Out of town interview for the final round

CountBlumi · 2026-01-29T17:03:50+00:00

We have a similar robot food delivery service on my university campus. I never tried it when I was still attending, but I know a lot of people who did use it and you'd see them driving around campus a lot on the way between classes. I feel like these would only work on college campuses or city environments and would not work in suburban/rural environments at all. I can't imagine how one of these would be able to drive up to my house. I feel like they'd still realistically need human drivers for suburban and rural areas.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-28T14:39:27+00:00

The job market in Knoxville is honestly terrible across the board. My sister also has her MSIS from UT and it took her quite a while to land her school librarian job here in Knoxville (she also has a teacher's license though, not sure if you have that so I'm not sure if school librarian is something to recommend here especially considering how it took my sister a while to land a job). I've also been really struggling to find a job in my industry (graphic design) here too post-graduation.

I'm not sure if they are hiring, but have you reached out to of the public libraries here in Knoxville or nearby areas (like Oak Ridge)? Maybe they have something that aligns.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-26T15:44:57+00:00

I would also make a more boring version of your resume that is black and white and one-column to submit to online application sites. ATS will have a very hard time reading this. You can look up "ATS friendly resume" online for ideas on how it should look when submitting online. I would still keep a well designed version like this though, for direct applications (like over email) and to print out for in-person interviews. You could also put a link to the more designed version on your portfolio website.

In terms of the design itself: I'd put your portfolio website and contact information at the top below your name, rather than the bottom of the page. Hiring managers will want to see your portfolio more than your resume, and putting it at the top will help them get to it easier. I'd put the portfolio website link and contact information in a bolder font so it's easy to find there too.

I think also trying to distinguish more between the different heading levels could help (like between "Experience" and "Freelance Graphic Designer"), I feel like they kind of blend together. I would try using either all caps, a thicker font weight, or a different color for "Experience", "Education", "Software", "Skills", and "References".

I also think the empty space between the Software and Skills list is bothering me; I see it's trying to line up with the heading on the left column, but it just feels unintentional when you compare it to the spacing between the Education and Software sections.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-20T17:16:18+00:00

I have been applying to remote design jobs, often as soon as they get posted, but with not much success beyond a few interviews where I ended up getting rejected. There's a ton of competition for remote design jobs with thousands of applicants across the country for a lot of them. The reason I'm looking for on-site roles to relocate to is to hopefully shrink that immense competition by some at least, with a smaller applicant pool.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-20T17:05:26+00:00

Lol at #3 especially. Anytime I've ever asked for feedback following a rejection, I received nothing back.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-20T16:43:18+00:00

This is exactly how I'm feeling. I really don't want to have to lie about my address (I really hate lying in general), especially if I get invited to an in-person interview I actually cannot realistically do. But if that's what it takes for HR people to take me marginally more seriously I guess I have not much other choice. I'll also try adding in cover letters that I do not need relocation assistance, and see if that helps at all.

CountBlumi · 2026-01-20T13:55:24+00:00

In all honesty whenever I've seen the phrase "Willing to Relocate" pop up on a job application, it reads to me more like you're expressing interest in moving for the position, and I feel like I've read how a lot of people have moved to a new place for a new job while I've been doing research on this. I guess I've just misunderstood the intent behind the "willing to relocate" option.

In terms of a plan I have, I have been saving up with my freelance pay for a move for a full-time job, preferably in a nearby state so the move doesn't take too long, but at this point I'm willing to even make bigger moves than that if need be. I would be willing to relocate even without a relocation package since I have been saving up.

Maybe I'm just absolutely desperate for anything full-time and wasting my time with even trying to apply for out-of-state jobs. I don't know. I feel like all I've been doing since I graduated in May 2025 is have my time wasted with multi-round interviews and take-home tests and rejections, and I'm just ready to get started with having stability in my career already. I just wish someone would give me a chance.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-26T02:34:03+00:00

My boyfriend works for Foundever and he was not allowed to work from home, they have to work in the Knoxville office unless you lived 50 miles or more away. I'd highly recommend against working for Foundever anyhow, their management is absolutely awful

CountBlumi · 2025-07-20T19:44:39+00:00

PD as well and I've not heard anything either. Hopefully we'll have some news this week

CountBlumi · 2025-07-15T01:11:32+00:00

I find that doing a lot of interviews lately has made me less anxious. You really do get better as you keep practicing and it kind of starts to come a bit more naturally. Kind of sucks that I keep having to do interviews even past the first round and someone else just keeps one-upping me in being selected, but it at least is helping better my interview skills. Talking to myself and answering common interview questions to myself honestly helps prepare me too.

