UX Design professionals are some of the most highly sought after talent in the creative and design marketplace. Despite this high demand, landing a UX job can be difficult in this ultra-competitive profession. To help fuel your search and advance your career, we’ve reached out to some of the top talent in the UX space to get their advice on how to land your dream UX job. You can view the full transcript at: http://www.onwardsearch.com/career-center/ux-career-advice/ ‎

1. UX CAREER ADVICE
Landingyourdream job
Presentedby:

2. UX Design professionalsare some
ofthemost highlysoughtafter
talent in today’screative market.
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

3. Findoutwhatsomeoftoday’s
Topux professionalshave tosay
abouthowto landyourdream job!
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

4. Borrys Hasian
@borryshasian
Headof UX &Design at Rakuten Viki andUX/UI
MentoratGoogleLaunchpadweek andBootcamp
Keepchallenging the default,don’t just accept
things astheyare.Interactand talk more
with the users … Don’tjust copy,be better.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

5. JesmondAllen
@Jesmond
Co-AuthorofSmashing UXDesign andUX DirectoratCXPartners
We look forpeople who have gone out of
their wayto include customerinsights
and validation into their designthinking.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

6. EricReiss
@elreiss
AuthorofUsableUsability
When Iinterview potentialdesigners, Iwant to see evidence of the
three qualities that characterize every top UX professional –
curiosity, empathy, andpassion.
Millennials in particularhave aproblem crackingthe UX market
because 1) itis generally misunderstood by the business community
and2) uninformed businesses somehow think the more experience you
have, the better.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

7. LauraKlein
@lauraklein
AuthorofUXforLean Startups
Treatyour job searchlike a researchproject
and askthem foran informationalinterview.
Find people in the jobs youwant and askhow
they gotthere.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

8. Tom Greever
@TomGreever
Authorof ArticulatingDesign Decisions
andUX DirectoratBitovi
Don’t be afraidto be yourselfand soundhuman. Too many
portfolios,resumesorintroductory letterslookand sound
the same. Boring.We don’t hire peoplebased exclusivelyon
skill;welookforpeople who willbe a goodfitorprovide
balance onourteam.
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online
“

9. Tamara Kowal
Hasworked w/ TheRachel Ray Show,
Sesame Street, B&G Foods, TheGumby
Gangandmany more
You andyour client, are not, in many cases, the end userS.
End user testing will, most of the time, uncover interactions you
didn't anticipateand you then have the abilityto refine your
design to account for them.
UX design is one of the easiest things to getwrong and truly
spectacular when you get it right.
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online
“

10. James Kauffman
@surfacewave
Hasworked w/ JPMorganChase, BlackBox,
Yaltech Consulting,andmanymore
Don’t stop learning. TheFutureisin touch interfaces…
so, learnas muchabout thattechnology aspossible.
The technologyworld ischanging faster thanever,
and hiring managerswill be looking for UXdesigners
whokeep upwiththe changes.
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“

11. James Patterson
FounderandHeadof Product
StrategyatWaverlyTech
Overthe pastfive (5)years the UserExperience disciplinehas
beenevolvinginthe entirelywrongdirection… spend abitof
time understanding client’s business objectives and how they
relate to direct and indirect competitionand monetization
strategies.Understand it. Ownit.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

12. PeterWisber
@PeterWisber
Has worked w/ ToysRUs, Vanguard,Uniqlo
Showing your thought process
frombeginning to end is mostImportant
when presenting finished UX work.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

13. RexHarston
Author of The UXBook
learnthe “standard”methods andthen
modify and adapt themto your specific
design situations, making them your own
methods for eachnewsituation.
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online
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14. AlissaBriggs
@alissadesigns
Directorof UX atBrigade andfrequent SXSW Interactivespeaker
A. Know whoyouare- Whatsuper powersdo youbringto a teamthatno
oneelsecan match?
B. Apply the design processto yourpoRtfolio- Thenkeep it up to date as
youprogress in yourcareer!
C. Reach outto yournetwork-You’lllearnall sorts of interesting
things, and theymay be able to pointyoutoward interestingand
relevantopportunities.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

15. BillAlbert
@UXMetrics
DirectoroftheUserExperienceCenteratBentleyUniversity
Explore new design tools and research methods,
network in your localUX communities, share your
insights andexperiences at conferencesand
continue tolearn andexpand yourskillset.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

16. Dr. Harry Brignull
@harrybr
Hasworked w/ TheGuardian, Sainsbury’s,
Cadbury, Vodafone, O2andmany others
Your UX portfolio iskey in winning new work…
AUX designer'sskills lie inall the hardwork
that lies behindthe finishedinterface.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

17. Andy Budd
@AndyBudd
Founder of Clearleft, Author of CSS
Mastery andUX public speaker
First: Build yourprofilethrough talks, and article; or atthe veryleast
be ableto demonstrate to potential employersthatyou’reactively
engaged in the conversation.
Second:Developa reallystroNGportfolio thatdemonstrates thatyou
can do allthe things yourCV claims youcan do, ideallyatdifferent
levelsof fidelity andusingdifferenttechniques.
If youdo boththose things, you’llbe unstoppable!
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

18. Bryn Ray
@brynrayux
Has workedw/ Radisson, Kaduble Process,Zoku,
TicketSoc, TSH,eTeacherand QBIC Hotels
Wheneveryouspeak to apotential new client,make the
conversation about theirambitions orideas and
respond withpotential techniques orprocesses that
couldbe helpfulinrelationto theirgoals.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

19. AshishPatil
Hasworked w/ Razorfish, Wakamigo
andGrungyGentleman
YOUR true value lies iNtaking
behaviorand molding itinto a
product at a verydeep level.
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online
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20. GregWilliams
Hasworked w/ Nike, IBM, Metlife,
Lunesta, AOL andNutrisystem
Marketyourself smart.Take courses,create
conceptsand read books.Try things younever
did before,that you’ve alwayswanted totrY...
Push yourself.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

21. Vince Baskerville
@WhoIsVince
Directorof User andProductExperienceat CallRail and
UX InstructoratGeneral Assembly
I would stress there are three core qualities needed:
1) agenuine passion for solving users problems
2) aperpetually strong inner drive to get things done, and
3) the abilityto articulate andstitch narratives together
thatproves point1 & 2 are true.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

22. Karl Smith
@UserExperienceU
CEO atParadigmInteractions, Inc.
Don'ttry and convertpeopleto UX,
help them see thebenefits and
you will neverlack work.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

23. Josh Brewer
@jbrewer
Founderof Madeby Habitat
Hasworked w/ Twitter, Socialcastandmany more
being a “UXDesigner” today meansyou willbe
wearing manyhats. Doyou love whatyou do?
If not, you mayfind yourself looking for
anothergig sooner thanyou think.
“
Advice for UX Pros by UX Pros: Landing Your Next Gig |View Online

24. TO VIEW ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS FROMTHESEEXPERTS, VISIT:
http://www.onwardsearch.com/career-center/ux-career-advice/
OR TO SEARCHFOR YOURNEXTUX CAREER,VISIT:
http://www.onwardsearch.com/jobs/user-experience-jobs/