Prelude

First things first, this is not a generic ‘how to get your next job’ article. This article is written from personal experience interviewing for jobs and hiring many candidates across design domains. Take a read!

A huge shift in hiring

Like all things, COVID has changed the way hiring happens. The remote hiring process is a different ball game, trust is an important factor here for both parties. Random phone calls, emails from personal IDs, shabby backgrounds in video calls, unprofessional behaviour are all red flags. Both parties need to put in the work to improve trust in each other.

Update your portfolio

This is absolutely the only place to start, however senior you might be, you need to show your work and showcase it in interesting ways, talk about your other interests and how they influence your design work too. There are enough resources on the internet to make it better, research!

Think your portfolio is not good enough?

Start with a portfolio review session with a seasoned designer. Take feedback, re-work and iterate. Still, feel like something is missing out? Then upskill, learn new and relevant courses. For a good design job, a great portfolio is everything!

Don’t Dabble

Make a decision and stick to it. In case, something at your workplace really troubled you and triggered you to look, then look no further. Move on! Don’t be scared there are enough design jobs out there! Not making a decision and being stuck in between is way worse.

Find your purpose

Don’t randomly apply for all the jobs you find. Take some time out and find your purpose, look for jobs that fulfil them. Finding purpose is a huge deal, if you have not found your true purpose yet then find a job that lets you explore. Exploring new avenues is the key to finding your true purpose.

Step-up

Don’t settle for the same position, same role, same environment. Look to get into the next phase of your career. Take up a role that is challenging, lets you build expertise and makes your work life a bit uncomfortable. (Uncomfortable in terms of work only)

Get social

Tell your friends and acquaintances that you are looking for a change. Linkedin posts and Twitter DMs worked best for me, the response time on Twitter is much better than on LinkedIn. Keep the message personalised, short and informative.

Think, why should anyone, especially someone whom you don’t know take out time and respond?

Don’t hesitate to negotiate!

If there is something reasonable you are looking for, stick to it. Good company’s go to unimaginable lengths to get great candidates. Reach out to senior folks to get some advice on negotiating. Stay confidant, convey your message super professionally and leave some space to bail out without burning bridges.

Closing

All this is definitely not as simple as it sounds. Making a move will involve so many personal aspects of your life and the close ones around you. There’s a lot more on this subject, perhaps I will whip up another article some other time. Until then, ciao!