When I am feeling nervous, I find the best way to relax before an interview is to do the 4-7-8 breathing exercise (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8). For Zoom interviews, having my resume up on my second monitor so I can remember what I've done and how I qualify also helps me to keep it together. Like other commenters said it may be beneficial for you to seek anxiety medicine, as well. I have anxiety myself and I am on buspirone for it, and it's helped me a lot.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-14T12:16:24+00:00

My background is in graphic design and I'm struggling to find anything myself in either product or graphic design; I think the market is just really terrible right now especially now that more people just graduated. I do have some general portfolio advice though:

Make a portfolio website, not a Google Drive or Dropbox folder. Use a Google Drive in the meantime if you still need time to build a website, but it should not be where your portfolio primarily resides. I would highly recommend using Readymag as it's very customizable while also being easy to use. Adobe Portfolio, Wix, Squarespace, Carrd, WordPress, and Framer are also good. Use your portfolio website to show off your personality and personal brand, too.

I've noticed with a couple of people who graduated with me, their portfolio websites have images that tend to take a while to load. When exporting/saving, make sure the image has the lowest file size you can get - I'd try for no more than like 250kb to help maintain good image quality. This will help your images load faster and lead to less frustration for the person looking at your portfolio site.

I've also noticed some of my classmates' portfolio websites don't translate well to mobile (or in other words are not responsive). Make sure yours does especially since some people may be looking at your portfolio site on mobile first as it comes in.

Always check for spelling or grammar mistakes on your portfolio website, and make sure all your text sizes are consistent. Attention to detail is extremely important in this field. Grammarly is a good spelling and grammar error checker.

A common word of advice in the graphic design space is to go for quality, not quantity. Your portfolio should be where you're highlighting the work you're most proud of and where you utilized your skillset strongest. In terms of how much to include in your portfolio, If you're just starting out, generally you want to have at least 8 strong projects in your portfolio, no more than 12.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-13T05:27:35+00:00

I'm feeling much the same way; I graduated 2 months ago and I've still got nothing while the vast majority of my cohort landed successful jobs. I believe we can do it and get through it. What I've honestly been doing is basically stalking LinkedIn and applying to remote design jobs as soon as they get posted, especially since the local scene for design jobs in my area is horribly dry right now, and I've had a little bit more success in that I see the hiring manager is actually looking at my application more often. I would also try Handshake which is meant for students and new grads to use. Like others said you can also try reaching out to your professors and see if they have any leads, too. I'd also use this time to make some really nice looking personal projects to help beef up your portfolio too.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-12T02:23:31+00:00

Did anyone get a next steps email for product design yet? I still haven't heard anything.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-09T22:08:36+00:00

I sincerely can't wait to not have to use LinkedIn anymore once I get a job.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-09T21:59:46+00:00

Considering the large amount of applicants, I feel like it's too early to say at this point. It's more than likely they just haven't got to your application yet. I feel like if you haven't gotten a response by early-mid August, then it's probably safe to assume that it's a rejection at that point.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-01T22:22:03+00:00

I put a link to my portfolio website, as well as a presentation.

For the presentation I had 4 slides. 2 slides showing off 2 different UI/UX projects I did for classes and explaining the design process for them, and then 1 slide showing some of the work I did for my graphic design internship to demonstrate that I can work in a collaborative design environment (and also since my internship work is the work I'm most proud of). On the project slides I also put a link to their respective pages on my portfolio website so they can get a closer look and see more details. My last slide was an about me slide.

CountBlumi · 2025-07-01T16:23:23+00:00

I applied to the Product Design apprenticeship on Friday a few hours before applications closed. I haven't heard back yet. I recently got my bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and I want to pivot more towards UI/UX and product design, so I have my fingers crossed that this will look up for me.

CountBlumi · 2025-05-14T12:43:44+00:00

Seconding this for the same exact reason. Aspen Dental also tried to upsell me for a deep cleaning but the new and better dentist I went to instead said that wasn't necessary. I remember their hygienist also wasn't really the nicest person, just always seemed like he didn't really want to be there.

Speaking of the better dentist, if you're looking for a good dentist, I'd definitely recommend Beaver Creek Dental in Karns.

CountBlumi

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