Everyone knows it and everyone hates it. The process of applying for a design job. But why so? Probably because everything counts. Because every little detail on how the application is put together is perceived and valued. How it is structured, which font is used, and so on; it is the whole package that indicates your value in the market. While a finance-guy could simply use a template on Word, you would dig your own grave with that in the design realm. Applying into a design agency is a science for itself. 

The world-wide-web nicely caters hundreds of checklists, how-to guides, and videos on that topic, but as it seems like, it is still not done properly. What already sounds frustrating in the introduction and seems like a hopeless task, is actually a good thing, my friends! With a little bit of focus, this means there is space for us to excel in our application. What that differentiating focus could be and mean, you will find here. Step by step. 

The observations I made with these endeavors so far are that I often got lost early on, started wrongly altogether or straightly dove into a strict portfolio-mindset, all of which resulting in an unfinished and non-satisfying outcome. That’s why I decided to get to the bottom of that seemingly hateful process and find out what thinking could guide us in this self-portraying project.

 

1.  Do some soul searching 

First and foremost, ask yourself what you want to do and where your passion lies. There is plenty of other fish in the sea, but no one is just like you. So this initial question is fundamental. Not only for your professional career but more in a general context. We all know the classic: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”-question. This one will follow sooner or later and we should all be able to truthfully answer it to ourselves. Be sure to know what you want to do in your life and on what to focus, it will make planning your future much easier. Ask yourself questions like “what did I enjoy the most in my studies?”, “what was I specifically good at?” or “what made me smile or feel like opening a bottle of champagne?”.  

If this is not enough and you’re still unsure, the next step can be to find someone who is already working in an agency or corporation and talking to the people from this profession. This can give you guidance and vision about the direction you could go. Also, it will get you some understanding and sense of reality and could set straight false assumptions or underline correct ideas of yours about the job itself.

This is a very important point. How can you show yourself in the best light if you don’t even know where it is yourself?

2.  Tell your story well

As soon as you know your strengths, your style, and your preferences, it is time to show them well. As a designer, you know that I’m talking about the portfolio, this is where you can give a good account of yourself. The general idea of a portfolio has shifted a lot in recent years, it nowadays is more about telling a story and presenting yourself as a human being, instead of a worker and performer only. People hiring for design roles are keen to see your versatility, want to feel that you can display a set of soft skills and that you can work in a team. So, when you think of the portfolio, you should think about the document that contains more than just your work. A proper representation of yourself, your experience and your personality.

In what form you wish to set up your portfolio is all up to you and your own judgment. Keeping in mind that we live in the age of digitalization, which not only means you should be able to set up and build your online presence, but also take into account that the potential employers can much easier access your data. It definitely does not shed a bad light if you can show your affinity of using modern ways of communication and maybe even your ability to learn new things. On that note, there are quite a few simple-to-use online services that can help you build your portfolio as a non-professional (Squarespace, Wix, Readymag, to name a few). Be aware though, the professionals easily notice the difference between templates that have been altered or not, so this is a great opportunity to bring in your own style and show that effort has been put into it. This will make your online presence authentic and, again, shows your creativity. 

The portfolio is the first impression your desired company will have from you, so here are some tips to consider when introducing your projects: 

 

• What was your role?
• Was it a group project or individual work?
• What was the background of the project? 
• What were the goals of the project? 
• Who were the users you design for? 
• What problem needed to be solved? 
• How were you planning to solve those problems on that matter?

 

As designers, we know that it is not only about making things beautiful but much more about using the right processes and storytelling to create great solutions, tailored to the end-user. So this is where you can proudly document how you work, what methods you are familiar with and how you apply them to reach that final result. Short and punchy background information of your skill-set completes it nicely. 

3.  Research like a real designer 

A job application in design always means entering into a collaborative environment, where you will work with other professionals. So when it comes to looking for a job opening or a company that would fit your dreams, which I would personally suggest going for in the first place, it is crucial to make sure to build your career in a corporate setting where you can thrive in. In the end, people who you surround yourself with will be the ones that really affect your further career. So how would you know beforehand, if it would be the right place for you to work? Through extensive research.

