Off Campus Artist Talk - How To Land A Job

Tonight I went to the artist talk at The Candy Factory about How To Land A Job.  Some of the things that Linda, Lauren, Justin, and Christine said about
First Interviews:
They said that in the first interview that you would most likely contact the creative director but would most likely be talking to more than just one person.  They said to ALWAYS BE PREPARED!! You should have more than enough resumes, arrive early, and dress appropriately.  Also, you should know the company that you are interested in.  During the interview, you should talk about yourself as much as possible as long as it pertains to the conversation. One big thing that they kept going back on was that you should make sure this job is a good fit for you and that you will love it because nothing is worse than having a job that you hate.
Their Favorite Questions To Ask in an Interview:
Some of the questions that they said they like to ask are what is your favorite game to play and why? What is something that you could have done to make your previous job better? What would you have changed if you were the boss? If you were in a circus, what position would you be? They ask questions about previous jobs or employers to see what the interviewee's tone is about that corporation.  They like to ask questions about previous projects you have done and environments you have worked in.
Questions For The Interviewee To Ask:
The panel said that some questions they would like to hear the interviewee ask would be why the job is open? What does the interviewer likes about the company? They all said that the interview should bring your personality out and that you should be yourself.  One thing that I enjoyed that they said was that interviewing should be a two-way street. You should be able to ask the interviewer questions to decide whether that job is the right job for you.  They also said that you should never say something that you don't mean because you might be asked to elaborate further.  Because you might be asked to elaborate, you need to be prepared to back-up your statements.
Talking About A Job You Quit/Fired:
The panel said to never harp on a topic and to never be extremely negative towards that company or boss. They said a good response would be, "it just wasn't a good fit for me." They said to try to stick to the positives and not the negatives.
How Can Candidates Set Themselves Apart From The Crowd:
The panel said that to set yourself apart from the crowd, your resume and portfolio are really important. Your resume should stand out from others but not be over-the-top. Justin said that one thing that makes people stand out is if they have the ability to think. This means how they ask and answer question and how they make the conversation fun instead of awkward.  They also said that you need to show up early with your resume and portfolio with you. Your portfolio needs to be organized in a way that shows that you respect your work. They all said that you should be enthusiastic. Even if you don't get the job at the time, the interviewer will remember you and your personality and maybe call you back for a future job. Less is more and you should ALWAYS follow up the interview with an email thanking the person for the interview. It will leave a big impression with the person. Your work should be accessible offline because there is a good chance that you won't be able to connect to their WiFi. When going over your portfolio, you should always end on your strongest piece. Justin said that you should have web and print and that you NEED to learn code to get ahead of the rest of the contenders. They ended by saying that one big thing that could help you get a job is to find a company that you want to work for and ask them, "What do I need to do to work for a company like you?"

I really enjoyed this talk because I felt that I was getting information that other people don't know and that it will help me get the job over those other people.  I loved how each panelist was laid back and willing to do everything they could to help us and give us every tip they could think of to help us get a future job.