UXPA2019 First impressions: How to design your resume and craft a killer portfolio that will get you that interview
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
3 likes•364 views
It may seem obvious, but the design of your resume and portfolio convey far more about your user experience skills and design aesthetic than you know. And you’d be surprised at what you’re saying to employers that you don’t intend to. In this talk, we’ll give you actionable steps you can take immediately to dramatically improve the design of your resume and your portfolio as well as tips on how to present it once you get the interview. As hiring managers, we’ve seen hundreds of UX resumes and thousands of work samples. And to be honest, we are giving this talk as much for ourselves as for you. We want you to know what we’re looking for. We want you to succeed. In this talk we’ll cover three areas: The design and content for your resume The design and content for your portfolio Presentation tips once you get the interview
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to UXPA2019 First impressions: How to design your resume and craft a killer portfolio that will get you that interview
Similar to UXPA2019 First impressions: How to design your resume and craft a killer portfolio that will get you that interview (20)
More from UXPA International
More from UXPA International (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (14)
UXPA2019 First impressions: How to design your resume and craft a killer portfolio that will get you that interview
- 1. CRAFTING YOUR UX RESUME AND DESIGNING YOUR PORTFOLIO Jen McGinn Director of User Experience, CloudHealth by VMware Bob Thomas Director of User Research, Liberty Mutual
- 2. 2 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 3. 3 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 4. 4 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 5. 5 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 6. 6 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 7. 7 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 8. 8 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 9. 9 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 10. 10 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 11. 11 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 12. 12 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 13. 13 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 https://blog.prototypr.io/5-secrets-to-design-an-excellent- ux-designer-resume-and-get-hired-981628826946 Reasons to reject a candidate • Objective doesn’t match job description • Cover letter is for a different job • Job hopping • Too many pages • Inconsistent typesetting • Sloppy design • Typos • Poor grammar • Bad writing • Poorly designed portfolio website • Lousy portfolio Resume Content Resume Format Writing Portfolio
- 14. THE RESUME Goal: get the recruiter to call you
- 15. 15 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Do some competitive analysis
- 16. 16 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Google “great UX resume”
- 17. 17 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume tips • Find examples of resumes that align with your design aesthetic • Buy and modify a template that you like • Know your fonts • Do not borrow the design of your friend or colleague (that just sounds lazy. because it is.) • Secret: you do not need to have EVERY qualification in the job description
- 18. 18 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019
- 19. 19 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume content • Name, contact email, phone number, portfolio link, link to blog (if you write one) • Objective/summary needs to align with the job you are applying for • Job titles, companies, dates of employment all need to be clear and in order (don’t confuse the recruiter) • Include relevant education & coursework • Should be consistent with your LinkedIn profile
- 21. 21 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume content • All signal, no noise • Tell the truth • “responsibilities included” -> Challenge – Actions – Results • Focus on what you do at work, not what you do outside of work • “Lead” vs. “Led” • Typos! (get proof-readers)
- 22. 22 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume design • One to two pages • Layout is well organized • Advanced organizers/titles/groups • Descriptions should be brief and scannable • Use Gestalt principles – alignment matters • Sufficient white space • Sufficient contrast between type and background
- 24. 24 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume design • Clean, readable font • Use color intentionally and sparingly • Use images and photos cautiously • A gradient drop-shadow logo is not going to get you a UX job • If you use a photo: • Take out the background or have a head shot taken for this purpose • Use the same photo as you have on LinkedIn • The interviewer should be able to recognize you in person from the picture
- 25. 25 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resume design
