Practical tips on acing a creative job interview

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Interviews for creative roles are usually non-conventional and may catch you a bit off guard. Here are things you should know and hot to prepare.

With the advent of technology and milestones in the digital world, the scope of creative jobs has enlarged to accommodate more roles and facets of creativity.  Creative roles include but are not limited to; Designers, Copywriters, Illustrators, Communication specialists, Content Creators, among others.

Interviews for such roles are usually non-conventional because there is no existing manual to test the degree of a person’s creativity, gauge reactions to different situations and how the intended audience will react to the effort.

While preparing for a creative interview, it is important to go through the common interview questions, as well as consider that they might be a little different. The pointers below might help;

1. Dress Up

The fact that you view your creative role as a ‘limitless’ pursuit that allows you the leeway to express your free-spirit in how you dress, do your hair, tattoo or pierce your body; doesn’t mean that everyone will be understanding. Most of these creative roles are incorporates that have policies for almost everything. Do not assume that they will look past your rugged look and appreciate the artistic aura you emit. Your interviewers are looking for someone with not only the required skills but who will fit into their organisation’s culture. You have to take this into consideration as you go for the interview.  

2. Be Ready to Demonstrate Your Skills

Credentials are critical in interviews as they help affirm that you have the desired qualifications. However, with a creative role, more is needed than just what is presented in papers. Interviewers will mostly set aside some time for you to conduct a demonstration of your skills as a stage in the interview process. You should be ready for this. If it catches you off guard you might be nervous and not perform as optimally as you would in a normal situation. So, always expect a request for a demonstration and play a few scenarios built from the job description on the ad.

3. Have a List of Previous Works Ready

As a creative, nothing gives you more validation that strong portfolio. This is evidence of various times in the past you have applied your creative skills and helped solve a problem for a client or a company you worked for. This is something you should always have with you in an interview session. If you do not have a physical copy, you can present it to the interviewers on a phone or a tablet. If you are a creative writer, links to your published works should be bookmarked and easily accessible on your gadget. This can come in handy as you answer situational questions that ask you to demonstrate how you would solve a particular problem.

4. Accreditations are Important

While most creative roles do not have mainstream courses in local universities, there are online platforms that formally train on these skills, test and provide certifications to those who pass. This means that, regardless of your trade, you can have a paper that backs it up. Scour online courses websites and find one that covers your area. Take the necessary training then take the exams. You will not only add to your skill set but get a paper that proves it as well.

 5. Focus your Answers on the Role

It is wise to always remember that an interview is about the role in question. Ensure that you read the job description and understand the role you are interviewing for well. Understanding the role helps you answer questions and give interesting examples. One thing to remember is that you need to answer all questions with the role in mind. Tailor the answer to show that you understand the role, you have the experience to handle the role and you are bringing in new ideas and a fresh perspective.