Designing your Search for a Design Job - Robbins - 2025.pptx

Quick and pragmatic recommendations on how to go about a search for a design job.

1. Designing your Search for a Design Job Daniel C. Robbins

2. Table of contents

3. DIFFERENTIATION How are you going to stand out?

4. Screenshots

5. What are we looking for in candidates?

6. Demonstrated impact

7. How did the world change because of your efforts? Did you cause a decision to get made? Did you get someone to change their mind? Did you contribute to a project changing direction? Did you help connect people? Did your input rescope or cancel a project? Did you upskill someone, so they were unblocked? Impact

8. Storytelling superpowers

9. Curiosity

10. Adaptable design POV

11. Cross-discipline collaboration

12. Use your energy wisely Break you search into phases IDEAL: hiring manager asks you to apply

13. PHASE 1 Research

14. Which low-stakes conversations can you start? What’s going on in the industry now? Why are roles listed? How can you workshop your story? How can you use every conversation as a mirror?

15. Craft and share your story

16. Seek out public speaking (podcasts, etc.) Regularly update your portfolio “Perfect is the enemy of done” Get feedback Refine your story

17. Amazon Leadership Principles https://www.aboutamazon.com/about-us/leadership-principles

18. PHASE 2: Networking

19. Find companies that are looking for me Collect people who know people at the company Politely ask for connections Reach out to receptive internal recruiters Work your way to the assigned recruiter You show the hiring manager just what want

20. Airtable for Lead tracking

21. Reach outs Not asking for a job Time-bound Share

22. Reach out blurbs Cold contact Coffee chat LinkedIn Connect Connect me to your friend Thanks for meeting Ping Etc …

23. Why I'm talking with you What I’m attracted to at your company When I’m available to chat Who we know in common How you can see my work

24. Bios Ready to use bios

25. PHASE 3: Interview prep

26. Customize presentation for each interview Fewer, better stories Reflect and learn It’s a numbers game

27. Interview question prep

28. App critique

29. Stay on top of what’s next

30. Thank you