Think about it that way: Who is out there, moving into a direction which you would want to be part of? What do these companies have to offer to you? What do they do well, and what not that much? What are the corporate guidelines and how do they portray themselves and their co-workers? Design agencies mostly take good care of their online presence and you will surely be able to detect some characteristics of their internal culture. Look out for the design language they use and see if it seems familiar to you. Overall, actions mostly speak louder than words, so go and explore their latest projects or upcoming events. You might even want to consider going to public events of theirs to network and talk to the people directly.

Get to know a company in-depth before you decide to apply for it, this will not only save you a lot of time in the whole process but also broaden your horizon on the market situation and what is happening in the field. The insights gained in the detailed analysis hopefully ignite your motivation and provide reasons for why they are the perfect fit for you and why you are theirs!

4.  Cover letter as your entry ticket 

After you sparked their interest in the portfolio they will turn to your cover letter. This is your personal voice, speaking to the company. It could be your entry ticket to the table, so don’t waste this opportunity to show that you went the extra mile in this application process. After you’ve done all the research, you will be able to not only present yourself in a professional, promising and surprising way, but it will also allow you to show them how well you know them already and what your contribution to their operations could be. Tell them, where you imagine yourself within their organization, how you would embrace their values and where you possibly even see potential opportunity areas for the future of their company – positively and enthusiastically. 

For the heads of design, the application stands and falls with the cover letter, which could be the deciding factor over an interview invitation. This is where your designers’ mind comes into place, how far can you switch perspectives and put yourself in the position of the other, in this case, the company’s allocated person reading your application?

 

The bottom line 

What it all comes down to is:

1. Do your homework, not only on the company but also on yourself.

2. Know what you’re talking about and don’t just tell them how great they are and how much you would want to work for them, but state what and how you could contribute to their success and what they’d gain from having you in their lines. 

3. See it as the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others.

 

Finding a job is never an easy task. For the last couple of months, I was challenged to find an internship. The most difficult task for me was to define my job profile. What are my strengths? In which field do I want to work in? To which company and what role should I apply for? During this time, I talked to many people in my Design Management International class about their experience with finding an internship. I realized that it is not a challenge only I face. 

To get to the bottom of these questions, I contacted 3 former DMI students and asked them about their experiences with finding a job after graduating from DMI.

Originally, I was looking for an answer to the question of what the perfect title for Design Managers in the real world is. Lorena, one of the alumni, explained to me however that there is none. “What we learn in DMI, is definitely demanded in the market. The question is a bit what to call it.” You study Design Management, and could think your title after graduating from your studies would be the same, right? – wrong! Your working title could be Experience Consultant, User Experience Designer, Project Manager, Design Analyst, Business Designer, Innovation Manager, Communication Manager, Brand Developer, and the list goes on.

The 4 DMI Types

This statement of her, inspired me, to take the different fields of DMI apart and to combine them into 4 DMI student profiles which I elaborate about bellow. This may help you to identify which field of Design Management may best suit you. So have a close look at the different types and at the end of this article – if you cannot figure it out yourself – you can find out which DMI type you are, in a quiz.

#TheDesigner: The designer is most interested in the design aesthetics and is often also invested in other art activities -photography, for example. The designer is the best when it comes to slide design or layouting a concept. For this type, I recommend working in a design agency as a graphic – UX or web designer.

#TheCommunicator: The Communicator likes to present their idea to people. They are excited about finding the right message and wording to promote a product or service. This type is the best when it comes to storytelling and expressing themselves. They love to work with people and often serve as a mediator. For this type, I recommend a marketing environment where they can create go-to-market strategies and build brand awareness.

#TheStrategicOne: The strategic one loves solving problems and is interested in strategic design. This type likes to create concepts with a focus on business opportunities. These people are great at thinking strategically. They fancy tackling complex conceptual development questions and are organized and structured. For the strategic one, I recommend a business-oriented environment, for example in a consultancy for finding business opportunities. 

#TheEntrepreneur: The Entrepreneur has often own projects they work on aside from school. They have many interests in diverse topics and love developing and, especially, executing ideas. They are doers and creative minds with a sense for business opportunities. For them, I recommend starting something own – to create a start-up, for example. 