- 27. 27 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resources 5 Secrets to Design an Excellent UX Designer Resume and Get Hired: https://blog.prototypr.io/5-secrets-to-design- an-excellent-ux-designer-resume-and-get-hired- 981628826946 How to design your own resume: https://uxdesign.cc/how- to-design-your-resumes-3b86ff7d9f76 10 Amazing Designer Resumes that Passed Google’s Bar https://medium.com/@bestfolios/10-amazing-designer- resumes-that-passed-googles-bar-deedb315ec47
- 28. THE PORTFOLIO Goal: get the interview by showing you can do the job
- 29. 29 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Do some competitive analysis
- 30. 30 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Google “great UX portfolio”
- 31. 31 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio tips • All the design tips from creating your resume, PLUS • It’s a website, not a dropbox, not a google drive, not paper in your hand (could be a slideshare) • Use a website template that aligns with your design aesthetic • Customize it yourself • Or get help from someone with web dev skills and/or visual design skills • If you use a vendor’s portfolio site, be sure you love their UX
- 32. 32 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio content • All signal, no noise • Name, contact email, link to blog • PDF resume • About me • Photo • can be more personal or creative than your headshot • How you define yourself • Skills/work summary • Design/research philosophy • 2 paragraphs, max
- 33. 33 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio content: work samples • Zoom out, blur areas, use fake data to protect your previous employers and their customers • No proprietary information • No customer names • No slides marked proprietary or Confidential or Internal Only • No user research results • Tell a story: beginning, middle, end • Design: before, during, after • Research: Goal/challenge, method, impact
- 34. 34 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 My Portfolio Piece I designed this. The End. Emphasizing Process Only Step 1: I did this Step 2: Then I did this Step 3: And this is the final design. Ta da! All Text, All the Time Lots of text, no headings
- 35. 35 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio design • Work samples should be labeled and organized by type of work • The URL should make sense to the recruiter/hiring manager • Your name • Easy navigation • No “creative” interactions • Piles of images • Non-clickable buttons • Giant fonts • Mobile layout on the web • Animated logos
- 36. 36 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Resources 10 Tips for a killer UX portfolio: https://blog.usejournal.com/10-tips-for-a-killer-ux-portfolio-c918ae5ccb50 Three tips for creating a better UX portfolio: https://www.interaction- design.org/literature/article/three-tips-for-creating-a-better-ux-portfolio Great UX Portfolios: https://www.slideshare.net/MaryWharmby/great-ux-portfolios-39212601 How to wow me with your UX research portfolio: https://www.userfocus.co.uk/articles/wow-me-with-your-ux-portfolio.html 8 UX Mistakes To Avoid On Your UX Portfolio Website: https://hackernoon.com/8-ux- mistakes-to-avoid-on-your-ux-portfolio-website-4d6dd437cf21 UX Portfolios: How to tell your story: https://www.slideshare.net/usabilitycounts/ux- portfolios-how-to-tell-your-story
- 37. THE PORTFOLIO REVIEW Goal: demonstrate to the team that you can do the job
- 38. 38 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio review content • Curate: Tell a few good stories from your portfolio • 3 to 5 things that you are proud of • Story has 3 parts: • beginning, middle, end • challenge, action, results
- 39. 39 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Portfolio review design • Do you re-use your portfolio site? What if you can’t get on the wifi? • Slides – another opportunity to show your information design skills and design aesthetic • Keep it clean and simple • Love the slide template you use • If you have visual design skills, use them • If you have photography skills, use them
- 40. 40 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 During the presentation • Know how to work your computer • We all get nervous • Let the portfolio be the only thing open and on the desktop • Bring a dongle if you’ll need one • Bring a backup (or two) • What will you do if there’s no wifi? • What will you do if you have to use another person’s system?
- 41. 41 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 During the presentation • Manage your time effectively • Talk about your work, not about the product • Be the expert on your work • Make eye contact with everyone • Answer questions that are asked • Consider the feedback being offered
- 42. 42 @jenmcginn @bobthomas #UXPA2019 June 26, 2019 Interview tips • Be friendly • Be enthusiastic about your work, the role, the company • Ask questions about the role, what it’s like to work there • At the end • Ask what the next steps are • Ask for feedback • Write thank-you notes or emails
- 44. THANK YOU! @jenmcginn Jen McGinn Director of User Experience, CloudHealth by VMware @bobthomas Bob Thomas Director of User Research, Liberty Mutual
Editor's Notes
- What is your goal?
