This is a collection of interview questions to ask a new candidate, or to ask yourself to prepare for an interview.
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Q: Tell me about the journey to where you are now in your career?
A: Looking for communication skills. Can you articulate your career? Remember they have your resume, and this is an opportunity to expand on it. Each job is a point in your journey. What happened along the way?
Q: What is something you are passionate about?
A: This doesn't have to be work related. It's good if this is personal.
Q: Describe your skillset?
A: An open-ended question. Remember they know you are a designer. It's good to point out key design skills, but remember to highlight your communication skills.
Q: What tools do you use?
A: This question is a casual one, but it's a good opportunity to highlight how you explore tools. But remember to show focus, and that you may explore tools, but you use the one you are using for a reason.
Q: Describe to me what you did to prep for this interview?
A: Did you research the company? Write down questions, and prepare answers?
Q: Tell me about a place that you visited?
A: A casual conversation, but often this is about looking for how you communicate. Can we visualize your destination, and experience it with you?
Q: What do you know about the company and services/products we sell?
A: Another way of checking if you researched. Remember to always understand the role you are applying for. Read the job description.
Q: In a job what would you do with any spare time you might have during working hours?
A: This is less about expectations, and more about understanding what goals you might have. Would you mentor? Learn more about a specific skill?
Q: If you design something and a developer told you “we can’t do that,” what would you do?
A: Communication. That's what this is about.
Q: Tell me about a time where you made a commitment that was hard to meet. How did you meet that commitment?
A: So much is about communication. This is less about the point in time, and more about can you recall and communicate effectively.
Q: Can you describe a time when the requirements of a project changed in the middle of its design/implementation, and how you handled that situation?
A: This is definitely about communication again. What was your process, and how did you deal with the change? Will you complain about what happened, or focus on solutions.
Q: Where are you looking to grow as a person, and as a developer/designer etc.
A: Keep separation here is as a person, and in work. Examples might be communication skills, or a particular piece of developer knowledge.
Q: How do you learn?
A: Super open-ended question. Do you understand how you learn might be a better way to think about this question.
Q: Describe your process and approach to working on a design?
A: Do you have a process, and can you articulate it?
Q: Where do you think you need to improve professionally, or personally?
A: Do you recognize your faults?
Q: Tell me about a time where you spoke truth to power. (Example: Your boss/company is going to make a decision you know to be the wrong one. You spoke up and were dismissed.) How did you approach it? What was the outcome?
A: I kinda hate how this is worded. But I think it's ultimately a good question, and is about if you take ownership in situations. And if you have an example where you did take ownership.
Q: How would former co-workers describe you as someone to work with? What negative, and what positive things would they say about you?
A: Often asked separately. But this is about understanding how you are perceived, and seeing how many assumptions you make of others perceptions. This is more about how you perceive yourself.
Q: What would you bring to the table as an employee?
A: Sell yourself. It's a hard question to answer, but it's your time to pitch.
Q: What is your greatest strength?
A: Another sell yourself moment. Where do you see your capabilities?
Q: Tell me some random trivia/something interesting about yourself?
A: Casual question, and it's simply about getting to know you.
Q: Tell me about someone that you admire? And why?
A: Good point of reference for further communication. Remember that this doesn't have to be work related.
Q: When do you know that you have enough research to start a project?
A: Tricky question. This is more about understanding limits, and where information can come from.
Q: How do you know when a design/project is done?
A: I mean is design ever really done?
Q: Do you prefer to work alone or with a team?
A: One isn't more right than the other. Remember that when you answer.
Q: What kind of oversight and interaction would your ideal boss/supervisor provide?
A: Where do you see leadership? What sort of guidance are you looking for?
Q: What type of work environment do you prefer/thrive in?
A: Super open-ended. But it's another way of asking if you prefer to work alone or with a team.
Q: Explain what UX design is as if telling a 5 year old?
A: I've received some interesting answers to this question.
Q: What are you looking for in your next role?
A: One of those generic questions that so many ask. This is seeing whether your goals for the position align with the companies goals. Be truthful. If you don't get hired for a position that doesn't align with your own goals that is a good thing.
Q: Are you involved in the design/tech community? Meetups, podcasts, etc.
A: This is to check your social interaction, and whether you reach out to others and grow.
Q: What are the biggest tech innovations or trends right now that you think we should apply to our industry?
A: The real answer is to be careful about trends.
Q: Tell me about a big decision you've had to make in the past year?
A: Name your dog. Buy a house. It doesn't have to be work related. This is conversation.
Q: What if a design of yours wasn’t implemented correctly by a Front-end Developer, what would be your response?
A: Do you complain? Or do you recall a constructive, and teaching moment?
Q: Is it better to be perfect and late, or good and on time?
A: Where do you personally draw the line?
Q: What are you looking to do in 3 years?
A: I changed this from grow, because it's not always about growth. This is just about understanding what you want career-wise.
Q: Tell me something that you've accomplished that you're particularly proud of?
A: Doesn't have to be work related. Just be passionate about it.
Q: What challenges did you have to overcome to make it happen?
A: This might be answered in the initial question.
Q: What mistakes did you encounter or what lessons did you learn from it/them?
A: This might be answered in the initial question.
Q: Do you have any questions?
A: Be prepared with questions.
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Let's whiteboard the design of a TV built for a visually impaired or blind individual?
- Objective: Visual thinking on an uncommon problem that is purposefully distant from simply drawing a wireframe.
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Think about the journey you took to arrive for the interview today. Now on the whiteboard, while talking to me, visually communicate the journey. How you want to visualize this is up to you.
- Objective: Can they visualize thoughts on the whiteboard? Do words flow while communicating visually?