Mastering Interview Do's and Don'ts for Career Success
So you've been invited to attend an interview! First things first - take a breath. The process is a lot less terrifying than it might feel, and a bit of preparation goes a very long way. Here's everything you need to know from the moment you get that email to the moment you send your thank-you note.
Before You Even Book In
You'll probably be given a few time slot options to choose from. If you can, pick the time that works best for you - when you're most alert, most settled, and least likely to be rushing from something else. If you're in a different time zone from the studio, make sure you're clear on whose time zone the slot is in before you confirm.
If you're currently employed and need to step away for the interview, don't march up to your manager and announce you're interviewing elsewhere. Most workplaces will accommodate a personal appointment with a bit of notice, and depending on the time zone difference, you may be able to schedule something outside your regular working hours anyway.
When you reply to confirm, check that the time zone is clearly stated in the email. If it isn't, ask. It's a perfectly reasonable question. And if the recruiter hasn't told you who you'll be speaking to, feel free to ask that too - knowing who's on the call gives you the chance to research them ahead of time.
Interview Prep
First Things First
Once you've confirmed your slot, start preparing in earnest. The single biggest thing you can do is research the studio. Every time a student tells me they've had an interview, the first thing I ask is what questions they were asked - and the most common gap is studio knowledge.
Know their projects. Know their recent work. Know why you want to work there specifically. This isn't just about impressing the interviewer; it genuinely helps calm your nerves because you walk in (or log on) feeling like you already know the place a little.
Practice answering questions out loud. In the mirror, with a friend, or in a mock interview. The difference between thinking through an answer in your head and actually saying it out loud is bigger than most people expect.
Ahead of the Interview
Let your housemates, family or friends know you have an interview so you're not disturbed mid-call. Close doors and windows. Silence your phone and devices.
Have the following tabs open and ready before the call starts:
Your resume
Your demo reel
Your online portfolio
The company website
Having these ready means you can reference them naturally rather than frantically searching while someone is waiting on the other end.
Test your internet connection, mic, camera, and headphones or speakers ahead of time. Don't leave this until five minutes before. If something isn't working, you want time to fix it.
Have a pen and notepad next to you - not a virtual one, a physical one. Organic thoughts and questions come up mid-conversation, and it's much less disruptive to jot a word or two than to type.
Your Setup
Your environment matters. Aim for a space that's free of clutter, noise, and interruptions where possible. Interviewers generally have a pretty good tolerance for the odd cat wandering across the desk - but that's for your benefit as much as theirs. Distractions knock your focus and your confidence, so minimise them where you can.
Prepare Emotionally
Get a good night's sleep. This sounds obvious, but it's worth saying: you want to be as physically and mentally ready as possible. Some people find a short meditation helpful before an interview. Even just a few minutes of quiet can settle nerves.
Remind yourself that an interview is a conversation, not a test. The interviewer wants to find out about you. That's it. Go in with that mindset, and the whole thing feels very different.
In the Hot Seat: What to Expect
Taking the Interview
My general advice is to take the interview, even if you're not entirely sure about the role. You haven't signed anything. You're not committing to anything by having a conversation. It's a chance to find out more about the studio, the team, and whether it's actually somewhere you'd want to be. It's also just good practice - the more interviews you do, the more comfortable you get.
The one caveat: if you genuinely know it's a role you have no interest in, be mindful of other people's time.
How a Typical Interview is Structured
For a 30-minute interview, expect roughly this breakdown:
The first 5 minutes will be introductions and a brief overview of the role. The final 5 minutes are usually set aside for your questions. That leaves around 20 minutes for the main questions.
If the interviewer has 3-5 questions, that gives you roughly 4-6 minutes per question. Try to keep your answers to 2-3 minutes. Be thorough, but don't ramble. If the interview starts running over, show some awareness and ask if they have the extra time - don't just barrel through.
First Interviews
First interviews are typically about availability and cultural fit. They're not usually a deep dive into your technical skills. The interviewer will tell you a little about the company and the role. Think of it as a getting-to-know-you conversation.
Top tip: ask them what it's like to work there. You're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you.
Second Interviews
If there's a second interview, you'll likely be joined by the hiring manager for the department, possibly a lead artist, a member of production, and an HR rep. This is where things get a bit more specific and detailed.
Top tip: use the opportunity to ask about day-to-day life at the studio, what people find most enjoyable about their roles, and what the team culture is actually like. This is what will help you work out whether this is genuinely somewhere you want to be.
Questions You Can Expect
Whilst I'd love to give you a definitive list of questions you can expect, every interviewer, studio and role is different, and will value some skills over others depending on the nature of the hiring need. However, you can be sure of being asked:
Tell me about yourself (they're not looking for your life story - use this to highlight the best bits of your resume and what you've been working on)
Why are you interested in working with us?
What do you know about our work?
