The Killer Interview (and how to avoid interview killers).

Did you hear the one about the designer who flew in for an early morning interview? Upon opening his suitcase at the hotel, he discovered that a bottle of aftershave had broken and spilled all over his good clothes. Unfortunately, he made this discovery after the stores had closed for the night, and he was expected at his prospective employers before they would re-open. Despite his overly aromatic interview, he landed the job, saved by a portfolio so strong it could neutralize a gallon of Old Spice.

This true tale was one of several job interview faux pas presented by Sonja Max at a mini-workshop at Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts. Max, a designer at Hornall Anderson Design Works for the past 10 years, told what she likes to see during a portfolio presentation—and what she hopes she’ll never see again.

While she admits most of her advice is obvious, the number of people who commit common sense violations warrants spelling it out:

1. Pay attention to your appearance.
The first thing every designer should design is themselves. How do you look? (Max suggests, “dress as they do or just one notch above.”) How do you smell? Do you make good eye contact? Are you smiling? If you have nervous twitches or habits (knuckle cracking is almost guaranteed to give your interviewer the creeps), do what you can to keep them under control.

2. Let your book be judged by its cover.
The physical form of your book says a great deal about what’s inside. If it’s dog-eared and scuffed, it sends a loud message about how much you care about details (in other words, not much). On the other hand, going overboard with a custom-designed, super-elaborate, too-gorgeous-to-touch portfolio can easily overshadow the work. Choose a good, functional, clean design, Max advises, and let the star of the show be your design work, not the container. Max also looks to see how well designers organize their work, and whether they add helpful commentary that explains the pieces or gives results.

3. Show the right work, and the right amount of work.
Most design firms would rather see work that’s conceptual and strategic, not just decorative. There’s also a premium placed on work that’s integrated. If you can show how a concept and design approach move smoothly from collateral to packaging to the web, you will increase your desirability and hire-ability substantially. Max also suggests that your book have a variety of work that matches up well with the projects your potential employer actually does. You may love alternative rock gig poster design, but there aren’t a lot of downtown design firms doing that sort of work.

4. Don’t be afraid to talk and ask questions.
If your work measures up, what comes out of your mouth can be the make-or-break part of an interview. Some think you should let the work speak for itself, but Max contends that if you do the speaking, you get to demonstrate your strategic thinking skills. Accordingly, she advises that you give a brief explanation of each piece, and be ready to answer the obvious questions your interviewer will fire back. It’s good practice for you to ask questions, too. They show that you’ve done your homework, and are genuinely interested in the firm. The right questions will also uncover some things you’ll want to know about your potential employer’s philosophy so you can determine if they’d be a good fit.

Max says that an instant interview killer is when a designer starts apologizing for their work. “This would have been great if only the client hadn’t made me use the picture of the factory…or if I hadn’t caught malaria…or if the budget had been more than 37 cents.” Employers don’t want to hear it.

Don’t be less than 100 percent open and honest, Max suggests. Don’t whine. Don’t badmouth clients, co-workers, or bosses. And don’t forget to do this the minute you get back from the interview: Write a thank you note.

Excellent idea. Thanks very much, Sonja. We appreciate your well-told advice.