Thanks for sharing your experience. I take it that your name is European sounding, from your description of yourself? So it’s just foreign sounding names and not race per se? Is English the issue usually in this case? Or hesitation over work permit and legalities?
and Purplepeopledesign -
You’re in Toronto? I’ve heard it’s one of the best cities for multiculturalism and am visiting next week. I’m obviously brown too and the last couple of jobs have been without formally applying so I’d met the people involved before they’d seen my resume. My first job in the US was found online, but while I faced ignorant comments at work and the interview, my resume quality outweighed any other applicant they could get at that price. That was my compromise, low salary for a work permit. Do you think that it comes up in practice, i.e. not job hunting but when getting new projects or clients?
Perhaps you’re right. But I, along with many companies out there, will continue to practice hiring techniques this way. Its not about being elite or anything like that. Its about respect for potential employer and the ability to follow simple instructions or common etiquette.
Now let me ask you this. After reading this, do you think the applicants will acknowledge me in their Cover Letter? or risk losing their applicant by just writing ‘To Whom it May Concern’?
Going by your logic, there’s no need to spellcheck your resume, just wear ripped jeans when meeting with clients, and greeting your clients in conference calls with ‘YO’ or ‘WASSUP DOG’…
Perhaps you’re right. But I, along with many companies out there, will continue to practice hiring techniques this way. Its not about being elite or anything like that. Its about respect for potential employer and the ability to follow simple instructions or common etiquette.
Now let me ask you this. After reading this, do you think the applicants will acknowledge me in their Cover Letter? or risk losing their applicant by just writing ‘To Whom it May Concern’?
Going by your logic, there’s no need to spellcheck your resume, just wear ripped jeans when meeting with clients, and greeting your clients in conference calls with ‘YO’ or ‘WASSUP DOG’…
We’re talking about designers here, not accountants.
From my experience, an employer that demands respect just because they are someone’s employer don’t have much of a future. Chances are they demand it because they are so incompetent at what they do that they cannot earn it from their employees.
I’m getting OT here, but this antiquated mentality (to say the least) needs to dissapear from the corporate world so we don’t end up with more Enron’s, MCI’s and the like.
It’s fairly obvious from the posts that some people have had to do some hiring. I’m quite disappointed at the amount of flak that has been flying from the various “prospects.”
Employers are not trying to unfair, they are trying to get the very best people from the flood of applications.
If you spelled something wrong, then you aren’t the best. If you can’t draw, you aren’t the best. If you show up in unwashed clothing, you aren’t the best. If you can’t think calmly and creatively during a crisis, there will be someone who can. There is only one rule: be at your best.
Employers all realize that their hires will have creative blocks, coffee spills and poor writing. There will be bad hair days in front of clients and even frayed nerves. But, at the interview, they are looking for the people whose best is better than the others.
Here’s a personal case in point: When I applied for my current job, I had no formal education in design. I had read as much as I could get my hands on, researched the company as well as I could and smashed together a 4-piece portfolio in as many days. When I showed up to the interview I had the classic all black look. Wool jacket, long-sleeve T and black Dockers and some English brogues. Very creative professional. After some back and forth questions, they hit me with The Question. We all know it, it’s the one that’s meant to catch you off guard. In my case it was: “What if we asked you to cut your hair?” I was stunned. My hair was down to my waist at the time. 1/2 second. I’m cooked. Looked at one inteviewer. Considered begging. 1 second. Sweating now… look at the other interviewer. Maybe if I took a stand. Wait… aha! I shrugged and said, “Well… everything is negotiable.”
Do you provide a name to address any applications to? I know it seems obvious but depending on how the applicant received the notice your contact details my not have been provided.
Yes! CG, this does answer your question too, Burns has a good point. All of these are NOT nitpicking but instead FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS which until you are the CEO of your firm, you will have to do, so best to check out the applicants ability at the earliest stage to see if they can read, comprehend and follow directions.
Similarly, I reject :
Badly written application essays, not submitting ALL parts of the application, such as the fee, or the essay or a recommendation. How does this differ from a job application, nydesignguy? You would follow rules to apply to school wouldn’t you? Or would expect to be admitted based on your portfolio even if your GPA was 2.0?
And why should I tell you how much I am making/made if you won’t tell me how much the job pays. Maybe I won’t apply if your compensation doesn’t fit my requirements.
As a design manager for an east coast firm, let me offer my $0,02;
If the submission is in response to a posting via Coroflot, Monster, etc. typically we (again I) find it hard to respond to all of them. Typically there are many submissions (some from around the world), and I will scan for the appropriate ones (more on that in a bit) and engage the candidate as such.