The 3 DMI Alumni and their Story

 Maybe, you found a type that matches you. But what could that mean for your career path? I want to depict your possible future on the bases of the interviews I had with the 3 DMI alumni, Lorena, Milo, and Roman. Spoiler alert – their story will match perfectly into the DMI types as well.

Lorena #TheStrategicOne:

“Going in a strategic direction is certainly very future-oriented as it is a constantly growing market”

Digital Transformation and Innovation Manager at Accenture 

 

CV: As a former seamstress, Lorena decided to study Design Management International in 2011. Midway through her studies, Lorena realized that she wanted to work in the field of strategic design at a management level in the area of innovation. Therefore, she already adapted her bachelor’s thesis to this topic. During an interview for the thesis, she established an important contact that helped her in getting her first job after graduating from DMI at Partake AG in Berlin.  After three years she returned to Switzerland and started working for Accenture as Digital Transformation and Innovation Manager. By the way, she gave herself this title.

 Her Tasks: Her work at Accenture involves managing cross-industrial innovation projects. It is about bringing end-to-end innovation to the client. She also consults companies on how to integrate innovation into their daily business, for example, through innovation labs. 

 Requirements: You must be strategically thinking and always up to tackle complex, conceptual development questions.

 Her Number 1 tip for getting a job: To find a job after graduating from your studies, networking is essential. Update your LinkedIn profile and visit events, for example via Meetup!

Roman #TheEntrepreneur: 

“Ideas are worth nothing, execution is worth millions”

Professional Inventor at Creaholic

 

 

CV: As a trained mechanical draughtsman, Roman started studying Design Management International in 2013. During his studies, he was interested in the field of qualitative research in the area of innovation and product development. After finishing his bachelor’s degree, Roman became a co-founder of the start-up Yelloh. Yelloh made it possible to conduct qualitative research through an online video survey tool. He worked on this project for a year until he and his colleagues decided to quit the project. He says: “Above all, I learned that the saying don’t listen to the nay-sayers is true, but you also have to be very objective in judging the market response.“ 3 months after Roman stopped working on the start-up, he met a DMI alumni and told him about Yelloh. This contact worked at Creaholic at that time and recommended Roman to his employer. Today, Roman has been working as a Professional Inventor for 2 years at Creaholic.

His Tasks: Roman mainly works on invent projects, especially in the field of product or service creation. He also coaches employees in Swisscom’s Entrepreneurship Program, where employees realize their own ideas and create their own start-up. He also develops products or service concepts with external customers. In developing these projects, he makes use of lean prototyping. Developing prototypes and testing them right away is his greatest passion at work.

 Requirements: You have to be able to work well with people, be methodical in design thinking and lean methodologies, have an understanding of business issues (how to build a business case) and above all, you have to be a doer.

His Number 1 tip for getting a job: Graduates often refuse to do an internship. However, an internship, a trainee program or a start-up opens doors into the working world.

Milo #TheCommunicator:  

“I am the interface between internal departments and external agencies”

Brand Manager and Content Developer at Swiss

 

 

CV: After his apprenticeship as a gardener, Milo did the creative pre-course. He then decided to study Design Management International in 2015, because he was fascinated by the connection between the two poles of design and business. After graduating from DMI, Milo applied for many positions before finding the internship at Swiss as Brand Manager and Content Developer. He sent out the application for the job via LinkedIn. Fortunately, a DMI alumni had been working at Swiss at that time. Through inside inputs, he was able to catch the job during the official interview.

 His Tasks: Milo works in the Brand Management Team, which is part of the Swiss marketing team. There, he works as a Project Manager. He is the interface between internal departments and external stakeholders. He describes himself as a project manager with A clear understanding of design. Among other things, he is responsible for developing flyers, brochures, or internal communication material.  As he works with all departments within the company Swiss, he has a very broad insight into the whole firm, which he particularly enjoys. 

 Requirements: For this job, you need to be empathic and a good mediator in order to communicate properly among the different stakeholders. An open manner helps to approach people.

