Landing a UX Job in the Philippines
The State of UX in the Philippines, Section 3
The Hiring Process
According to our survey participants (leads and HR professionals), the most common hiring activities are conducting interviews (85.00%) with and running background checks (76.67%) on applicants. In addition to the regular interviews and background checks, technical knowledge is also evaluated through UX-specific screening activities such as case studies (55.00%), design tests, and whiteboarding (35.00%).
Additional screening activities cited were running scenario exercises, conducting technical exams, creating hi-fi mockups and prototypes, simulating remote tests, performing design or art tests, and taking personality and aptitude tests.
When it comes to assessing applicant performance, expectations differ depending on the level they are applying for. Leads also shared that aside from looking at technical and design skills, they also consider an individual’s people skills, behavior, and attitude.
If I were to hire juniors (fresh grads or 1–2 years of experience), we would be a lot more forgiving as to what to expect from them knowing that they don’t have industry work yet. What we’ll be looking for is more of their behavior and attitude and their potential to be in UX… For more senior designers, we hold a higher standard. If they already have the experience we would align their skills according to what we need in the company right now.
Portfolios
Portfolios are used by the hiring team to get to know the applicant and determine whether they fit for a role. Leads expect applicants to present a portfolio that is tailored to the specific role they are applying to.
I judge the portfolio as a measure of a person’s awareness of the job they’re applying for.
Expectations for the content and quality of the portfolio will vary between job roles and seniority levels. Leads hiring for more specialized roles expect to see portfolios containing a higher quantity of projects and case studies relating to the specific role. Applicants to more senior roles are expected to showcase higher-quality case studies and projects.
What leads expect to see in applicant portfolios can be grouped into three categories: the design process, case studies, and the designer’s identity.
Designer Identity
Portfolios and case studies should illustrate a designer’s identity by showcasing how they work on projects and the extent of their skills.
The first thing that always hits you with a portfolio is the design sensibilities of the applicant.
Design Process
When sharing one’s design process, it provides the thinking behind the design, how one arrived at a solution, and an understanding of one’s design principles.
I love to see what [the thinking was]. Why did you design that way? What was the problem that you were trying to solve?
Case Studies
These artifacts should contain the problem, solution, and everything in between. Case studies provide images and screenshots of all parts of their process in one’s portfolio.
I hate seeing the finished product and only the finished product. I like seeing stages… I like seeing the wireframes. I like seeing sketches. I like seeing pictures of the person running interviews, even though I know it could be staged.
Findings
Results tell us that the local UX hiring processes do not diverge much from common hiring activities (such as interviews and background checks) that happen for other industries or roles.
According to the survey, 55.00% of participants (leads and HR professionals) include case studies as a requirement when hiring for UX roles. In the interviews, leads shared that case studies or portfolios were not required previously, but have begun to implement this requirement in the hiring process.
When it comes to portfolios, leads expect these to be tailored to the owner and to the job they are applying for. Although portfolios are not a requirement for all design jobs, leads have shared that it is an advantage to present a well-curated portfolio.
A common sentiment shared among leads was that their expectations of the quality of an application depended on the type of role and its seniority level. Additionally, leads were “more forgiving” toward applications from practitioners who had just transitioned into the field or who had just graduated.
What’s next
- Introduction
- Section 1: A Look at Our Respondents
- Section 2: Preparing for a UX Career
- 📍 You are here! Section 3: Landing a UX Job in the Philippines
- Section 4: The UX Workplace
- Section 5: Industry Satisfaction
- Section 6: Transitioning into UX
- Recommendations: Looking to the Future of UX in the Philippines
Team Acknowledgement
The UXPH Research Team conducts studies to further understand and analyze the User Experience landscape in the Philippines. Our team’s goal is to share helpful reports that describe User Experience and how it is adopted across various industries in the country. We aim for these reports to be a reference point for practitioners and companies to adopt a more data-driven understanding of the industry.
Authors
Rie Helene (Lindy) Hernandez, Charlotte Mae Sia Efren, Claudine San Diego, Janyl Tamayo, Tyrone Sta. Maria, Stella Pangilinan, Jentz Rabacio, Jen Teves, and Jordan Aiko Deja
Advisors
Jordan Deja, Jen Teves, Aldrich Tan, and Ely Apao
Visual designers
Reine Bantang, Stella Pangilinan, Isabel Baja, Kendra Go, Khristine Tubay, and Jade Teng
Editor
Kaizen MarceReferences
Rosala, M., & Krause, R. (2019). User Experience Careers: What a Career in UX Looks Like Today. https://www.nngroup.com/reports/user-experience-careers/
