DESIGN CAREERS

5 Reasons You’re Not Getting Hired as a Designer

It’s Not Them; It’s You — You’re Not Ready.

Photo by Alice Achterhof on Unsplash

I often get approached by designers that are looking for help in finding their next or first role. More often than not, after taking a look at their portfolios and having an introduction call, it’s clear to me why they aren’t getting call-backs or offers. They’re not ready.

In this article, I cover what designers should avoid and tips on how to overcome a lack of experience and preparedness for today’s design interview process. I focus mainly on product design, but most of what I write about is universal. I also want to note that I don’t bring up discrimination in this article, although I do fully understand the role bias and discrimination plays in the hiring process. The stories and scenarios I use come from real conversations I’ve had (and cleared) with my mentees and peers.

It’s not them — it’s you, but relax.

No matter which way you boil down all your rejections, you’re the common denominator in the equation. Cultural fit — you. Experience — you. Salary expectations — you. You get the theme here. I’m not here to make our industry sound like it’s all rainbows, unicorns, and cotton candy. Design is one of the most brutal fields of work in the business world today. Design is subjective, undervalued, misunderstood, often positioned incorrectly, and even overlooked. The industry is wrought with ego and envy. However, it’s also a fantastic career if you’re up to the challenge.

So, what do I mean by “it’s you, not them”? Well, if you couldn’t tell by the subtitle of this article, I believe that designers too often blame businesses for their rejections rather than take ownership of the failure. I’ve spoken with a lot of struggling designers within the last few years, and they all have one thing in common — no clue what they’re doing wrong. What’s worse, they don’t know it’s up to them to figure it out.

Instead of taking a moment to get introspective, they throw their arms up in frustration and never make adjustments. Look, I know what it’s like to face rejection as a candidate. I’ve been turned down for many jobs, including several where the hiring manager told me I was a shoo-in for the role. It took me many years to perfect the way I pitched myself to potential employers and clients. So, consider this a gift to the next generation of designers. Here are a few tips for those of you not looking to spend years trying to figure everything out on your own.

1. You Don’t Represent Yourself Well

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been designing for years, this is one of the first things on which you should focus. Building a personal brand with a clear purpose, target audience, and a clear process is what will separate you from your peers. There are thousands of people who call themselves designers vying for similar roles — what makes you different? As a hiring manager, I guard the culture of the team I lead with vigilance. I have no qualms about firing poor cultural or company fits, and they’re better off somewhere else. So do us both a favor and bring your A-Game when applying. Good gatekeepers will do their research before passing your name on to a hiring manager. Bad gatekeepers do the same thing but won’t understand all the nuance in your portfolio, LinkedIn, and resume — which means they’re not passing you on.

Let’s assume you’ve got nothing but terrible gatekeepers looking at your brand presence. How would you fair today with the following?

A. Clarity and Parity

Do you call yourself a “product designer” in two places but a “UX designer” everywhere else? Do you think they’re the same thing? Are you a “forward-thinking-team-player” on LinkedIn, but only have a bunch of solo projects in your portfolio? Clarity and Parity is a 6XP concept that centers around a straightforward idea: you should be telling the same clear and concise story throughout your online presence and while interviewing. It should become something natural as you perfect your story and personal pitch. I shouldn’t, as a manager, see a disconnect in the way you manage your online presence and how you present yourself in person. When I see a lack of parity, I assume you’re too lazy to manage everything, or you don’t have a systems mindset.

B. Resume

This tip might get me some emails, but stop sending out your “designer” resume. It doesn’t matter that you’ve spent hours on a resume if it means the manager has to guess what a 70% in Wordpress means. Even then, spending hours on a resume can be a red flag as well. You know precisely the type of resume I’m describing. It’s got gradients, graphical elements, and it’s lost my attention for wasting my time. When you’re applying, your resume is essential, but you need to remember that there is a technology barrier when submitting. If you’re not sending your resume in a format most HR systems can recognize, you’re just wasting your time. You can show me you care about typography and layout by doing an incredible job with your resume without all the accouterments. Whether other hiring managers will admit it or not, we subjectively and objectively judge every piece a design candidate has touched. Take one piece of work off the table and deliver a more traditional resume. Doing so will also help gatekeepers when trying to figure out if you’re a qualified lead or a bin lead.

