Every week we interview an architect or interior designer to gain their perspectives on current trends, their work, and how they got where they are today.
Be prepared for questions from interviewers regarding design; these could range from AutoCad or 3D Max experience to questions related to aesthetics.
1. What got you interested in interior design?
Interior designers are responsible for designing functional yet visually appealing spaces in interior environments, which requires them to be creative in their approach and possess excellent interpersonal skills.
Be ready to discuss your design influences and explain their impact. Additionally, this is an opportunity to describe your workflow; for instance if a client proves difficult and continually rejects your designs how would you respond?
Interior designers may need to perform administrative duties such as invoicing clients and suppliers. Interviewers will want to see evidence that you possess experience dealing with these aspects of the industry beyond simply design.
2. Why are you looking for a new opportunity?
Interior or architectural design careers can be immensely satisfying when they meet your interests and skillset. From creating details that add finishing touches to projects to conceptualising buildings from scratch, interior and architecture design jobs offer unique and rewarding ways to express one’s creativity.
Answering this question thoughtfully and enthusiastically can set you apart from other applicants and demonstrate to interviewers just how passionate you are about this industry. Consider providing some structure to your answer while leaving room for you to express yourself fully in it.
3. What are your long-term goals?
No matter if you are an established interior design professional or just beginning, setting goals that support your career and business objectives can help keep you motivated and focused towards long-term success.
If your goal is to enhance collaboration skills at your firm, a SMART goal would be attending a teamwork workshop. Such goals should be specific, measurable and attainable as well as reflecting a high priority level.
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Architects are highly analytical individuals. They enjoy taking an innovative and customized approach to solving problems, often producing unexpected and creative solutions.
They can become arrogant and discredit the contributions of those they deem intellectually inferior, leading them to neglect connecting emotionally, which is essential to managing relationships successfully.
Architectural business owners also face long hours at work, which can be both stressful and limit their personal interactions with family and friends. Furthermore, owning one requires significant initial investments for equipment such as computers, software licenses, plotters and printers.
5. What in your portfolio are you most proud of?
Idealistically, this question provides interviewees an opportunity to showcase their creative talents. For instance, they might mention using an unusual material to build a wall-mounted bookshelf, or how they successfully fit large furniture items into a tight space.
An interviewee who can describe their approach to managing projects when they fall behind schedule demonstrates their ability to remain calm and find solutions that prioritize client needs.
Tooting one’s own horn is perfectly acceptable during an interview; however, to avoid sounding arrogant it’s wiser to be moderate in their responses and be measured when responding. For more tips, check out Work It Daily’s article on the top responses to this interview question.
6. What is your dream job?
Interior design is a highly complex field that demands technical skills as well as an awareness of trends and client expectations. To assess how well a candidate will perform on the job, behavioral or situational questions may help give an indication of his or her capabilities.
Ask them how they would approach an especially difficult client or budget constraints and listen carefully for their responses; these answers will allow you to assess their creativity, work ethic and ability to solve problems.
Be prepared to provide examples from your portfolio when answering this question – this can help set you apart from other candidates while showing how passionately you embrace the field.
7. Is there anything else we should know about you?
Employers frequently pose this question to gain a sense of what kind of personality a candidate possesses. Discussing hobbies like chess or quilting shows that you’re interested in more than just your work; however, avoid talking about politics or religion, as that could come across negatively.
At this point, this is your opportunity to provide any extra details that weren’t covered during your interview, such as continuing education courses, certifications or advanced degrees that you are working toward. Furthermore, discuss any special skills or talents that might make a difference at work.
