So, You Don’t Know Everything?

I recently read a blog on Medium about UX portfolios and the author gave his 2 cents of what he thinks portfolios are missing in the design field. It was such a good insight which is why I want to share it with everyone.

I’m a skeptic in most circumstances, but I have to admit that this is a proactive route to getting you hired.

To summarize, students looking to change professions by going through UX schools or even junior designers that are looking for better design jobs are missing one thing on their portfolios that will blow hiring managers away. Tell them you didn’t know everything, then showcase what you learned and how you learned it along the way.

I have never thought of it like that, but the author has a point, hiring managers have seen all the pretty designs. so why not tell them a story of how you learned something new that you didn’t know before while showcasing your portfolio.

What did you go into your projects not knowing? Put that first, and then keep sprinkling it throughout your steps.

Quantify it. How long did it take to learn what you didn’t know? Hiring managers want to see the amount of time it takes you to learn new things. In addition to that state the how. How did you learn what you didn’t know before?

Stating that we as humans make assumptions and then are wrong about our assumptions shows the hiring manager that you’re teachable and open to learning from your mistakes. I’ve never thought of this as a strength until now, but now that I see it in a different light, it really is necessary. UX research is a job that keeps teaching you along the way. No one can ever know what a user thinks or why designs aren’t working. They need to be investigative. After all designers are the catalysts to research and change perspectives based on what they learn.