Interviews - Mindset and Preparation

Mindset and being prepared for the interview are just as important as the interview itself.

Understanding what it is that will help you come to the interview equipped with what you need is vital. Your CV and Portfolio show You have the experience but what you also need are:

• Mechanical parts of the language + the practice of questions and expressions
• The Mindset and Preparation  

In this section you'll find 3 lessons:

• How to prepare your listening skills by finding some videos or podcasts that help you articulate your values.
• Knowing your keywords
• Mindset preparation

Firstly, before you go into the interview, do you know your value?

Do you know what you stand for as a designer, as a professional, as a leader? Do you know how your values match the company/companies where you would like to work? If you're not sure, listen to this episode with Sasha Coles who talks about being yourself and knowing your worth and your work. Task 1: Write down a few sentences that help you to describe your value. Write down 5 keywords that help you to articulate this idea. What are your strengths?  When you're not as confident about your English, it's easy to feel unsure about your strengths. I think the key is to avoid very cliché strengths such as detail-oriented, fast learner, hard-working and determined. I think these are so overused that people must be so sick of hearing them. If you're going to use them, attach them to a specific situation. Could you try some of these alternatives that give more information: Personal strengths: Willingness to take on feedback while still applying critical thinking and questioning. Persistent at solving complex problems with (specific software tool or specific design problem). Respectful and empathetic when listening to clients and driven to know how I can connect this to the design concept. Skill Strengths: Troubleshooting in (specific software). Efficient at producing (specific thing - plan, concepts) in (specific software). Focused on making improvements when using (specific software) Experience: Try to match your strengths to a specific situation: E.g. I'm very (specific trait) when it comes to solving complex problems with (specific software tool or specific design problem). I've found this skill helped me in (specific project).