IXD302 Wk4:- Interview Skills

This weeks lecture was all about interview skills. During interviews there are certain things the interviewer is looking for and certain things that the interviewee should showcase and mention, such as:

Values –

What are my values, they should be something that will make me desirable to employers, examples could be self motivated, determined, adaptable, positive attitude etc. Depending on the job different values may be more important than others.

Prior Experience –

Any prior experience should be mentioned, especially if its similar to the job being interviewed for. Any experience that I have should be related to the job I want through talking about all of the transferable skills that I have such as organisation skills, working independently, communication skills etc.

Understand the Role –

I should ensure that I show that I understand the role and what would be needed from me in this position. Can also explain what I would do within this role e.g. the design process

Enthusiasm –

Enthusiasm should be shown for the job, company and subject. Have a clear idea of why I would want to work there and what makes them different from others.

Willing to Learn –

Show how I am always willing to learn. This could be a good chance to talk about a mistake or problem that I have faced in the past, how I overcame it/learned from it and how I moved forward. Talking about this anecdote can also be a way of showcasing problem solving skills too

Aspirations/Motivations –

I need to be able to say what drives me and where do I want to go in life. Is there a reason to the determination? I can say its because of my passion because when I am passionate about something it makes me motivated to do it and make it succeed, can also talk about if there is a certain place that I see myself in the future

User-Centred Approach –

Part of my process / motivations (everything really). This should be a big one and will show I have a good set of priorities and ethos.

These are all points that should be incorporated within an interview, even if a question including the points isn’t asked out right I should always still try to tie my answers for any question back to these points.

If the answer to a question is unknown its okay to indirectly answer it

It can sometimes be useful to have some anecdotes in order to back up and prove points that have been said.

A sketch book can be brought in to show a physical copy of work.

I have has a few interviews in the past but never for a design related job. One thing that I try to always do before an interview is to research the company, this way I can ensure that all my answers can be specified towards the company. I also always try to have at least one question to ask at the end if needed, I found that this can really help show an interest in the company and what is being done.

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