- To get that first UX job or next UX job
- But why should you listen to us?
- We have been mentoring for more that 15 years Mentoring Bentley MS HFID students since 2008 or 2009 Co-leading the Boston UXPA mentoring activities since 2012
- And we’ve been hiring managers for 10 years We’ve hired designers, writers, interns, user researchers
- Our goal is to help you succeed at getting that next job
- So as you look for that first job or next job, what can you control?
- Your resume
- Your portfolio
- And the presentation of your work
- So let’s start with the resume. The goal of a resume is not to get you hired. The goal of the resume is to get the recruiter or hiring manager to call you.
- First, I’d expect you to do some competitive analysis, so let’s Google for UX resume
- Google example: Clean, uncluttered Uses labels and headings
- Simple and to the point. Sans serif headings, with a different color than the text. You can buy a resume template. Jen just bought one for $6, and she just got a new job. Know your fonts and pick those that work together: usually no more than 2 font families If you design a resume that looks like one a friend or colleague designed: you might be discovered You don’t need to have every qualification, just the most important ones. Me: management experience, strategy, and experience with a lot of user research methodologies
- Your resume: easy to see who the person is and their job title Contact info below that. Objectives/ professional statement below that Experience on the left, education on the right I like the bar chart of skills. I’ll usually ask candidates if they’re beginners, intermediate, or advanced in their use of tools or research techniques I DON’T think references are necessary. Recruiters know you have them and will ask at the end, not at the beginning of the process.
- What should go on a resume; All your contact info, portfolio link, and a link to your LinkedIn profile Objective/summary; keep in mind you may have to customize your resume for each job you apply for Work history: start with most recent position and work backwards. Depending on your age and the position, you don’t need to go back 20 years Only include relevant education and coursework (I don’t need to know about your cooking classes) Everything on your resume should align with your LinkedIn profile – which I will look at
- + Profile photo: personalizes the resume + contact info at the top, and then projects worked on + Experiences, Education, UX/UI Skills, Tools I’m not a big fan of “hobbies” or “interests.” For example, I practice martial arts and like to take long walks on the beach. Does the hiring manager need to know that?
- No noise: no outside interests, no experience that’s over 5 or 10 years, depending on the job description Tell the truth: a few years ago, we were ready to hire a new Product Manager for our mobile team. She said she got a B.A. degree. Background check proved she lied. She was not hired. CAR: This is really important if you include lists of accomplishments on your resume. Jen will talk more about CAR when we get to portfolios. Focus on work, not hobbies Make sure you check your resume for typos and grammar. Lead is present tense, Led is past tense. I’m a stickler on that. If your resume has typos, I’m going to assume you’re lazy or just don’t care. Ask someone else to check your resume.
- Gestalt: how we perceive patterns. Align your sections vertically and horizontally. Sufficient contrast: #1 is black text on a white background. #2 is green text on a white background, which is why I like to use green for headings.
- Easy to read headers Lines break up the sections Lots of white space
- Last bullet point: so no pictures from your high school prom
- Last bullet point: so no pictures from your high school prom
- There’s a lot of info packed into this one-page resume - but it’s easy to scan Big headings, use of color, and use of lines to break up the top portion from the other headings and text that take up most of the page
- Again, you should do some competitive analysis
- https://www.userfocus.co.uk/articles/wow-me-with-your-ux-portfolio.html
- No Instagram feed ABOUT ME: This is where you can put hobbies and/or family information – but why?
- Remember Jen’s CAR Principle: Challenge – Action – Results (Goal – Method - Impact) Example 1: Just results Example 2: Focus on process only. Focusing on process is good, but it’s missing Challenges and Impact. Example 3: I’m sure this is interesting, but I’m not going to read it. You haven’t organized the content for me. There is no information design here.
- What will you do if the company’s WiFi blocks access to your site because it’s not secure?
- Whew – that was a lot – but we want you to reach your goal