At the time of my interview, I did not have experience in a software application - Adobe inDesign - I have since downloaded a free trial version and have also found several video tutorials to help me learn how to make a newsletter, brochure, etc.
I was advised that the next round of the interview process would consist of the top 2 or 3 candidates producing a couple of documents - a spreadsheet, a brochure, etc.
I’m not sure if I will make that next round because I didn’t know the InDesign package.
Now that I have access to it, would it be pushy of me to contact the interviewers and advise them that I am working on my own to learn the basics of the software, in case I make it to the next level? Or would that be showing initiative? I know they liked me in my interview and that I did well on other aspects of the process … and I REALLY want this job.
Pushy or appropriate? More advice please! Thank you!
IMHO, you will or you won’t be one of the top candidates who they will contact, based on the information they already have. I’m thinking that they know enough from how you have represented yourself to know if they will keep you in the running.
Should you be asked for a sample as one of those people, this a place to slide in the fact that you have done self-study to get the InDesign piece done, and further training will only make it better.
If you haven’t already sent your thank-you note, that could be a place to say you are looking forward to the next round and are doing self-study, but I wouldn’t make a separate communication just to let them know about it.
ETA: Oops, is Canada one of the places where thank-you notes are seen as weird and would knock you out of the running?! I think the Aussie Dopers have said they feel that way…
You could mention it briefly in a thank you note. If you’ve already sent a thank you note for the interview, I wouldn’t contact them a second time.
If they decide to hire you, it will be seen as showing initiative. If they decide not to hire you, it will be seen as pushy. If there are multiple decision makers, they will split along these lines. That’s just human nature.
I don’t think it’s tacky at all, and I’ve both sent and received thank-you e-mails for jobs. For some companies, it might be the thing which gets you to the next interview. Besides, they’re an easy way to elaborate on things you said or wished you’d said during the interview and for you, it would be an easy, natural way to bring up the fact that you’ve been studying InDesign. Send it to the person whose e-mail address you have and tell her you’d like to thank her and the other person who interviewed you, using the other person’s name, of course.
As Harriet said, if they want to hire you, it’ll be showing initiative and if the don’t, it’ll be pushy. But, if they don’t want to hire you, who gives a damn if it’s pushy or not. So, I think it might be a good idea to covertly let them know you’ve been studying. What I would do is think of a way to let them know without sounding like you’re bragging about how hard you’ve been working to gain their affection (I’m not saying you’re doing this, but that’s the way it may come off to them). Maybe you can ask the person you interviewed with if it would be possible to speak to the manager of the printing department. When asked why, tell her you’ve been studying Adobe InDesign since the interview and you want to make sure you’re picking up good habits that will benefit the company if hired.
For example, you’d like to know what size margins are required on business cards / brochures, how far off the edge of the page you need to take bleeds, whether their materials are printed in spot colors on a press or output digitally on a copier/printer. That way you’re showing initiative and a desire to learn and improve. If she gets you in contact with the print manager, really do ask these questions. I’ve worked at a printshop for 5 years and I couldn’t tell you how many times a college educated graphic designer thought I was yanking their chain when I told them that they’d have to extend the background past the outside of the piece if they needed a bleed. They just couldn’t get it through their thick skulls that a copier prints up to 1/16" of an inch off and the cutter cuts up to a 1/16" of an inch off, so they’d better know what a bleed was if they didn’t want slivers of white up to an 1/8" on their cards.
Haha, sorry I’m rambling now - this isn’t about me Basically, just give them a call and tell them you’ve been working with InDesign but you’ve got some questions about their specific needs.
It’s perfectly acceptable, even common (at least in the US) to send thank you notes through email. And it’s your chance to reiterate some of your better qualities and briefly mention anything you forgot.
"I would like to thank you for the time spent interviewing me on March 20th. I am confident that with my skills and abilities I would be a great match for this position. Since our meeting, I have been studying Adobe InDesign and Visio to strengthen my skill set. I hope to hear from you soon.
Add a few more lines but don’t go over a paragraph or get too technical. Basically, establish interest and desire for the job, show confidence that you can do the job, and that your showing initiative by training yourself in a few key elements of the position.