C. Online Portfolio

Now is not the time to experiment or show off some HTML+CSS skills unless you’re putting together something spectacular. Do yourself a favor, keep your portfolio site simple. I should know who you are and what you do immediately upon going to your site. Please show me some of your personality in an about section, or in the way you present your work. If you have lots of work, don’t show every single piece, they’re not all “bangers,” and you know it. Stick to showing your best and most recent work. If there’s work that’s more relevant to a particular role, you can share that detail as part of your cover letter and presentation. Your portfolio site should include the detailing of your process. You don’t need to show every single artifact, but be sure to take us through the journey. Be clear about your role in each phase and artifact of your process. If you only have concepts or schoolwork, make sure we know that they’re not live works, and be prepared to answer questions about the process.

D. Cover Letter

Send one. Period. Always. I don’t care how many hiring managers or HR folk talk about how they don’t get read. If the job listing doesn’t say to send a cover letter, you should still send one to stand out. Just remember to keep your cover letter concise, direct, and confident. You’re talking about the value you bring and why you’re a fit for them as much as they’re a fit for you. Express your interest in working at their company, but don’t get gushy — you don’t want to sound desperate if for no other reason but to make negotiating easier. There are a lot of excellent guides and information out there about what should be in a cover letter, so let those Googling fingers of yours do some walking.

E. The Follow Up

Follow up after your interviews, and thank them for their time and consideration. If you want the job, now is the time to reiterate how you fit based on specifics from your conversations. If you don’t feel like this is the place for you, show some maturity and let them know now. Do not ghost recruiters or employees reaching out during the interview process . I promise you that the business world is not big enough for you to be pretending like this is okay. Your ghosting will come back to haunt you.

2. You’re a Pixel Pusher

If you’ve read any of my previous works or you’ve worked with me on projects, you know how I feel about pixel pushers. A lesser-known secret? I’m not the only manager who wants to avoid this type of designer. Pixel pushers are designers (typically juniors) that can only perform prescribed tasks and don’t have any actual capacity for autonomy. It’s a derogatory term to be sure, but it doesn’t describe all junior designers. If you’re not looking to stay a pixel pusher your whole career, you need to be working on the skills and traits that separate a junior from a senior designer. I talk about this at length in another article, but I’ll touch briefly on some of the basics here.

Designers that curate experiences rather than push pixels look at solving design problems holistically. A curator looks outside of the request and uncovers additional restraints, states, and potential roadblocks. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to get the best possible outcomes and understand that each component is a part of a more extensive design system. Curators understand the impact well-managed design systems have on improving the experience of a product. Unless given precise instructions, you should take feedback as a suggestion. Remember, you’re where you’re at because your manager believes you have what it takes to grow and be productive. We all started the same way and had to learn the same processes and concepts. It can seem daunting at times, but if you’re passionate about creating great products, the hard work is worth it.

3. Your Portfolio Presentation is Lacking

I have given hundreds of portfolio presentations and have been on the receiving end of hundreds more over the years. The portfolio presentation is where designers start to show their discipline maturity in the hiring process. Like many other things in this article, there are thousands of tips available around the web. However, I’m going to make a suggestion, and it’s going to run contradictory to what many others will tell you. My method for approaching portfolio reviews centers around taking the audience through the journey of a single product or project. I don’t ignore my overall experience, but I do want to present something I’m proud of rather than each piece in my portfolio. For starters, it’s challenging to get through an entire portfolio review in a single session, which leaves many questions on the table and limits your opportunity to control and lead the discussion.

This type of portfolio presentation allows you to focus on sharing more in-depth details about your process, your skills, and creative artifacts. Let your prospective audience (primarily the hiring manager or team lead) know that you have prepared a special presentation detailing your experience. Most teams are receptive to letting candidates kind of run the show here. Remember, presentation skills are something that design managers value, and it’s a skill that can set you apart from your peers. Below is the framework I use for my presentation deck.

A. Introduction

Always lead with a presentation about who you are. Then move into an overarching look at your experience and where you want to be as a designer. In this section, I share the logos of well-known past clients. While I don’t share every piece in my portfolio or this presentation, I want to make sure I provide the necessary social proof for my audience. Many companies fancy themselves as the “Apple of X” or the “Disney of Y” — showing them you’ve worked with their aspirational brands will help you. If you don’t have experience working with multiple brands, consider showing final pieces of your work as a filler.

B. Key Work

The next few pages are final artifacts for my top 5 projects or clients. The goal here is to show polished work because you’re going to answer questions about your process, tools, and all the fun stuff in a moment. If they want to take a more in-depth look at these projects, they can do so by looking at your portfolio site. Control the tempo of the presentation. Focus on sharing key metrics and successes for each of the products by creating short summaries for each experience.

