This document summarizes the good, bad, and ugly aspects of UX recruiting based on the author's experience recruiting over 500 candidates for 87 interviews and 29 hires over the past 8 months. The good includes plenty of UX job opportunities and demand. The bad includes candidates sabotaging credibility by having no work samples, unclear roles, or lying. The ugly includes poor presentations, unprofessionalism, and slagging off past employers. The document provides tips for candidates such as bringing work samples, showing process, and emphasizing interests in the organization.

1. THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY OF
UX RECRUITING
Jason Mesut - Head of User Experience, RMA
@jasonmesut
www.rma-consulting.com

2. I’ve done a lot of recruiting
Since October 2010 - past 8 months
530+ 87 29
CVs and Interviews Hires
portfolios

3. I’ve ranted about portfolios
1 2 3
Ranted on Been Set up a
London IA constructive at portfolio tips
UX Lisbon blog

4. Lots of UX people

5. Plenty of money
& demand
http://tinyurl.com/6g42end

6. The bad
http://tinyurl.com/6lc95qv

7. Interaction Designers
User Experience Consultants
User Experience Designers
Information Architects
User Experience Architects

8. Sabotaging our credibility
http://tinyurl.com/6hdfw2p

9. http://tinyurl.com/29bh2xc

10. Estate agents

11. Traffic wardens

12. Charlatans
http://www.clashmusic.com/news/charlatans-drummer-eyes-return

13. No work to show

14. No clarity of part they played
http://tinyurl.com/6ejkqm3

15. “Trust me”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226210033.htm

16. The ugly

17. Poor presentation

18. Unprofessional conduct

19. Slagging off previous
employers

20. Lies damn lies
http://tinyurl.com/67r6vp8

21. The good
http://tinyurl.com/5w5dmna

22. http://tinyurl.com/5vwywx9

23. Pack
whiteboard
markers
http://tinyurl.com/6cdc5r3

24. Show your working

25. The act is
as important
as the artefact

26. Lee McIvor
design
I really enjoy sketching and collaborating with
clients and colleagues when beginning the design
phase. These early stages provide a space for
creative thinking, discussion of research ndings
and how they might impact design, and most of all
for considering the widest range of ideas as
possible with few inhibitions.
Lee McIvor

27. Simon Doggett
Sketches & Scamps
Video browser page
The original project wall for the xxxx Video project. We used magic
whiteboards to sketch through all the main conc Early homepage concept
on paper. This work belongs to me and one other graphic designer.
10

28. Keep your sketches

29. Photograph workshops

30. Save your outputs

31. Edit video

32. Show interest in the
organisation

33. Simon Doggett
Empathise
with your
audience

34. Be honest what you’re
good and bad at

35. 2005 - 1st Euro IA

36. ExS IxD
Experience Interaction
Strategy Design
UR IA
User Information
Research Architecture
4 key disciplines of User Experience

38. Georgette Sullivan

39. Do great work

40. “don’t look for the
next opportunity.
the one you have
in hand IS the
opportunity.”
Paul Arden

41. Be remarkable

42. Learn how to pimp your folio
www.betteruxportfolios.com

43. Think you can stand above the rest?
Fed up with designing websites?
www.rma-consulting.com

44. Big thanks to:
Portfolio stars
Simon Doggett
Lee McIvor
Georgette Sullivan
Sam Smith
My past employers
The Team, LBi, Flow, PA, Yell