Dream job, nightmare interview

March 9, 2008 1:10 PM

InterviewFilter: Will I be automatically trumped by someone with a portfolio full of flash?

I have an interview for a great job based around specifying and managing the production of interactive
games/presentations for a public sector organisation. I was really pleased to get the interview as it's senior to my current level and I REALLY love this organisation and would love to work for them.

The problem is that I'm required to do a presentation of previous work but most of my experience has been with large, text-based corporate websites and one-off media activity (streaming radio etc) and not stand-alone interactives. I've worked both with and for design agencies and I understand the production process, and I'm a good project manager, but I don't have anything to show of the kind of stuff I'd be working on if I got the job.

I think I got the interview because I have an advanced version of the qualification they're asking for alongside some sector experience, but the degree was 8 years ago and although this role is exactly what I was aiming for back then, my college archive looks pretty amateur now so I'd prefer not to use it.

I love the (very specific) content I'd be working with and have lots of ideas but I've never interviewed for something I can't back up with examples and I'm feeling really nervous. So how best to present my experience and enthusiasm with a solid (but rather dull) portfolio?

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I find this a very interesting question and one I can very much relate to. I think it becomes even more of an issue as one gets older in the hybrid techology / artistic fields. There's always something new coming up, and knowing the latest software (e.g., Flash ninja) isn't necessarily the most important part of the job. As a matter of fact, the higher above the line you get, the less important expertise in the craftsman details are. For example, a senior game designer might not have any idea how to code or even know how to use Photoshop.

It depends on the job.

I'm in my mid-40's and have been working in "multimedia" for a long time now. The joke I too-often use is that I started it back when it was hard. I, too, have worked on large, corporate websites and with many design teams and advertising agencies.

Stress your professionalism. Put things in context. You're a seasoned pro and manager, not a recently minted multimedia designer. Knowledge of the vocabulary is very important. Be able to talk about the latest trends, even if you haven't personally used them. Like most interviews, focus on your accomplishments and your added value to the companies you've worked for. Name drop like crazy. If you've worked with international or well recognized organizations, be sure to say so. Mentioning the work you've done with Disney or Paramount elevates your importance.

Good luck.
posted by nedpwolf at 1:38 PM on March 9, 2008

You design what the client wants. If your work is mostly corporate, that's okay. Focus on how well you delivered to the requirements.

There's nothing harder to manage than the "coder-poet" who thinks what he wants is more important than what the client is paying to get.
posted by 26.2 at 1:47 PM on March 9, 2008

If you have solid skills you are trainable in the rest. Flash in the pan portfolio might be a one trick pony that has burned them before, you know? Like Neppwolf posted, talk about your experience and transferrable skills and longevity in the field--that is your advantage over the younger punks with the cutting edge skills. They might not have what you have to fall back on when things hit a snag.
posted by 45moore45 at 2:44 PM on March 9, 2008

Just be confident that your designs are usable and match the client's graphic standards, and discuss how your project fulfilled their request.

I think the tags on this post need to be cleaned up, too...sextoy & hpv!
posted by avocet at 5:12 PM on March 9, 2008

This is indeed an interesting question, especially for all of us "new media" types who started when the field began in the early 90s.

If you have managed projects at your present job, talk about the processes and challenges (and how you solved them) in these projects. And, feel free to show that work, even if you didn't design it (as long as you don't take credit for the design). Senior new media people are, more and more, being called on to coordinate these creative projects and these creative people.

There's nothing harder to manage than the "coder-poet" who thinks what he wants is more important than what the client is paying to get.

Ain't that the truth! ;-)
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 11:32 AM on March 10, 2008