait for 'The Call'. FALSE. Follow up with your interviewer after the interview. Send either an email or card thanking the interviewer for his/her time and talk about some points you touched on during the interview. Mention that you really appreciate the opportunity and re-iterate some of your skills you can bring to the company. Always, always get in contact after an interview (within 24 hours), no exceptions. Even if you don't want the position or you think you didn't get the job, always follow up.

How to Write the Perfect Thank-You Note After the Interview

Be Honest: There's no point in lying in an interview, it won't get you anywhere. You'll eventually be found out and it'll blow up in your face. Be truthful about how you got to where you are today. Talk about what you've overcome to get to this point. Don't oversell your skills if you don't feel comfortable doing a particular task. Rather say, "I don't have much experience but it's something that I want to learn". That shows the employer that you are willing to put forth the effort and continue growing as a person. Being honest in an interview ensures that you're a good match for the company. The company doesn't want to be stuck with someone who isn't a good fit and vice versa.

Obviously there are a ton more interview tips but I wanted to touch on some of the top ones (Go here to read some more). Being prepared for an interview shows that you're interested and willing to put forth effort. Employers want to hire someone who is eager to learn and grow within the company. They want to see that you will strive to do your best and be a good employee.

As for next week's post, hopefully I'll be employed by then.

Week Five: Newly Graduated, I Will Take All the Jobs Please

By Sarah-Jean Murray

This past week has been quite the muddle. I've been a little bit busy running around with projects, going to my little brother's graduation and going to interviews. 

It figures that as soon as I find a good temporary position for summer (not design related), I get two callbacks for interviews in Indy. Now it's awkward because if I get hired to one of those positions, I'll probably have been working a total of two or three weeks and then have to quit. Does that mean I shouldn't have gotten the summer job? Absolutely not. This is just a prime example of how plans usually don't work out how we anticipated. I'm very grateful for that summer job as being unemployed is never a wonderful situation to be in and I'm very excited that I got two interviews. I shows that being persistent and never stopping the job search is the best route to take.

As the hot days of summer mosey along, it's easy to simply stop looking as hard or to procrastinate on job searching. Even though job postings may be scarce, it's important to persist and keep at it. Broaden your job parameters to include job positions that you could work at that may be related to what you want to do but not exactly what you were searching for before. For example, a lot of Marketing positions are perfect for recent Graphic Design grads as they use those skills and creative talent that you've gained and require you to work outside of your box a little bit. Marketing jobs can also eventually lead to full time Design positions further down the road. Remember to always keep an open mind when considering where you want to work.

Many people don't end up with their dream job right away, but if you're willing to work hard for it and be persistent, you can get to that perfect place for you. 

Week Four: Newly Graduated, Taking the Rejection

By Sarah-Jean Murray

Many of us face rejection on a daily basis whether it be school, work, family or otherwise related. Yes, it can be tough to stay positive in a world that is continually saying “no”, but the important thing is to learn from the rejection.

We’re all familiar with the phrases “Good things come to those that wait” and “Everything happens for a reason”. They’re right up there with “Something will come along eventually”. However, there is a point when you feel like strangling the next person who dares utter anything related to that because it doesn’t feel like those phrases apply to you. Constant rejection can lower your confidence and positivity levels and it’s hard to carry on under those conditions. Just yesterday I went out with one of my fellow graduated classmates for a bit of girl time/ranting session and she said she was feeling pretty discouraged about searching for a job. She had recently received several automatic rejection emails literally minutes after applying for jobs (let’s face it, those are the worst kinds of rejection emails) and it was wearing her down.

Rejection is a good thing. Yes, you read that correctly. Rejection happens for a reason. It makes us challenge ourselves and push ourselves further than we would normally. It forces us to take a good look at how we are presenting ourselves and our work. Maybe your cover letter isn’t professional enough and should be changed slightly. Maybe your website needs to be updated. Maybe, just maybe, you aren’t a good fit for the company. Personally, I’m glad rejection emails happen, even the automatic ones. That let’s me know that a company that wouldn’t even take the time to write a short note probably doesn’t care THAT much and that’s probably not an environment I would enjoy working in. So I keep on applying, I keep updating my cover letter and I keep working on projects. 