 His Number 1 tip for finding a job: Never get discouraged after being rejected during the application process, sometimes it takes a little while longer to find a place that suits your skillset.  

Key insights

Networking: All my interview partners have gotten their current position by some kind of vitamin B, therefore building a network is the single most important learning here. In fact, former DMI students are our most valuable asset. They work in a variety of companies and fields and in my experience, they are all incredibly friendly and helpful. So, be aware of your contacts, take the chance to make new ones and maintain your LinkedIn, “because often the great jobs go away underhand and are not even advertised,” Lorena warned me. 

Letter of Application: Less is more: I always thought that a comprehensive letter of application shows your motivation. Maybe you had similar assumptions and filled one page with text as well. But from Milo, who applied to several companies, I learned: “Less is more. In the beginning, my application letter was overwhelming. At some point, I got the feedback from an employer to shorten it. I’d rather have 5-10 sentences that are crisp than half a page of text.” Also don’t share all your information at once, some kind of mystery makes the employer curious to find out more. 

Motivation: The tip about motivation goes hand in hand with the one above. Lorena expressed it accurately: “There is nothing more important for graduates in a letter of application then to show their motivation and a willingness to learn, when applying for a job with us at Accenture. ”

Bachelor Thesis: One advantage of knowing the field you want to work in before graduating from your studies is to be able to steer your bachelor thesis accordingly. Because even the bachelor thesis can open the door to a job or an internship just like it did for Lorena. Also, Lorena recommended doing the thesis with a company to get hands-on experience. 

Master Program: At a certain point, getting a master’s degree is essential if you want to climb up the career ladder, however, the alumni did recommend to get some working experience first. Lorena expressed that accurately: “I would not recommend doing a master’s degree directly after the bachelor’s degree, because the DMI program is so generic. You don’t really know where to start. I would recommend gaining work experience, see what interests you and then decide in a second step what skills you still lack to get ahead.”

 Internship or Trainee Program: Even though, many graduates want to finally start a real job, an internship or trainee program after the bachelor’s degree is almost indispensable as it seems. “You should not feel bad about doing an internship after graduation. It can open many doors for you,” says Roman strongly. 

Companies to apply for

You weren’t really sure where you could apply so far – here I got the answer. These are a handful of companies in different areas that the 3 DMI alumni fancied. According to Lorena, every large company already has an innovation team by now. Therefore, this list is just a selection.

Innovation Companies:

• Accenture
• Fjord
• Frog Design
• Creaholic
• Spark works
• Melt
• INNOArchitects

 Creative Consultant Agencies:

• Vetica Group
• Publicis
• A4

 Creative Agencies:

• Futureworks
• Jung von Matt
• ZürichTokyo

Big companies with Innovation Teams in Switzerland: 

• Swisscom
• SBB
• Die Post
• EWZ
• AXA Versicherung

 

 Closing words

This blog was less meant to steer you in a certain direction but more to provide you with some valuable insights from alumni who were once in the same position as we are now – figuring out what we want to do with our lives after graduating from DMI. So, keep the 6 tips in mind for the coming year and especially important; start building up your network! 

And finally, I leave you with the fun task of doing my personality test on the 4 DMI profiles to identify which DMI type you could be.

https://www.riddle.com/view/238433

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the past decades, a number of environmental issues and social imbalance increased. In return, the consciousness and the need to address ecological, environmental and industrial challenges has steadily increased. Therefore, the discussion towards a socially responsible design approach has become an importantpart of many business agendas. In my opinion, a sustainable change can only happen through the companies themselves, initiated by the demand of the society. This is where the importance of a design consultant come into play, and their ability to connect the social needs with the companies’ goals. In this bog post, I want to raise awareness of the factors that shape the consultant’s behaviours towards socially responsible design.

Is socially responsible design a recent approach?

