DVC MOCK-UP INTERVIEW

Wrap-up Session

The interviewers and the students were in wrap-up discussion sessions to discuss the performance of the interview session. 

In the comments of one of the interviewers 

“The mockup interview session is a good sharing of reality to show you the real industry working process. Technique and speed are important in the real industry, it depends on how fast you can produce your work and whether you have the element to reduce your mistake. It gives you also a future job direction. Design is important but copywriting skill is also an important part of the big picture of the design job” – Ms Lai Khai Ling

“ You have to be confident to promote yourself. The problem-solving skill is important as we are now facing variety challenge. It is important if you know how to communicate with your client/manager or art director. Some of you are having a good idea and a good mindset, you have to learn to share it out, so that, people will understand. A tip for a better interview is to share “Why” you designed the product as interviewers might be more interest in this aspect than the technique.” – Ms YS Low

Mr Wong also encouraged the student to reflect their performance in terms of strength and weakness and to share their experience in this mock-up discussion. 

“ It was a good and new experience for me to do an online interview. One thing I learnt from this interview will be to response the question in a short time.”  LIM Jia Li

“It was a good chance for me to identify my weakness in the interview session and to be ready to improve it next time.” YOK Jia Le

 In the conclusion of Mr Wong, the mock-up interview served to have 3 main purpose

• Self-reflection to improve in the next experience

A few students shared that their learning from this experience was that they were too nervous in the interview. The best way to overcome fear is to face it directly. Now, the students went through the mock-up online interview, the next step should be a reflection of their strengths and weakness to bear in mind and improve it for the next interview. 

• Understand the interview process

Through the mock-up interview, the students will be able to identify the procedure of a real industry interview. The questions of the interview may not be the technical aspect of the design, what can you design or what did you learn in your university. Yet, the questions of an interview can be more related to the company, such as the background of the company or case study that relates to their business to test the problem-solving skill. Hence, through the mock-up interview, the students will be understood, preparation is important but you might be also facing some questions that are out of what you have prepared.  

Through the online interview, the student has to face the interviewers by himself/herself. Through this kind of interview, the students will show their attitude, characters and communication skill. These are the aspects that an employer will look at as well. It is important for students to identify how their appearance should be in front of the interview panels in an online interview session. 

• Enhance your value

The students should also improve their portfolios from time to time. The portfolio does not include only the physical design portfolio, it includes the participation in a community project or the experience in related industries as well. These determine the value the students can contribute to the employer. Remember! It is not only from design perspective, but it can also be from business perspectives, such as copywriting skill, marketing skill etc. Hence, students should know what are their values.