Be sure and read part 1 and part 2 for some background on this role. This entry dives into the interviewing process and logistics (how I found candidates), as well as what I learned from the hiring process. Future entries will deal with the progress of the program and expanding it beyond a single designer.
<aside> 🧾 Part 3 is definitely the meat of series, so I've bookmarked different sections via a Table of Contents (below). In this entry, you'll find a lot of practical insight into my process for selecting an apprentice (the how and the what) as well as my general approach to program as a whole (the why).
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When I first started considering what the apprenticeship program would look like, I had no idea what kind of interest I would generate. I hoped for a diverse, multi-talented pool to choose from, and that was just about my only wish.
Since this was a job format I had personally been interested in, my ideal candidate was someone similar to me:
By being specific and trying to nail down the qualities — both in terms of skillset and situation —of a model applicant, I was pleased to find that most of the emails I received were grateful. Several candidates mentioned it was the first time they'd ever considered (or even heard of) an apprenticeship opportunity. I was interested in quality over quantity and I'd like to think my description helped me with that.
If you're interested in the original post, I've recently unarchived it:
The Hideout Apprenticeship Program
<aside> 📌 I tried to be extremely straightforward in the job description, and received a lot of compliments for how thorough it was. In fact, more than one candidate didn't have any questions (usually a no-no), citing how detailed the post was about expectations and qualifications. I guess my description was too good. 😉
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Within 72 hours of posting about the program on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Dribbble, I received fifteen applications. Some were mid-level designers struggling to navigate their in-house jobs. Some were recent design school grads who wanted more mentorship after leaving college. I really appreciated the range of skill level and experience.
The most encouraging applicants (sorry, is my bias showing?) were the parents who were committed to full-time jobs, but recognized the opportunity to level up their skills without sacrificing a paycheck or time away from their family. I knew these candidates would likely get the most out of the program.
<aside> 👪 I'm hoping the program continues to evolve and become more all-encompassing as I gain experience contracting/mentoring, but I was so happy to see how the post resonated with parents. I won't say parents are "more deserving" of a role like this, but I definitely recognize that there are fewer opportunities for someone with kids than, for example, a recent college graduate without children.
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By the time the deadline came around, I had received more than 30 applications. I'm nervous to divulge too much information about the applicants themselves, but I set an arbitrary goal of 30 entries and I'm very proud to have exceeded that total.
Most of the candidates came across the post via my social media accounts — specifically Twitter and Instagram. A few found it via retweet or through Instagram Stories shared by other people. There were a couple entries because of my Dribbble post. To my knowledge, nobody applied because of LinkedIn. I'm glad I didn't advertise anywhere else, for two reasons: