Five Things I Look for in Designer Interviews - By: @morejanda - I first served as a creative director in 1998 where I managed a team of designers at a dot-com startup. Since that time, I have employed and managed 168 designers. If each position I hired for required 5 interviews to find the candidate, I have given an estimated 840 interviews. Here is what I look for in a candidate. - If you get an interview, they have already judged your design abilities. Now they are judging you. Bad portfolio = no interview. Good portfolio = interview. - 01: Does the candidate want to work at OUR company? - 02: Does the candidate fit within our culture? - 03: Is the candidate reliable? - - 04: Does the candidate have potential and desire to grow? - 05: Is the candidate ready to hit the ground running? Of course, the ability to produce billable work on day one is a major bonus. However, it was not my number one priority. Desire to be part of our team, fit within our culture, reliability, and ability to self-educate all weighed more heavily in my hiring decisions than the ability to produce on day one.