If you live in 2020 you may have heard about socially responsible design. The definition is as follows: “The use of design to address social, environmental, economic issues and focuses to move beyond first world consumer demands towards a more holistic and responsible approach to product or service design that embraces ethical, cultural and humanitarian values.” If you thought that this way of thinking just became visible in the last couple of years along with the sustainability movement, you may be wrong. In fact, design has a long history of commitment to addressing social environmental issues. Already back in 1971, Victor Papanek’s book “Design for the real World” referred to responsible design and the need for a sustainable environmental resource usage. On that note, the concept of socially responsible design has been further developed by design decision-makers, such as design consultants (Gladwell, 2000).

Why do the companies need help?

I recently read an interesting study by Morelli (2014) that mentions that many companies noted responsible design objectives are not often high up the list of priorities. Additionally, the companies have mentioned that a socially responsible design approach is seen as a viable alternative to a market-oriented approach. The fear that socially responsible design is not suited for a competitive company, however, is no longer a reality. Only a complementary design approach can connect the ethical, social, and environmental needs with the whole complexity of the end-user.

How does to role of a design consultant come into play?

The role of a design consultant and its importance in approaching socially responsible design is a complex topic. However, I truly believe in the value a design consultant can offer to a company in that regard. Especially since design consultants are able to propose design ideas or concepts to companies. Moreover, design consultants are considered to have the potential to widen the client’s perspective in the direction of a more comprehensive solution. To be more specific, the creation of meaningful solutions that integrate the society’s need of social responsibility within the company’s restrictions.

What strengths can a design consultant offer?

Firstly, I’d like to point out the design consultant’s adaptive nature to combine their knowledge, experience, and good communication. This so-called network thinking allows them to identify the essential factors involved and communicate them in an effective way to the clients. Especially, the way how to cross communicate between all the parties involved is significant.

For example, design consultants are good at talking and understanding marketing people, engineers, and production people; they care about the product right through the whole process. So, the relationship between all these elements gives them the vocabulary and also the attitude that enables them to work across the organisation. Additionally, because they are more on the outside looking in, they are ideally positioned to challenge and question the company’s set goals. On that note, possibly new directions and alternative thinkingcan be introduced.

Secondly, the design consultant’s relationship with the client can be of great use. Let me explain why this is such a crucial factor: Well, the client does not only have to agree with the proposal itself; more importantly, the client has to truly believe that it is the right way to go. In order to reach this level of engagement, the relationship between a consultant and its client is built on trust, as well as credibility throughout the whole process. Therefore, the design consultant’s strategic mindset is key. Especially, the carefully conducted research and the consideration of objective evidence and data in contrary to “I think” or “it might be” is essential.

Referring to Morelli (2014), the level of effectiveness of a design consultant is directly linked to the company’s perception of design and the value they assign to it. Therefore, it makes sense for a consultant to climb as high up the company’s organizational ladder as possible, in order to create greater influence. To be well heard and respected by the board of directors is very important; they have to fully understand the role of design, and with it the importance of a design culture and the freedom to explore.

What are the difficulties?

Although design consultants offer important skills, they also face some barriers along the process.

For example, the uncertainty on what the right way is to approach responsible design goals. According to a study by Norman Stevenson in the year of 2013, the lack of clarity on where to start, and how to be most effective in working towards socially responsible design goals can be perceived as a big challenge. So, the actual improvement and implementation of socially responsible design goal starts with the consultant’s confidence, as well as the knowledge of how to be most effective to approach the challenges ahead.

Another important point which influences the behaviour of a design consultant, is their own awareness andopinion of social responsibility and their own values. Because of the awareness of the complexity and scale ofthis topic, some design consultants have the feeling of not being empowered enough to guide or push acompany in a socially responsible direction (Norman Stevenson 2013). In order to fulfil their professional role, they would never suggest something that is not matching the client’s philosophy. In that sense, I would like to highlight that consultants are well-known to have a strong will to meet the client’s expectations.

Consequently, the willingness and motivation to address responsible design goals is also depending on opinion of the clients themselves. This stands, somehow, in contradiction to the design consultant’s function on representing the end-user.

Tips to overcome these difficulties

All in all, to eventually break through the barriers mentioned above and to gain confidence in the area of socially responsible design, it is important that consultants have a critical need for credible and dependable information. This will enhance the introduction of suitable ways to explore these new areas which may lay outside the client’s comfort zone. The design consultant’s mindset and engagement to act on this topic is essential. This goes hand in hand with the understanding on what the actual objectives are, in order to make a positive and realisable impact.

