Presently, there is extraordinary opportunities out there for talented people. The industry is on the look out for people who have skills that thrill and a folio that impresses. One of the easiest way to tap into these opportunities is to come in and meet the gang at Artisan who, with years of experience behind them, can offer insight and advice to take your level of opportunity that extra bit higher.

Coming in to meet the team at Artisan is always enjoyable however here are some tips and pointers that will help make your experience even more beneficial.

Be Prepared For The Interview
o Dress for the part. It’s a creative industry and for some people that involves jeans, which is cool. Make the best first impression you can.
o Have a flick through the Artisan website; its updated often and there may be something new on there that you want to talk about when you come in.

Brand Yourself
o You are your own brand. You may disagree but it’s a branded world. A campaign will have an overarching look and feel, so should you resume and folio.

Resume
o Its best to keep a resume uncluttered. A designed resume is great, but not at the expense of functionality. Make sure it's simple and easy to access your information.
o Make sure it is accurate and up to date. Use months as well as years for the places you have worked to give a more accurate indication of how long your work tenures have been.
o Spelling and grammar – double check it.
o At Artisan we’ll need three references from you. If you're coming in again to re-register another reference from your recent roles would be great.

Portfolio
o Your portfolio should tell a story about you and your ability. Like a story it should have a story line, whether this is chronological order from most recent backwards, or told by chapters; branding, packaging, corporate documents, digital/web or environmental.
o If a piece doesn’t add any value and you don’t like it, take it out.
o Quality over quantity. Don’t limit yourself to a set number of pieces, we want to see your diversity and your talent. If your folio covers a range of different skill types make sure each is well represented.
o Make sure you have nice quality printouts and where you can, actual examples of your work.
o A digital folio is also a great option, especially if the majority of your work is in that media. If your folio is on a website let us know and we can go over it on screen with you. Also make sure that you have a PDF format folio for us as well.
o Details. If you are presenting yourself as an excellent typesetter, make sure you have examples that are clear enough to be able to see your layout skills.
o We’ll always ask questions about a piece to get a better understanding of your involvement and a solid understanding of how it was a part of the whole project or campaign.

Any Questions?
o Don’t be afraid to ask us any questions. Having some prepared is great.
o Its ok to ask about Artisan and what we’ve been doing as well as what is happening in the market
o In most, if not all interviews, you will be asked if you have any questions. Be prepared with a few thoughtful questions that show your interest in the job, but also your commitment to your career. Such as: "Can you give me an example of how the team/department works in terms of division of tasks?" Or: "What are the growth opportunities for this position in terms of either job growth, continuing education or both?"

Be yourself!
o Given the current job market, not everyone is going to be coming in to meet us under the best of circumstances. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to be upbeat and your regular self. We want to find out who you are and what makes you stand out.
o You’ll potentially meet a number of people here at Artisan, feel free to say hello to us.
o Don’t be afraid to shine.

Mathew Hehir is a Consultant for the Design Pod in Artisan. If you wish to get in contact with him to discuss opportunities, you can contact him here