Now that we’ve covered the major do’s and don’ts of the creative interview process, let’s dive into the most nerve wrecking aspect of the interview: the tough questions headed your way.

Remember, you don’t have to be nervous, you just have to be prepared!

And even more than that, you have to be yourself.

Here at our Cleveland design firm, one of the most important aspects of the interview is getting down to the core of who you are. Since we’re a super small, and really tight-knit group, the biggest nightmare is finding a candidate who doesn’t vibe with our crew.

So take a deep breath, relax, and tell us who you are.

(Speaking of hiring, we are. Details here.)

1. Tell me your life story.

Yep, number one is spilling it. Tell us who you are – start to finish. Were you born on a farm with cows and chickens? Or were you raised in the big city? Were you the star quarterback or a band geek? We want to take a glimpse into your life. Keep it concise, but be revealing in your own charming way. This gives us some good insight into your character and honestly, it’s just a good icebreaker for all parties.

2. What are your hobbies?

As above. I mean, we have to find out if you’ll enhance our recreational sand volleyball team or not. Kidding. (Sort of).

We’re also curious to know whether or not your love of work spills over to your non-work life. Designers, do you seek out design projects outside of school or work? Do you design night and day just for shits and giggles? That kind of passion speaks volumes about what you’ll likely do here at Go Media.

3. Tell us something weird or quirky about you that not many people know.

Here at Go Media, we are anything but pretentious. We want to make sure you are comfortable fitting in with our weird and wacky bunch. Not only that, but this question often reveals qualities that may not otherwise be uncovered in other interview questions. Are you a competitive dart player? A trapeze artist? Do you make YouTube cat videos? Hmm, sounds to me that you’re one fun and dedicated creative to me! Let that freak flag fly!

4. If you were having a really bad day, how would we know?

We work hard and play hard here at Go Media. So while we know how to have a good time, we do experience our share of stress.

We want to know how you’ll handle it. Will you flip your lid or hold it all in and explode like a cannon weeks down the line?

5. Who is your favorite designer or brand? / Who are your biggest inspirations? / What inspires you in the creative process?

As a creative person, you should be prepared for questions you won’t find in interviewing books/websites that are specific to your field/industry so we can get further insight into your creative side! Be prepared to answer these questions honestly – but always keep in mind the audience. Give an answer, and explain why.

6. What really makes you geek out?

Everyone here at Go Media is completely obsessed about their job in the coolest, geekiest way possible. We want to know what gets you all hot and bothered (in a work sorta way). We want to be 100% sure that day-in and day-out, you’ll be happily improving processes and doing your absolute darndest to push the Project Management envelope or be the most bad-ass designer there ever was.

7. What do you think about “the Arsenal” (insert other appropriate website, product, store, company here). What do you love? What would you change?

Be prepared with examples and thoughts. Tell us how you think we can improve. We want to know that you got in there, did your research, and put some thought behind how you can make an immediate impact once (hopefully) hired.

8. Do you spend time with your coworkers outside of work?

Here, we find out how you gel with your current coworkers and thus, how likely it is that you’ll fit in with our crew. And since we’re so strangely social here at Go Media, this is of the utmost importance.

9. What makes you really stand out / why should we choose YOU?

This is your chance to tell us why you’re a great fit for the company. (Hint, you should know as much as you can about the company so that you can answer this one.)

If it’s a position at Go Media you’re after and you know someone here, ask us to tell you everything there is to know about the company. If not, come to meet us at one of our events like On the Map or Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. Then let us know what you will bring to the company.

Experience, character, passion, geekery should collide here. Blow us away.

10. What questions do you have for us?

This one is obvious for any interview, but really keep in mind that this is your chance to find out if you like us as much as we like you. All of the things we grilled you about? Well, you get to ask us those questions, too. So give us a taste of our own medicine if you like.

Good luck out there you crazy kids!