Once a design consultant has gained determination towards this direction, the next logical step would be to encourage others. This can happen through:

• Seminars
• Workshops
• Publication of articles

The aim thereby is, to find possible ways to share insights in order to build up a knowledge transfer. This action will enhance other design consultants, and in the long run, it will also be beneficial for the companies the consultants are working for.

As I am sitting here writing this blog, I hope that the people reading it have learned and understand the influence of the behaviour of a design consultant in a socially responsible design scenario. In my opinion, a company and end-user’s positive impact for future efforts can only take place on a strong foundation that relies on a holistic understanding of all the parties involved. On that note, we will eventually be able to move towards a more sustainable future.

 

 

Victor Papanek was an Austrian-American designer and educator who became a strong advocate of the socially and ecologicallyresponsible design.

Malcolm Gladwell is a Canadian author, journalist, and consultant.

Nicola Morelli is a design researcher who has published a couple of papers and one study with the focus on socially responsibledesign.

Norman Stevenson is a PhD graduate who has published a study on the issues of a socially responsible approach for consultants.

 

 

Design management applies to several different fields, disciplines, and industries. The attempt to narrow it down and box it into a one-sentence-definition will lead to confusion and will not do the complex term any justice. Yet, the Design Management Institute gave it a try and defined design management as follows: “Simply put, design management is the business side of design.” (n.d.)

Well, this does not really help us making the terms more feasible and understandable, does it? The 10-words definition does not express any practical applications – design management remains hard to grasp. One common situation in which you as design management international (later referred to as DMI) students or graduates will be asked to explain design management, or rather the value of it, is during a job interview. And usually, you will be talking to HR specialists or recruiters who typically do not have any background in design. So, how can we explain design management in a job interview to such interviewers who do not have any prior knowledge? By the end of this blog article, you will know the answer.

Before sharing a collection of hands-on examples and explanations, I would like to emphasize that these recommendations are based upon my personal experience. While looking for an internship position in summer 2019 as well as 2020, I completed several assessments stages and was invited to various job interviews. This led to the realization that there are no right or wrong answers to such a question; however, effective answers highly depend on the job you are applying for. Hereinafter, I will share my personal recommendation on how to explain design management in a job interview, highlighting general benefits that are of value to any company.

Sell, don’t explain

First and foremost, be aware that you are in a job interview – in a situation where you aim to convince the person in front of you of your skills. This means, of course, you need to explain to them what design management is but more importantly, why your knowledge is of value and benefit to their organization.

This is why I recommend you to put yourself in the shoes of your (possible) future employer. What is relevant to them? What do they need? How does design management add value to them? According to this information, adjust your explanation of benefits tailored to the organization. This could be done for instance by researching about the organizational culture. Let us say at the core of the company’s values lies an innovative spirit. In that case, I would suggest finding concrete examples of why you would fit into such an organization that stands for innovation. In this example, one approach could be to mention what products or services you have innovated as part of your DMI degree – maybe during the course “innovation lab”? In any case, you should always remember that whatever you say should not just explaining how you fit into the organization but confirming the recruiter that you are the exact right fit for the job, beyond any doubt.

Describe the courses you completed

One way to make design management more tangible to someone from a different field is by concretely mentioning courses that form part of your DMI Bachelor’s degree. Again, I propose to mention the courses that are most relevant to the desired position. Let us assume you are applying for the role of a marketing intern. In that case, I would recommend stating that the undergraduate program involves courses such as marketing, communication design, trend research, user research, campaign management or project management. All of these courses are highly relevant in marketing and enhance the interpretation of what your skillset as a DMI student or graduate consists of. In that case, any person even without prior knowledge in design will gain a clear understanding of your qualifications by knowing what courses you successfully completed. This is why I propose to introduce the individual courses that are part of the DMI program during a job interview.