The only way to get over the rejection is to become better. Become so good that they can’t ignore you anymore. If you feel that you were rejected for no good reason, write an email requesting to know if they would be willing to offer some tips on your next application. Find out what you can improve on and become better at. Getting over the rejection will help you grow as a person and a professional. It shows that you’re determined to get where you want to go, that you have drive and passion about where you’re headed. 

So I encourage everyone reading this today, keep your chin up! Everything happens for a reason…

Click here to read the previous week's post and various other related things.

Week Three: Newly Graduated, Never Settling

By Sarah-Jean Murray

The theme of this past week has been 'Never Settle'. 

I got an email from a marketing company in Indianapolis who was really interested in interviewing me. The original job posting had been a vague "General Marketing" type position which outlined a few duties that the job required. Okay, it sounded pretty good to me so I went ahead and applied. Even though I'm looking for a Graphic Design position, I would have no problem starting out in Marketing as most Marketing positions require some design. I figured this job was exactly that, an entry-level Marketing position. 

I made the trip to Indy on a scorching Thursday. I had my portfolio, my resume and a car packed full of possessions I was taking home to my parents directly after the interview. I was prepared for this. I was ready to talk about my work and how I was willing to learn the ropes of the new job. I was ready to relocate as soon as possible and begin the job as quickly as possible. 

I entered the building and paused for a moment, seeing which direction I had to go when I heard someone call my name behind me. Lo and behold, one of my fellow graphic design graduates had applied to the same job. Okay, no problem. I'm not really competitive and it seemed like they had a few positions to fill. We enter the office and shake everyone's hands and immediately I'm ushered into the interview room. The first thing the hiring manager says to me is, "I see you have your portfolio there. Well to be honest with you, we don't do any graphic design here. Everything is outsourced."

Now I'm suspicious. Marketing without design? What is this?

She asks me some questions about myself and then delves into an explanation of the job.

"So this is a sales position..."

As soon as I hear that my heart sinks. I knew this was too good to be true. I argue internally with myself. Maybe I can do this for about a year or so and then move on to a graphic design position. I can't be picky, I'm a recent graduate with no job. I smile, I nod and agree with what the hiring manager is saying after talking myself into settling for this position. "It won't be that bad", I say to myself. "Everyone has to start somewhere right?" I've fallen into the 'Newly Graduated and Desperate' trap. I leave the interview in turmoil, wish my fellow classmate good luck and start the drive home. 

By the time I've completed the hour and a half journey, I've come to my senses. I've given myself a stern talking to and have found my resolve again. Graphic Design is what I want to do. There is no way I want to be stuck in a job that isn't fulfilling and will never lead in the direction I want to go. I have to no problem starting out in a job that isn't fully design as long as there is a way to get where I want to go. However, the only place this position was leading to was a cushy manager job. Don't get me wrong, I like cushy, but I'm passionate about Graphic Design. 

I ended up turning down the second interview and here I am again, scouring the internet for jobs. I encourage everyone who is job searching, don't settle for something you can't see yourself doing in five years. It gets really tough. You think to yourself that maybe you can just work at this for a little bit and then move on but this is how many people get stuck in a rut. They find themselves in a position that isn't a great fit, in a company that isn't right for them. I urge you to keep fighting to get what you want. I can't even count the times I've heard the phrase "Well you can't always have what you want". That's true, but settling into the wrong job that won't lead you to what you want is not the way to go. If you can't get what you want right now, make plans now that will lead you there. Maybe that means taking a local, unpaid internship. Maybe it means doing volunteer work. Always keep planning, and never settle. 

Here are some options for my lovely graphic design readers. If you're looking to make some extra cash for designing there are three great sites that can help:

99designs - This is a contest type website. People post projects and then designers compete for a money prize. This is a pretty big community so the designs are a mixed bag of really good, mediocre and "This looks like it was made in Word".

crowdSpring - Same idea as 99designs but with a smaller community and a lot of really great designs.

Elance - A place to find quick freelance jobs. Kind of the same deal as above but there's more personal interaction between the designers and client. I just signed up for this so I haven't had much time to check it out, but it looks promising. 

For the previous two week's blogs and other various posts about my passions click here.