Hiring usability specialists is much easier when you explicitly define the usability job you want completed. For example, if you want an expert interface design to improve your revenue and usability at your computer software website, you may not want a usability professional with high level experience with retail clothing site expertise.

By specifically and explicitly defining the result you desire, you should attract the professionals that employ user Interface Design principles that directly relate to your company and project purpose. Interviewing professionals who know exactly what you want to achieve eliminates explanation time and general questions and answers at interviews.

This approach maximizes interview time concentrated on specific goal achievement and the candidates’ ability to do the job you want. Small talk and generalizations should be unnecessary. Your valuable time at interviews will be allocated to targeted questions and answers relating to the job at hand to determine the best usability consultant that can help you reach your objectives. Is that not the most important consideration for you?

The time you spend fully describing the job you want done delivers another benefit to you. Forced to define the exact result you want, you improve your focus and understanding of the usability job you need completed. You’ll save time, money, and aggravation by hiring usability specialists that are harmonious with your wishes.

• "Do you have any full-time openings for _____?" This indicates that you're not enthusiastic about the freelance job being offered.
• "I want … I'm looking for …" Focus instead on the organization's needs. "I can offer … I'd like to help you with …"
• "My old boss was such a…." Bad-mouthing past supervisors or colleagues can feel great, but the person sitting across from you may be imagining you saying the same words about him or her. Try to spin negative experiences into positives, talk about what you learned and how it relates to the skills you can now contribute. — "Goodbye" can be a mistake — if you say it without asking for the job first. Don't wait for them to offer it to you. If you want to do the work, say so.
• "Hello?" — if you're talking into your cell phone. Turn the phone onto "silent" before you go into the interview. If you forget and it rings, don't compound the error by taking the call and wasting the interviewer's time.

Sure, you've gone on a job interview before. But if you're just moving into freelancing after some time in the same job, or if you find that you're not getting jobs for which you interview, it may be time for a refresher. — Do your homework. Check out the organization's website and poke around, especially in the "About Us" section. You'll find out the names of key players, current projects, recent successes, even what other jobs they're hiring for. If you're not familiar with recent developments in their field of operations, check out industry Web sites to give yourself an idea of what's going on in the markets in which they work. — Review the job description carefully. Tailor your elevator speech to match the organization's stated needs. Come up with experiences from your past to match those needs. — Only when you've got the content under control should you focus on the externals. Dress professionally, and if possible try to match the style of the organization. The company website's design may give you some idea of how they imagine themselves, and you may even see pictures of employees and check out how they're dressed. Obviously you should be neat and clean, including your hair, fingernails, and breath, but stay away from perfume or cologne. Keep distracting fashion items such as jewelry to a minimum. Your bag/briefcase and coat are part of your presentation and should be as professional as you can make them. — If you're going to an unfamiliar place, go there at least once before the day of the interview so you know how long it takes and can recognize the right building. And yes, allow extra time to get there.

When you interview with clients for potential graphic design jobs, bear in mind that you should be asking questions, not just answering them. Of course you want to sell the client on your fantastic skills. At the same time, though, you need to find out whether the job at hand carries a sufficient promise of reward for it to be worth your time.

Benefits of a job might include networking, portfolio-building, skill-building, or simply the chance to work on a fun project. The primary reward, though, is money, and it's important for you to establish yourself as a professional who expects and deserves to be paid.

Questions to ask include:

• What are the business goals of this project?
• How do they fit into your goals for the business as a whole?
• Who are the decision-makers on this project?
• What is the budget for this project?
• What is included in that budget?
• Does the budget include revisions?

Your network may also be a useful source of information about the prospective client, and you should also do a little basic web research on them. Use your intuition as well — if an organization doesn't seem legit to you, or if they seem to be making shifts to survive, take action to be sure you get paid, or seek another client.

When you're doing freelance work in your home office, you can wear anything you please. On an interview, though, you need to look sharp, up-to-date, and professional. As a freelancer you may spend less on work clothes than you would as a full-timer, but you may find you need to buy new interview outfits more frequently. That means a suit and tie for a man, a skirt and jacket or pantsuit for a woman. Keep jewelry classic and understated, use little or no perfume or aftershave, and trim your fingernails. A professional look extends to shoes, briefcases, purses and watches. Even the pen you pull out of your pocket is a chance to create an impression.

In most business settings, tattoos and non-ear piercings are still not consistent with a professional appearance. While your body art may not hurt your chances at a job, particularly at a progressive, design-oriented shop, it probably won't help either. Minimize or hide the decorations.

Beyond your personal appearance, your professional look should be reflected in your business cards, resume, portfolio, and website. Use the opportunity to prove you can make a business (your own) look great.