If the submissions are unsolicited (interns, summer work, cold-calls) we tend to be more personal and respond as such (email, etc.).
I would put forth the burden is on the applicant to follow up in a few days, and to solicit feedback at that time. If there is no feedback, find out when is a good time to call back to get some feedback.
Secret - employers appreciate go-getters. Not tenacious, not needy, not over-bearing. Call once, be polite and professional. It goes a long way to know that you are interested in feedback, and it makes us think you are targeting our company. PLAY THAT ANGLE! Make us (prosective design firm) believe that we are the ONE you want to work at. Again, don’t act desperate. Act enthusiastic and focused.
How do I screen?
Professional, spell-checked, grammar-checked introduction is a must. If it is personalized, it may get my attention more and can encourage me to engage in a more personal manner with the applicant. Do homework to find a contact. Use common contacts if possible.
Do not just send me a link to your website. Include the link with a PDF of your work. The goal is to make it easy for your audience to view and print your work, so it can be shared with others. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to navigate websites (some are very poor - work on simple navigation!) and ‘Print screen’, open PS, paste, print and repeat too many times. Please send me a ready-to-print PDF.
You MUST include work. Tease me - show me some truely interesting stuff. Not too much - not your whole portfolio. Save the big guns for a meeting. Screen the stuff you show to really impress me. Process and results. Not just results. Show me a variety of what you can do. Something will appeal to me. Universally, it is the ability to concept well (drawing - not rendering)
if the above is satisfied, and if I find the candidate interesting, and appropriate, I will then contact him/her.
That’s the truth. You need to appeal to me for me to spend the time to make ‘first contact’.
If you wish, include a …“I would like to call you in the next week to get some feedback after you have reviewed my work.” You’re setting the stage for me to have a conversation with you. I remember the people who call me, and I appreciate that I don’t need to call every candidate and break the ‘I’m sorry’ story to each applicant. I don’t like delivering that response, but I need to and I will, if appropriate.
I did not include my direct contact info in the application because I didn’t want to give them an easy way to phone me. I had IT create a specific email alias for digital applications. By asking applications be sent Attn: R&D Summer Projects, we guarantee that snail and fax don’t get held up in other departments.
The other reason for not giving my name was that I was also hoping one of the applicants would be resourceful enough to find out who the I was and address me directly in their cover letter. Didn’t happen, but we can hope.
Reading through the posts, what you are suggesting it counter intuitive of what you expect.
We have ML340 not posting a contact but expecting an applicant to call in and ask for contact details.
Previously, we had cg state that one of his filtering rules was no calls (mind you I am sure he leaves a direct contact or expects the “Dear Sir/Madam”’ address).
Next we have PPD stating that he wants to see an applicant show some initiative and call but yet he does not wish to leave his details for fear of being harrassed.
The majority of the posts suggest that calling would only aggrevate the potential interviewer (waste of precious time) yet the expectation is that all applicants should make an attempt to contact you to find out the big mystery. If your time is that important treat it as such. List the necessary requirements/details that you expect to see adhered to and get on with the job. Playing games invites time wasting on both sides.
I respect cg filtering (listen and ye shall be heard) however ML340 screams he needs acknowledgement.
At least PPD accepts that being address personally is unlikely but would be a surprise. You invite the hounds to your door with what you state you would adore.
If a design breif comes across your desk and you don’t agree with it, do you 1)just do it and let them have what they ask for, 2)do you do what you think they really need or 3)do you go the extra mile and say here’s what you asked for, but I would like you to consider this, this and this, if we can loosen up some requirements, we can achieve THIS (Known as “self starter”, Initiative and value-added) .
What a company asks for in the add is the design breif for your application! They may need proof of your ability to communicate with corporate customers and jump through their hoops so that a good idea does not get killed because not all I’s and T’s were dotted and crossed.
Then going the extra mile, like researching the name of the screener, asking not for a portfolio reviw but if there is anything they would like to see that you didn’t show them that might make you a better canidate.
I always google the company and any names I can find, maybe they are president of a local RC hobby group or sail or something. Learn as much as you can to 1) get a feel for the people you may work with, 2) create common ground during the interview and 3)to stand out if you tell them you liked the article they wrote for such and such a magazine, and you had some questions, they will remember you. Who knows, you might make a freind in the industry, even if you don’t get the job, and that can be just as valuble… (Big note: it only works if you are SINCERE no sucking up)
and the last couple of jobs have been without formally applying so I’d met the people involved before they’d seen my resume. My first job in the US was found online, but while I faced ignorant comments at work and the interview, my resume quality outweighed any other applicant they could get at that price. That was my compromise, low salary for a work permit. Do you think that it comes up in practice, i.e. not job hunting but when getting new projects or clients?