Tell me about your demo reel or portfolio
If you were to tackle a piece of work again, what would you do differently? (This is testing your critical thinking - don't say "nothing". Talk about what you learned.)
Questions about your technical and creative skills
Hint! Use the job description to give you a clue about interview questions
If a question stumps you, it's perfectly fine to say, "Do you mind if we come back to that one?" Just make sure you actually do come back to it.
Write things down as you go. Ask for clarification if you need it. Don't exaggerate or overstate your skills - you'll be found out quickly, and it puts you in a very awkward position.
When it comes to questions from you, have some prepared. Use the job description and the studio's website for inspiration. And don't bring up salary or compensation unless they raise it first.
Answering Questions Well: The STAR Method
When you're asked behavioural questions (tell me about a time when...), the STAR method is a useful framework:
Situation - Set the scene and give the necessary context. Task - Describe what your responsibility was in that situation. Action - Explain what steps you took to address it. Result - Share what the outcome was.
This keeps your answers focused and ensures you're actually answering the question rather than going off on a tangent.
Interview Etiquette
The industry is casual, but that doesn't mean anything goes. Here's what actually matters:
Be polite to everyone you encounter, not just the person interviewing you. recruiters, coordinators, anyone who's part of the process.
Listen actively. Maintain eye contact where you can (on screen, try not to stare down the lens!). Don't talk over people.
Sit up straight. Try not to fiddle. Keep your phone out of sight.
Give proper answers - avoid one-word responses. But equally, don't waffle. Aim for substance without rambling.
Don't be overly familiar. Avoid informal nicknames and heavy use of slang or colloquialisms, particularly if the person you're speaking with has a different cultural background. If in doubt, follow the interviewer's lead.
Don't be afraid to ask someone to repeat a question. It's far better than guessing or answering the wrong thing.
What to Wear
This is a casual industry. You don't need a suit and tie, but you do want to look like you made an effort. A presentable outfit and decent shoes are the general rule. Avoid t-shirts, hoodies and ripped jeans. Smart casual is a safe bet.
Salary Expectations
Salary can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Here are a few things worth knowing:
You don't have to answer a salary question on the spot. It's completely acceptable to say you'd like to think about it and follow up.
Before any interview, do your research. Look up typical salary ranges for the role and location - Glassdoor is a reasonable starting point, though bear in mind the information isn't always verified or current. Work backwards from your actual living costs: rent, bills, food, transport, and anything else you need to cover. If the maths works at a given salary, that informs what you need to ask for.
For junior roles, the salary is usually a set range and is determined by the hiring manager rather than the candidate. However, if you are asked, you can turn it around: "What's the salary range for this role?" If you do state a number, say it clearly and don't over-explain yourself. Confidence without lengthy justification tends to land better.
Don't undercut yourself. Know your worth.
Beyond the base number, remember that you can negotiate other things: holiday and PTO allowance, RRSP or retirement matching, waiving the wait period for benefits, relocation or moving costs, a signing bonus, your start date, and remote or flexible working arrangements.
Thank You and Goodbyes
How you close the interview matters. Keep it brief, warm and professional - think of it a bit like the closing paragraph of a cover letter. Thank them for their time and consideration.
Send a thank-you email after the interview. Sony Imageworks Senior Recruiter Rosie Galvin has said that candidates who send thank-you emails often stand out. It takes two minutes and leaves an impression that very few people bother to make.
After the Interview
What Happens Next
Once the interview is over, send that thank-you email. If the interviewer asked you to follow up with anything - a link, a file, additional information - do it promptly.
Hiring cycles take time. If you haven't heard anything after a week, it's reasonable to follow up and ask for an update on your application status. Keep it short and professional.
Take a moment to reflect while the interview is still fresh. What went well? What felt shaky? Were there questions that caught you off guard? This kind of honest self-assessment is how you get better, and it's worth doing after every interview, regardless of the outcome.
If You Didn't Get the Job
It's okay to be disappointed. Take a moment to feel that and then regroup.
There are so many reasons someone doesn't get a role that have nothing to do with their ability. Team fit, budget changes, another candidate who happened to have a very specific piece of experience - any number of things outside your control. It isn't always a reflection on you.
If it keeps happening, that's when it's worth taking an honest look at your application materials and your interview performance. Ask a friend or trusted contact to review your resume and cover letter. Try a mock interview. Reach out to industry contacts on LinkedIn and ask for feedback on your reel - politely, and only if you're genuinely ready to hear what they have to say.
There's a good chance your first interview won't be perfect. That's okay. Learn from it and keep going.
A Quick Recap: Interview Checklist
Before your interview, make sure you've covered the following:
Internet connection, camera, mic, and headphones tested
Questions prepared
Links to your work, demo reel, and resume open and ready
Pen and notepad to hand
Housemates or family alerted
Devices silenced
Company research done and refreshed
Time zone confirmed
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