Colours of Recruitment

BY KATIA BISHOPS

Avoid RED FLAGS when interviewing

Are you old enough to remember Seinfeld’s “worlds colliding” episode where George’s romantic interest, Susan, was about to hang out with his friends crossing the border between two worlds and making things very (very) bad for independent George? My career for the last 13 years has been in recruitment. Like George, it turns out, I like to conveniently compartmentalize myself. Past: Art History Student. Hobby: Writer and Blogger. Pays the Bills: Recruiter. No overlap. Thinking about drawing from my recruitment experience to inform creatives on job search matters and doing so under the umbrella of the colour red, presented an interesting challenge. As I delved into it, however, red became the obvious connector, the bridge between my separate worlds. The self-contained-motion colour from Kandinsky’s theory I studied twenty years ago, morphed into the red flags, which are part of the professional jargon we often use in recruitment, to signify concern.

As a creative, you may have spent a significant amount of your career working as a freelance, entrepreneur, or involved in other project-based work. You may find yourself forced these days to take on contract or permanent positions to adapt to a changing market affected by COVID19. I have compiled a list of potential “red flag raisers” or mistakes to avoid at different stages of your job search.

Resume Submission:

Always tailor your resume to match the job you’re applying for by:

• Editing and eliminating: Tailoring your resume to match the job doesn’t mean altering reality or changing facts, but rather applying critical thinking and editing skills to examine your experience as presented. Go through your resume with a fine tooth comb and consider removing irrelevant roles or professional courses that have no correlation with the experience and skillset the role you’re applying for requires. While you want to show continuity in your work history and not remove jobs from your resume creating unexplained gaps there are some exceptions. You may have two overlapping jobs or projects, one of which is irrelevant. There may be an older job that can be taken out without damaging the flow and continuity of your experience.

• Elaborate and build up relevant portions: Always strive to demonstrate the parallels between your experience and the responsibilities the role calls for. If you’re a Graphic Designer applying for a Graphic Design role that’s easier to do than if you’re a Graphic Designer applying for a marketing position since some of your experience included marketing. If you can identify with the second scenario, make sure that your relevant experience, even if secondary, is immediately discernable on your resume. You can use visual aids, such as bolding specific keywords you don’t want overlooked. Alternatively, you can create a sub category under your Graphic Design experience entitled ‘Marketing Responsibilities’ with a proper recount of related duties. Do not rely on the employer to seek out your relevant experience, make it stand out to them. It is a well-known fact that recruiters and trained interviewers spend as few as 7 seconds reviewing a resume before making their decision.

Avoiding to make the efforts listed above may raise a red flag and read as lack of judgement to the non-discerning recruiter who sees a Graphic Designer applying for a marketing role, or as laziness to a more discerning recruiter who is actually able to see the relevant parts of your experience buried under less relevant bullet points.

Phone screen:

* Be informative and sound engaged

Sounds simple, right? When a recruiter or Hiring Manager calls you sound like you actually want to be there. The way to achieve that is by injecting energy into your voice and offering information. While these suggestions sound like a given, many interviewees feel that it’s up to the interviewer to ‘get the information out of them’. While this is true to a certain extent, it is also true that monosyllabic or one-sentence answers usually

don’t translate as enthusiasm. Sure, the recruiter should navigate the conversation but they should not be expected to dominate it. Supporting your answers with examples is one way of becoming more engaged. If asked about a strength don’t just say “I think outside the box” use an example to illustrate it. I recognize that your portfolio probably speaks for itself in certain situations, in others there’s an HR person on the other side of the line, and they may not be trained to listen to portfolios. Your mindset should be, ‘how can I help this person understand and see my suitability’ for the role.

Lack of effort or engagement at such an early stage translates as lack of interest on the candidate’s part and that’s about as red flag as they come.

What sets you apart from other candidates may be that edge that lands you the job.

• Familiarizing yourself with the company: Before your interview review the company’s website and get to know them. You should be able to demonstrate an interest in the company based on familiarity with what they do (not just interest in the role, as the same role could be performed elsewhere). A good source to read up on a company is usually the “About Us” page on their website which would typically be dedicated to history and notable achievements. Another potential resource would often be a company’s ‘careers’ page where they’ll often place some of their ‘marketabl’ information, which makes them appealing to job seekers.

Job Interview:

Do your homework by:

• Preparing questions: This not only offers you a great opportunity to find out more about the company and role and make an informed decision on whether you’d like to join them or not, but also, once again, demonstrates interest and enthusiasm.

• Find out what the dress code is: As creatives we often express ourselves through clothing. It’s advisable to find out a company’s dress code before interviewing. As we all may interpret ‘corporate’ or ‘office casual’ differently feel free to ask the HR person or even hiring manager on the phone for more clarity, and check the company’s website and ‘Meet our Team’ page as an additional resource. It is usually a good idea to overdress for an interview, later tweaking your attire to better match the environment, than the opposite.

Familiarizing yourself with a company you’ve applied with is not just common sense but also common courtesy. Neglecting to do your homework makes you seem unprepared or uninterested.

Last tip before you go. Red isn’t just for flags. It is also for flamenco and the colour of passion. Look for parallels between your experience and the job requirements, but also define your uniqueness and passion. What sets you apart from other candidates may be that edge that lands you the job.