C. The Case Study

Pick the project you are most passionate about, and hopefully, that translates into the project where you participated in the entire design process. The passion is necessary because it changes the way you present. When you’re passionate, you get excited about sharing, and you want your audience to feel those emotions. This section is where you show off your in-depth knowledge of the design process, product development lifecycle, navigating team dynamics, and general awesomeness. It sounds like a lot, but it’s easy to set up. I usually break up this portion of the presentation into specific segments for each part of my design process.

Frame the challenge: Briefly describe the product and your customers. Include the known issues, hypotheses, and business goals associated with the project. The goal here is to show them the “before” state of the product and help them understand the timeline and targets.

Briefly describe the product and your customers. Include the known issues, hypotheses, and business goals associated with the project. The goal here is to show them the “before” state of the product and help them understand the timeline and targets. Share a brief overview of your design philosophy: This is where I share a bit about my 6XP Framework in the presentation. Sharing your design philosophy sets up your creative choices and informs the audience that you’re not just throwing things at a wall hoping something will stick. If you don’t know what your design philosophy is, please take some time to develop your point-of-view. This is a significant step in showing your discipline maturity.

This is where I share a bit about my 6XP Framework in the presentation. Sharing your design philosophy sets up your creative choices and informs the audience that you’re not just throwing things at a wall hoping something will stick. If you don’t know what your design philosophy is, please take some time to develop your point-of-view. This is a significant step in showing your discipline maturity. Share a brief overview of your process: I typically share a standard design-thinking process flow chart. Be prepared to answer questions about the types of artifacts you might produce at each step of the process.

I typically share a standard design-thinking process flow chart. Be prepared to answer questions about the types of artifacts you might produce at each step of the process. Dive into each phase: For my presentation, this means five pages (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) where I share artifacts and stories from each step of the design-thinking process. When presenting, I talk about how I tie my design philosophy into each of these phases. Be clear about your involvement in each step. If you didn’t lead on something like testing, at least talk about how you worked with the team that did and how you supported the effort and incorporated the results.

For my presentation, this means five pages (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) where I share artifacts and stories from each step of the design-thinking process. When presenting, I talk about how I tie my design philosophy into each of these phases. Be clear about your involvement in each step. If you didn’t lead on something like testing, at least talk about how you worked with the team that did and how you supported the effort and incorporated the results. Share the outcome: Very simply, pick your top artifacts from the project and share them. The way you present the final artifacts matters, pay special attention to the layout, colors, and story you’re telling with your chosen artifacts. Consider using real device mockups or scenes when sharing a key interface.

Very simply, pick your top artifacts from the project and share them. The way you present the final artifacts matters, pay special attention to the layout, colors, and story you’re telling with your chosen artifacts. Consider using real device mockups or scenes when sharing a key interface. Brief retrospective: Share about 3 or 4 things that you would have done differently or would like to see be done moving forward for the product, team, or company. Focus on things that are measurable and culture-focused, but be careful not to speak negatively of co-workers or disparage the employer.

Share about 3 or 4 things that you would have done differently or would like to see be done moving forward for the product, team, or company. Focus on things that are measurable and culture-focused, but be careful not to speak negatively of co-workers or disparage the employer. Share your growth: This is your chance to share 3 or 4 professional or soft skills that you developed or honed as a direct result of your experience. When candidates do this, it shows me they can learn and show some humility in knowing there’s always a lesson to be had.

4. Wrong Person — Right or Wrong Seat

There’s a concept in the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) that centers around the idea of hiring the right person for the right seat. While that’s more about the culture of the company, there are components to “Right People — Right Seats” that apply to the particular reason you’re not getting hired. There’s a real chance you’re the wrong person, and it may be because the seat is wrong or because you’re not a culture fit. While you may never know precisely why a potential employer passed, if you understand this concept, you can make better choices about where you apply. Remember, it’s just as crucial that you find the right place for you from a culture and value perspective as it is to land the proper role.

Get it. Want it. Capacity to do it.

Using these three criteria is the way EOS looks at whether someone is in the “right seat” when making hiring decisions.

Get it: Do you “get it”? Do you understand the role and how it fits into the organization? It’s easy for managers to know whether or not you “get it” almost immediately. Don’t fake this — you will be found out.

Do you “get it”? Do you understand the role and how it fits into the organization? It’s easy for managers to know whether or not you “get it” almost immediately. Don’t fake this — you will be found out. Want it: Do you “want it”? We know you “want” a job, but do you want to be in the role as it’s defined? Can you thrive with a clearly defined role?

Do you “want it”? We know you “want” a job, but do you want to be in the role as it’s defined? Can you thrive with a clearly defined role? Capacity to do it: Can you perform the tasks required and create all the necessary artifacts of your role? If not, can you learn and expand your knowledge to grow your capacity?

