IXDA Vancouver - How to get a great UX job

Resumes and
LinkedIn proﬁles
How to get a
great UX job{
Patrick Neeman
Director of Product Design, Apptio
@usabilitycounts
http://www.usabilitycounts.com
Troy Parke
Sr. UX Manager, Big Fish Games
@uxhow
http://www.uxhow.com

Getting a great job is a lot like dating...
...you have to kiss a lot of frogs
before your ﬁnd your prince

@usabilitycounts @uxhow
User Research - 100 Recruiters
The typical interview process
Hiring
Manager
Phone
Screen
7-10
people
3 to 5 
On Site
Interviews
The Offer
} }Recruiter
Phone
Screen
10-15 people}Research
20-100
people
}

Show them
your money,
baby!
• LinkedIn proﬁle
• Resume
• Side projects
• Portfolio

{ Your résume }
• Format that can be parsed (Word or PDF)
• Career progression that tells a story
• Skills in keyword form listed for recruiters
• Don’t over design

{ A great resume }

{ A great resume }
Solid Opening
Summary
Clear and Concise
Job Descriptions
Skills and
Brands Listed

Why should my résume be in Word?
• It’s a standard format
• Recruiters edit résumes
• Concentrate on content
• Creates constraints

Responsibilities and Accomplishments
• A summary about your job function
• Three to ﬁve bullet points what you accomplished
• Write when you start a job as the goal
• Write more of them for more recent jobs

Résume tips
Too many positions Combine all into one position, and list each as a client
Too few positions List projects under a position
Unrelated positions Don’t list them at all, no one cares

{ Your LinkedIn proﬁle }
• Have a great summary
• Include your skills and specialities
• List the results of your work
• Let brands speak for themselves

{ A great LinkedIn proﬁle }
Great Title
Solid Summary
Accurate Job Descriptions

Exercise
• A summary about your job function
• Three to ﬁve bullet points what you accomplished

Patrick Neeman
@usabilitycounts
Troy Parke
Sr UX Design Manager, Big Fish
@uxhow
UX Portfolios
How to get a
great UX job{

How you tell your story
is as important as the story itself

Tell stories
that ﬁt your
audience
• Designers
• Developers
• Product Managers

Tell stories
that sell
• Explain visually
• Light and concise
• Keep them engaged

Tell stories
that have an
awesome 
ending
• ROI
• Results
• Outcome

Tell big stories

Big Story
Big Fish Unlimited

• Problem
• Process
• Involvement
• Final Product
• Press / Awards
• Outcome
}Story
Big Fish Unlimited
Netﬂix for Games

Tell small stories

Big Story
Bob The Chiropractor

Bob The Chiropractor
5 Page Lead Generation Website
• Problem
• First Version
• Iteration
• Improved Version }Story

Results

What not to do

Pet Peeves
• Screen shots that are too small to read
• Screen shots without explanation
• Wireframes without any details
• Portfolios with only wireframes and no research
• Over-designed portfolio

Three Great Examples
LaiYee Lori
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Vantageous/4652595
!
Simon Pan
http://www.simonpan.com/
!
Peter Schuszter
http://uxportfolio.com

Exercise
• Talk through two portfolios from audience members

Networking and
Social Media
How to get a
great UX job{
Patrick Neeman
@usabilitycounts
Troy Parke
@uxhow

45%of all hires
9%of all job
applications
{ Agency + personal referrals }
Why social is important

The lowest conversion rate for an application?
A job board
0.41% percent of applications from job boards become hires.
11 percent of applications from referrals become hires.

Personal networking
is the new
job board
Why?

56% percent of
people who got a
job got it through
someone they
knew casually.
Mark Granovetter
Sociologist, 1973

{ How do I become a personal referral? }
Use Social Media

• Follow people at companies you like on Twitter
• Subscribe to updates on Facebook
• Tailor your LinkedIn and Facebook proﬁles
• Go to conferences, meetups and classes
It’s about making a lot of small bets...

{Social Networks}
LinkedIn Research, reconnaissance and your proﬁle
Facebook Personal friends and their connections
Twitter Super connectors and people with similar interests
Stack Exchange, Git
Hub, LinkedIn Groups
Building street cred and engage with other users
SkillShare, Meetups Engage with super connectors and people in person

{ What kind of people should I be looking for? }
• Super connectors, because they like helping people
• People who might hire you, not someone who is you
• Recruiters, because they move around a lot

• Ask about their company
• Ask about what they’re doing
• Ask about their interests
• Ask them for advice
Get them to talk!
You want them
to do the talking!

It’s like dating...
You can “play the ﬁeld” to ﬁnd what you want

• Give you something to say
• Create common interests
• Doesn’t have to be work related
• Improve your skills
{ Extra Credit }
Have a passion project

{ Extra Credit }
UX Drinking Game

{ Extra Credit }
Find My Bookmarks

{ What not to do }
• Do not talk all the time
• Don’t stalk and give them space
• Be respectful but be engaging

Thank you!
Patrick Neeman
@usabilitycounts
Troy Parke
@uxhow

IXDA Vancouver - How to get a great UX job

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