Cheat Sheet, a regular series, is your detailed guide to getting hired at some of the most competitive companies in the world. This week, sportswear giant Adidas needs a designer with verve (and a passport) to keep its brand attuned to the latest street fashion.
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First Round:
50-75 candidates
A review of the applicant’s portfolio by the hiring manager and design recruiting team. Recruiters work from a shortlist assembled, in part, by scouting their networks—but you can apply cold. “Everyone is reachable these days; you wouldn’t be harming your chances by getting in touch with us first.”
Second Round:
20-25 candidates
A conversation with the design recruiting team, and possibly a second one with the hiring manager, to learn about the candidate’s background. The candidate is judged on the “three C’s” that Adidas values: creativity, confidence, and collaboration.
Third Round:
5-7 candidates
An in-person interview and portfolio review with the design leadership team at one of the company’s design studios or offices around the world. Candidates are given a challenge—for example: Create a design for an urban running sneaker—and asked to present a design concept with about an hour to prepare. “We want to hear this person’s creative vision. What colors would be trending? What are the key markets? What prints or functions of the sneaker are telling the story of the brand?”
The Score:
All of the interviewers discuss how well each candidate perceived the Adidas brand, and put the most weight on the presentation.
Do be tuned in to popular culture. “Successful campaigns involved artists like Pharrell and Kanye West, in addition to elite athletes James Harden and Lionel Messi. We want someone who can identify how to harness the power of collaborations like this.”
Do flaunt your underground experience. “The landscape of street style is so competitive that a fresh outlook from underground brands would be quite appealing.”
Don’t try to be someone you’re not. “Our designers don’t fit one cookie-cutter background. We want people who see the world uniquely and have an uncanny ability to pull concepts from unusual places.”
Don’t overlook Adidas’s history. “The heritage of our business is important, and this person needs to be comfortable deconstructing our brand and building it back up.”
Don’t be afraid to think abstractly. “Our designers can take a tiny component of a silhouette or a treatment of stripes and make it the direction of a product that speaks to the future of fashion.”