Emphasize your design background/experience

The DMI Bachelor’s degree program is open to students from almost any background, whether in management or design. Regardless of the individual experiences, any student will be taught a basic design understanding throughout the program. From my very own experience, I can tell how much appreciated such a design understanding is. After the first year of DMI, when I was in the position of a “creative marketing intern” at a beauty company in Singapore, my supervisor was impressed by the way I was able to collaborate with the inhouse designers as I understood their daily business. I knew how to use the Adobe programs and was able to work with the graphic designers instead of just giving them a brief to implement. Also, the way I created design briefs for marketing campaigns set me apart from other interns who came from a solely business background. Trust me, you are not even aware of how much you know about design (from a technical perspective) until you work with business graduates. Consequently, I am convinced that in any role, having a basic understanding of design is of great value to any organization – and definitely something you should mention during a job interview.

The best of both worlds

The most basic explanation of design management that you could possibly share at a job interview is describing that it is the “best of both worlds” – meaning that you were taught design skills as well as business and management skills. In other words, you know how to solve business matters in a more creative and human-centred way. I am aware that design management is a lot more than just the mixture of “design” and “management” but it might be one of the most effective means to make it feasible to people who have not been introduced to the topic before. For instance, you could explain to your interviewer that you know how to set up a financial plan for a business, and at the same time, you know how to develop the service that is part of generating the revenue of that business. For this reason, depending on your interview partner, I suggest describing the value of design management as bringing in both a design as well as a management perspective into the team, the organization or the tasks you will be faced with.

Soft skills, soft skills, soft skills!

Soft skills are people’s abilities to communicate with each other and work well together (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). The Forbes Magazine shared that soft skills training boosts productivity and retention 12 per cent and delivers a 250 per cent return on investment as a result. Also, Deloitte’s 2016 Global Human Capital Trends report states that executives identify these skills as crucial to fostering employee retention, improving leadership, and building a meaningful culture. Even 92 per cent of all respondents rated soft skills as an essential priority (Bruce, 2017). Long story short: companies out there know how integral soft skills are. And the DMI undergraduate program provides you with such. At the core of design management lies creativity and effective problem solving, two of the most valued soft skills. Besides, DMI students learn to work in teams and collaborate with various stakeholders – another soft skill recognised as essential. Equally important are communication skills, which are also taught along with the Bachelor’s program. And last but not least: Adaptability. Design management encourages you to be curious and to navigate confidently through uncertainty. This teaches you to adapt quickly to various scenarios. As a result, I strongly recommend explaining the value of design management in a job interview by pointing out how the program develops its students’ soft skills.

Conclusion

You as a DMI student or graduate have now read about various suggestions of how to explain design management in a job interview. I invite you to use these ideas and truly “sell” your value, tailor your answer to the organization, describe the courses of the program, emphasize your design background, outline the mixture between design and management, and highlight your soft skills such as effective problem solving or creativity. Still, I understand that regardless of your individual circumstances, you might appreciate a short, concise and “universally applicable” answer that you can keep in mind for your next job interview. The companies Amazon, Wolff Olins and Vodafone all asked me at least one question around what skills the Bachelor’s program equipped me with. And I propose the following exemplary answer:

“The DMI Bachelor’s program taught me a fundamental mindset that enables me to approach business matters with creative and human-centred strategies. Design management enlightened my understanding of design and my eye for aesthetics while considering underlying business aspects. The program consists of courses such as marketing, user research, communication design, creative problem solving or organisational behaviour. These inputs along with various real-life projects in teams strengthened my soft skills as the success of all of our projects heavily relies on effective collaboration in teams. Design management has enhanced my communication skills, spurred my curiosity, and further built on my problem-solving skills.”

So, what else are you waiting for? Send out your applications for internships or graduate jobs! And feel confident to explain design management in a job interview by keeping this article always close at hand.

Sources:

What is Design Management? (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.dmi.org/page/What_is_Design_Manag

SOFT SKILLS: meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/soft-skills

Bruce, J. (2017, March 10). Why Soft Skills Matter And The Top 3 You Need. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/janbruce/2017/03/10/why-soft-skills-matter-and-the-top-3-you-need/#3631a11a76f3