Positioning Yourself

• Write as if you are already in the role that you want to be in. If you want to be a UX Designer, then call yourself that, regardless of whether you’ve ever had a formal UX role.
• Tailor your cover letter and/or your CV to each role you apply for. This doesn’t mean you can’t mention your adjacent experience, but a focus is helpful for recruiters and hiring managers so they get a better sense of who you are.
• Shape and rewrite your past experience to fit the role: try looking at your experience in relation to the job you’re applying for and rewrite it from that lens.
• In your CV, personal statements, case studies/projects etc, if you have metrics or data for the project outcomes, absolutely use it. Those doing the hiring love to see business related language because it’s more understandable and tangible. Metrics are a great way to show your impact and I highly recommend looking into the growth frameworks CASTLE and AAARR to start.

CV Layouts

• Keep your CV clean and polished, but on the simpler side. AI screening is often the way candidates are initially chosen; a CV that looks like a graphic design project can look great, but often isn’t the most scannable.

LinkedIn

• Polish and fully complete your LinkedIn:
  • Fill in each and every section as much as you can. Look at the optional sections too.
  • Paint a picture with your ‘About’ section: Who are you and what was your journey up until now? How has this experience contributed to your skills as a designer? Any notable achievements? What are your skills and what do you bring to the table? What relevant education do you have?
  • Include any visual work or case studies you’ve done under the relevant experience section under ‘Media’. Add your projects to the ‘Projects’ area. Add a banner image that aligns with your design style/your ‘personal brand’- LinkedIn is where you’re essentially marketing yourself, so make your profile as interesting as you can to stand out.
  • Do some research on UX/product/design keywords that you can add to your relevant experience.
• Keep your experience at hand: Make a CMD (career management document) to record anything of relevance so you’re not scrambling to refresh your CV.
  • Go back through your emails, Slack messages, notes and calendar and write bullet points for the week’s main events.
  • Stick to points that are either CV worthy, or that help to illustrate a project you were working on.
  • Don’t forget to include photos of work in progress, links to projects, (and any photos of you working with your colleagues, is applicable). These can either form a case study down the line, or refresh your memory when it comes to rewriting your CV.