We’re cursing young UX designers with Senior titles

How an insatiable desire for senior talent has stunted the careers of a whole era of designers

My journey into UX design actually began in video production.

I was working as a Video Production Assistant in an agency that created national broadcast shows for ESPN. It was hard work, and in the days before digital non-linear editing, I had to do a lot to create quality work. It was thankless, but I was thankful for it. I worked audio for the Kentucky Derby, helped with some Six Flags commercials, and archived raw footage of Major League Soccer games. Still, I calculated I’d be making more money if I was working at McDonald’s.

One of the big advantages of working in an agency of creatives, though, was collaboration. Every day, I was influenced, taught, and inspired by people on all levels of creative work: Producers, Directors, Graphic Designers, Creative Directors, 3D Artists, and Web Designers.

Over time, I became obsessed with User Experience Design and Branding, and, nudged by senior-level creatives, took classes to learn Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver. I watched over shoulders, and I had important conversations about emerging technologies and methodologies.

I grew. Slowly and naturally, I learned from other senior creatives of all kinds. Slowly and naturally, I found roles that fit my interests and skills. Slowly and naturally, I earned upward salaries commensurate with my experience.

A troubling new era

Which brings me to the troubling era of UX hiring and promotion we can no longer call a trend: young designers getting Senior-level positions before they’re ready.

Caught in the insatiable corporate desire for Senior talent, companies are attempting to scale quickly and prove their talent pool by hiring less experienced talent for Senior positions.

Is this real? How do you know?

I’m a 27-year veteran of the creative industry with more 15 years as a hiring manager and 20+ years in user experience design. I’m also a 6-year veteran of boot camp UX education (thank you, General Assembly), and a new adjunct professor of the Atlas program at CU Boulder. In short, I know and have developed many young designers’ careers for decades.

I’ve watched as the average job posting for Senior UX Designers has crept from 8–10 years all the way down to a worrying 1–3 years. And I’ve heard dozens of horror stories directly from young designers who had been saddled with Senior positions they weren’t ready for, pressured by executives and even design leaders.

And before you freak out, I know that everyone isn’t hiring this way. There are more staid agency traditions that manage UX careers more properly, and, of course, some companies that have resisted the temptation.

Ask around. The problem is very real.

I don’t get it. Young designers are getting promoted earlier and paid better? What’s the problem?

Here are just some of the problems that have been created in this era:

1. Young designers with Senior titles are more likely to see their salary cap out and flatten. In one case, I watched as a designer with 3 years experience got promoted into a position earning $185k — this is what I call the “Golden Handcuffs” since no one else will hire them for that.
2. Young designers with Senior titles are more likely to burn out. They are given too much responsibility and often spend too much time at work proving out their worth.
3. Young designers with Senior titles are more likely to experience Imposter Syndrome. Intense feelings of anxiety or stress accompany responsibilities or skills that young designers have not yet gained.
4. Young designers with Senior titles are often hit with unrealistic expectations by leadership. Top-down pressures are difficult to manage, for anyone.
5. Young designers with Senior titles often go unsupported. Lone wolf roles are often given Senior titles to accommodate holes in the organization.
6. Young designers with Senior titles see very little upward career mobility. I dare you to try it right now: write down 4 levels of design positions that are hierarchically above a Senior in your org.
7. Young designers who are trying to break into the industry aren’t finding enough Junior roles. Companies often try to catch up behind-the-times design practices by starting to “pad” the design org with Senior staff, leaving gaping holes where Junior staff should exist.

Here’s a story of one (true) profile.

Note: I’ve changed names to protect their identity.

Marti has a 4-year degree in graphic design. They have 2 years experience in a small company with no other designers. They like the work but don’t really like the company they’re working for. They start to take a real interest in UX Design when the owners of the company ask them to redesign their website. Feeling underprepared, Marti takes a 10-week part-time UX boot camp and does well. Feeling desperate to exit the company and confident in their new skills, they apply for a role consistent with the new era — a Senior UX Design role with a quick-acting mature startup. With their stellar graphic design and excellent problem-solving skills masking their UX inexperience, Marti is hired. Marti starts off well and has initial satisfaction, but quickly realizes there is no support above them for practice guidance and mentorship (just a Head of Product), and no support below them for collaboration and production work. Moreover, they also realize that despite their 6-figure salary, they’re not seeing a career ladder within the Design organization. Marti is now alone, drowning in a position with no support, no management, no future, and nowhere to go.

I hear you — what should I do about it?

Great question — we all have a role we can play.

If you’re a young designer, be cautious. Make sure that you know what kind of team you’re looking for. I’m not suggesting that no one can survive this gauntlet — I’m suggesting that it may not be for you. Look for organizations that not only have support above and below you, but that also has a position beyond Senior Designer that you can see yourself growing toward. Stay in the position you’re comfortable with until you’re sure you’re ready for the next level.

If you’re a young designer with a Senior position you’re not quite ready for and you’re struggling, take heart. You don’t have to do this alone. There are mentors out here ready to help you, and even courses (like mine) that can help develop some of the skills (hard and soft) that need some work. Also, be bold inside your organization. Tell them you need help developing, and ask for what you need.

If you’re a hiring manager, listen closely. Like you, I’m in a position of fault here. We have to take responsibility and change this. Please be strategic when hiring young talent. Having Senior positions on your team implies there are also Junior positions. Building a UX team doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s important to start with foundational design leadership AND foundational design production. If you’re in a more mature design org, take time to outline a career ladder so that designers can plan long-term growth. If you see other design leaders hiring Senior roles with low experience requirements, talk to them about it. No one wants to see the pinnacle of their career before they’re 10 years into it.

In my early career, I had nowhere near the level of skill of many of my students. And I understand how fast the UX industry and the tech world moves. Still, take it from a career veteran…slow down. Don’t be afraid to experience all kinds of contexts and build all kinds of skills before you choose to seek promotion. Check yourself and do what feels natural for you growth right now. The best thing I’ve learned in my career is how to say “no.”

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