5 Tips You Don’t Often Hear for Acing a UX Job Interview

#1 — Turn the interview into an experience.

Turn an interview into an experience for both parties.

As a UX designer (or soon-to-be one), you’ve likely spent countless hours honing your skills, building a portfolio, networking, attending events, and perfecting your resume. I know from experience how tedious this is and the time, painstaking effort, and scrutiny you go through just to get turned down.

However, many candidates I interview miss a crucial opportunity to showcase their expertise in a way that truly resonates with the hiring company. Most candidates have their case studies polished, portfolios dazzling, and LinkedIn profiles updated. I’ve been super-impressed with the case studies I see and the sheer number of problems our industry is tackling.

The problem is not a lack of UX knowledge or experience. Rather, it’s a failure to tailor that expertise to the specific needs and challenges of the company.

So, what’s happening in these interviews?

Candidates are relying too heavily on their existing portfolio and experience, without adapting their message to the company’s specific needs.