Over my career I’ve interviewed, hired, mentored, and directed a fair number of graphic designers. I can’t speak for all employers of graphic designers, but I’m going to share with you what I was looking for and why.
Did you follow instructions?
Right in our job postings, my agency would usually have some instruction to tell us in your cover letter who your favorite super hero was or your favorite food. If you didn’t include that information for me when you applied, I knew you didn’t care enough to read through the whole posting. I look for designers who can read a creative brief and follow important project specs. Next!
Do you have typos in your cover letter or portfolio?
Nobody’s perfect but typos in something you have sent me in an effort to convince me to hire you is not gonna fly. I need a designer who will double check their work and if needed, make the effort to have someone else proof it.
Can you talk to clients?
When you are presenting your portfolio to me, I’m imagining you presenting my agency’s work to our clients. A designer who can pitch their own work AND answer questions on the spot is valuable.
Show me your logo work.
Is there variety of style across your work? I’ve found the best way to see this demonstrated is to look at logos a designer has created. I’m looking for a collection of logos that look like they could have been designed by completely different designers, because that shows me that you probably designed what the customer needed, not what you liked or what fit your personal style.
Do you care about typography?
As you present your work I am silently judging your kerning and leading. I’m looking at body copy for widows and orphans. This one isn’t a deal breaker – I’ve found that where you went to school can have a big impact on how much attention you pay to these things. If your typography work needs improvement, I’ll be thinking about how open you’ll be to my feedback on client work and how quick I think you’ll improve.
Can you write?
I’m not going to ask you to write white papers or case studies, but if you can write a catchy headline it sets you above most of your competitors for the job.
What’s your overall potential?
I didn’t always hire the best designer. I hired the designer I thought had the most potential. Sometimes looking through a portfolio, especially with someone just out of school, the work itself isn’t great, but there’s a combination of creativity and eagerness that makes up for it. Those are the people I want to work with. Not only did they grow their skills, they made me a better designer as well.
Do you use AI as a tool or as a crutch?
I can hire someone a lot cheaper than you to run prompts through ChatGPT for logo concepts and clever headlines. I want to see your sketchbook where YOU did the concepting and brainstorming. I’m looking for a designer who can think on the spot in meetings with my clients, not an AI operator who presents a list of the most likely thoughts on the subject.