A. Wrong Person — Right Seat

You check all the boxes for GWC, but you don’t share the core values of the company. There’s not a whole lot you can do here; there isn’t a perceived culture or value fit. If you genuinely believe there’s a fit for both role and culture, follow up after the interview letting them know specific reasons why you see a fit. It may not keep the door open, but it can help sway the company’s assessment of your culture-fit.

B. Wrong Person — Wrong Seat

You don’t check any boxes, and you don’t share the core values of the company. Frankly, if you landed an in-person interview and this ended up being the outcome, their gatekeepers need to do a better job, and you need to narrow your search criteria.

C. Right Person — Wrong Seat

You don’t check any boxes, but you match the company’s values and culture. This combination is always a hard one for the company. They spent some time wondering if they could get away with a “culture hire,” but ultimately any company adhering to EOS knows that’s a recipe for failure down the road. It would be unfair to you as a candidate to hire you for a role you’re not right for, and a waste of time and resources for the company.

D. The Sweet Spot

You can probably guess that the “sweet spot” is the Right Person — Right Seat. This combination is the best-case scenario, and the least likely if you’re reading this because you’re struggling to find work.

5. A Hard Truth: You’re Not Ready

I wanted to end on this because it’s one of the more difficult reasons to deal with as an aspiring designer for not getting hired. We’ve all been at this stage in our career, most of us multiple times — it’s the nature of growing in discipline maturity. Accepting this as reality is what will help you grow. I’m going to choose my words carefully, but I’m not going to tiptoe around this section. I want to share some of the red flags managers see and how you can improve your chances.

A. You’re a Boot Camp Graduate

Yeah, I’m coming out swinging with this one. I understand that there are some great programs out there, I even mentor students of a few of the more popular programs, and they’re wonderful and talented people. I should make it clear right now that I only graduated high school — I know what it’s like to claw my way upward against peers that have degrees. I’ve lost out on opportunities to objectively less talented candidates because they had a degree that was valued more than my experience and talent (Wrong Person — Right Seat). There is a perception that exists with many design professionals that places boot camps at the bottom of the barrel. Don’t waste your energy defending your choice here or complaining the perception is unfair. You’ve got an uphill battle ahead, and while I applaud the effort it took to go through the courses, it doesn’t change the fact that many people scoff at the idea of people taking 8-week courses and then slapping “Product Designer” on their resume. If you want to make me ignore my bias, you’ve got to come with some relevant overall experience, solid creative instincts, and a strong demonstration of your understanding of design.

B. You Only Have Personal Projects

Putting concepts or personal projects in a portfolio is not inherently wrong. A lack of work is typical for new designers, those in the process of a career change, or designers making a discipline change. However, there’s very little you can do to sway me when it comes to not having any real work under your belt. This situation is where you have to be honest with yourself when applying for roles. If you’re trying to land a job that requires 1–3 years of experience, you’re aiming a bit high, they’re looking for closer to 3 than 1. It would be best if you found a way to get your foot in the door as a junior or intern and begin to get real work in your portfolio. When someone comes to me with minimal work experience, I usually give them several design challenges before moving forward. Be prepared for the reality of many rejections if this is your current career stage. It might seem unfair that employers want more experience for junior roles, but the truth is that design also exists to slay business dragons and many teams can’t handle hand-holding a pixel pusher. Want to break out? You’ve got to show managers you’ve got the skills necessary to grow and learn quickly.

C. You Don’t Understand the Design Process

There’s just no excuse for this shortcoming. If you can’t articulate your design process, or even recite and understand the design-thinking process — what are you doing applying for design roles? It would help if you took the time to understand and appreciate design before you attempt to jump on the bandwagon. Take time to learn about the various artifacts of the process, how to work within multidisciplinary teams, and how to articulate your design decisions. Don’t waste your time or a company’s time by just trying to fake your way through the door. For those wondering, yes, I’ve interviewed my fair share of “designers” who fit this description.

D. You Don’t Understand Basic Business Theories

Design is more than pushing pixels. If you don’t understand basic business theories, you’re not going to be a competent designer. You need to understand the business you’re in, the customers, and the models your company uses. I’m not saying you need to get your MBA or become an expert, but you should be able to provide value in conversations about strategy. Design as a discipline has a seat at the table because we’ve fought to show business value. If you’re serious about growing in your design career, take the time to learn about underlying business and marketing strategies and theories. I wrote another article about books you should read as a designer, but I’ll list a few theories you should start with below.