7 memorable tips from industry professionals to get into the design industry

We asked professionals in the design industry all things job, portfolio and interviewing to give you the inside word on exactly what they’re looking for. Here are our top seven tips for success during the recruitment, job application and interview process.

1. Stay prepared for future job opportunities by documenting your work

“Take more photos than you think you need, also take better photos than initially seems necessary. Often, you will be taking photos to document the processes for each assessment. While a quick iPhone snap on a cluttered desk seems sufficient at the time, it will make for a headache later on.

 

It’s easy to forget that the photos you take now might sit in front of a prospective employer as a part of your portfolio after you’ve graduated”.

ALEX WATSON Integrated Product Designer, UTS Alum

2. Showcase your best and most relevant work in your portfolio

“As a student, it can be tempting to include as much as possible. Just include your best work. Poor projects will reduce the impact of your amazing work”.

JOSEPHINE BHIM User Experience Designer, UTS Alum

“A stand out portfolio will be carefully curated, not full of every work ever done, but selected work curated for the specific job you are applying for and that really represent you as a designer”.

PIRRA GRIFFITHS Designer, UTS Alum

3. A job application and portfolio should always be well formatted

“A portfolio needs to look professional and well put together. Page layout is SO important – you can tell a lot about someone if their portfolio has been planned and is simple. Consistency throughout layout is also key”.

TOM BUNTING Senior Projects Leader

“Don’t try to be overly complicated with your layout. Your work should sell itself, and not be drawn away by ostentatious graphic design”.

SIMON MOORE Senior Industrial Designer, UTS Alum

4. Practise storytelling for your interviews

“Practise, practise and practise. Practise talking about your project in a clear and thoughtful way”.

ZOEY CHEN Senior Architect, UTS Alum

“Tell a story that showcases the way you think, and the way you work with other people to get things done. That’s the part of you that people want to hire”.

TABITHA MING-SEE (CHAN) CHOR Senior Consultant, UTS Alum

5. Put your personality and positive attitude on display

“To be honest, if you’re at the interview stage your work is probably good enough to be hired. When I’m interviewing a candidate, I’m trying to establish if they’re going to be a good fit within the company. Skills can be taught, but attitude is something that is much harder to instil in a candidate”.

RICHARD MEADE Associate Creative Director

6. Network with your peers, academics and the design community

“My advice is to engage actively in communities focused around the industry you want to break into. Networking and who you know is usually more important than the skills themselves. Companies want to know that you can work with the other members of the team and it helps immensely if someone you’ve met can vouch for you”.

RAYMOND LEUNG Creative Director, UTS Alum

7. Stay true to yourself and your skills

“An interviewee should be genuine and honest but confident in their work. If they don’t believe in their own work we will be able to tell. Being yourself, energetic and enthusiastic to learn is most important”.

HENRY COOK Designer, UTS Alum

You can access all of these tips and more by viewing or downloading the UTS Careers Design Portfolio Guide. Here you can also learn more about interviewing, job applications and what to include in a design portfolio.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash