I reviewed 100 resumes for a UX job, and only 8 made the cut
Curious to learn how the hiring side screens UX applicants? Here are 6 criteria I used for a fair and systematic process.
A few weeks ago, a senior UX designer on our team resigned. She has been a valuable teammate for the last year, and it was simply time for her to move on to a better opportunity.
Our team has been handling a heavy workload, managing numerous projects with a limited number of team members. With her departure, I faced a significant challenge: Hiring.
When we opened up the hiring process and posted job descriptions on major recruiting platforms, we were quickly flooded with over 100 applications. People say the economy is bad and the job market is tough, and that was no joke.
I began going through all of them, placing all the resumes in a single folder and categorizing them into “Yes,” “Maybe,” and “No” folders.
Due to the large number of resumes to check, I couldn’t afford to spend much time thoroughly reading and examining each one. I had to make quick decisions on whether to pass or reject them within a matter of seconds to a few minutes.
Despite the limited time available for review, I didn’t want to randomly toss them into different folders. To ensure a fair and systematic process, I established six criteria.
Any resume that didn’t meet these standards was moved to the “No” folder.
1. Frequent typos and grammar errors
The UX team is constantly engaged in writing tasks. We are responsible for delivering research analysis, strategy reports, and even real content for wireframes (Lorem Ipsum is never enough). Naturally, strong writing skills are crucial in our line of work.
Resumes with noticeable typos or repetitive errors in English sentences were promptly placed in the “No” folder. Nowadays, tools like ChatGPT can assist you with proofreading, leaving no room for excuses when it comes to poorly written documents.
2. Poor legibility
There were resumes that made me exclaim, “Oh my eyes!” as soon as I opened them.
The layout choices, such as being overly dense, using small letters, and lacking proper spacing, demonstrate a lack of understanding the reader’s convenience — a crucial quality for a UX designer.
Considering readability and usability involves selecting the appropriate font size, line spacing, and determining the optimal amount of content to include.
If a resume is poorly structured and difficult to read, it raises doubts about the quality of their outputs such as documents and wireframes.
3. Incomprehensible work history
A common challenge often observed among applicants with limited work experience is the unclear presentation of their employment history. They often mix case studies, personal or side projects, internships, and actual work experiences at companies.
From the perspective of the hiring side, accurately assessing an applicant’s experience is crucial. It should be easy to understand where they studied, how they worked after graduating, where they have worked, and their overall duration in the field just by skimming through the resume.
Some applicants use vague expressions such as “I handled multiple projects at company ABC,” which provides no valuable information. It should specify the types of projects managed and the achievements accomplished.
I instantly placed resumes with excessive fluff in the “No” folder.
4. Missing portfolio address
If the resume is decent enough, it’s time to check the portfolio. However, there were cases where I couldn’t find a portfolio link in the resume.
Some applicants may have attached it elsewhere or planned to share it later. However, it’s important to remember that the hiring side has to review over 100 resumes, making it impractical to contact each applicant individually to obtain their portfolio. It’s simply not efficient.
If you are using PDF files, avoid hyperlinking them as they may not open properly in others’ environments. Clearly indicate the URL of the portfolio instead.
5. Lack of alignment with the position
Among the 100 resumes, a majority of them were simply unrelated to UX.
It’s okay to consider a career switch and apply for a different job position. However, as the hiring side, it is extremely difficult to offer such opportunities during a challenging economic period. We cannot afford to take risks.
Even for applicants who introduced themselves as UI/UX designers or product designers, when I opened their portfolios, they often focused solely on design outputs rather than the design process.
It is important to showcase your thought process, including how you approach problems, explore the problem space, identify significant issues, apply research findings to your design, and highlight what you have learned throughout the process.
If you are applying for a UX job, your portfolio should demonstrate storytelling skills rather than merely displaying outputs. Because storytelling will become an essential part of the job, as you will need to communicate with stakeholders and persuade them.
6. Excessively frequent job changes
In this rapidly changing society, it is okay to seek personal growth through job changes. I myself have changed jobs several times in the past. The fact that an applicant has a history of frequent job changes is not a major concern.
However, there have been cases where the frequency of job changes was excessive. Especially, when an applicant has a pattern of leaving a company within three months or less, it raises questions about potential underlying issues.
The three-month mark is typically when the probation period ends, and individuals are expected to develop a solid understanding of their roles and responsibilities. If they are unable to endure that period and decide to resign or are laid off, it means we have to go through the process of hiring someone new, which requires a significant amount of time and effort.
I don’t expect team members to stick around forever, but it’s difficult to have confidence in hiring someone who doesn’t have a work history that lasts at least a year.
As I began sorting the 100 resumes into “Yes,” “Maybe,” and “No” categories, it didn’t take long for me to end up with only 2 resumes in the “Yes” pile and 6 in the “Maybe” pile.
Although 100 may sound like a significant number, only a few resumes actually met the basic requirements.
If you are currently searching for a job, I hope this article provides valuable insights to help you better understand the intentions and priorities of those who evaluate your resumes.
In summary, here are the key points:
- Make sure to proofread your resume.
- Prioritize readability.
- Ensure easy-to-understand work experience descriptions.
- Include your portfolio URL (or any essential information for additional assessment).
- Read the job description thoroughly and tailor your story accordingly. Demonstrate your thought process in your portfolio.
- It may be better not to include excessively short work experience in your resume.
Good luck!
Check the sequel too to find out what happened next:
