The 90-Day UX Job Search Playbook— The Ultimate UX Job Search Playbook for UX Job Seekers in a Tough Job Market
With layoffs and an uncertain economy, its important to always be UX job search ready and be prepared for anything and everything. We give you templates and guidelines for your UX resume, LinkedIn profile, UX portfolio and interview prep, helping you balance workplace power dynamics when meeting with recruiters and hiring managers.
The problem with UX resumes today is that they: (1) don’t tell a PERSONAL and SPECIFIC story and (2) don’t include enough business impact metrics.
Why should UX recruiters trust you are the right candidate unless you describe work that backs you up? After working with hundreds of UX job seekers, we’ve found that the problem isn’t them….its how they tell the story.
Talk yourself up more! Learn to build confidence within your skillsets and work so that you are able to talk yourself up! We can help you do it— keep reading about how our UX resume templates guide you towards telling a personal, specific story backed by business impact metrics.
The Struggle: Why Getting Your First UX Job Feels Impossible
Your daily job search struggle looked like this:
Sending out endless applications and getting zero responses
Wondering if your portfolio was “good enough” or just confusing recruiters
Getting ghosted after promising interviews
Feeling crushed seeing others get jobs while you stayed stuck
You might have already tried all the advice out there:
“Just network more on LinkedIn” (cold-DMing 50 people… nothing)
“Update your portfolio design” (you redesigned it 3 times and still got ghosted)
“Apply to 100 more jobs” (you did — and still nothing)
Each rejection makes you feel smaller, and every ghosting email stung harder.
The biggest problem with LinkedIn profiles of UX job seekers is that they are not optimized for LinkedIn SEO, so recruiters don’t reach out.
Its important to include the right keywords throughout your LinkedIn profile so that the right recruiters find you for the right opportunities.
This often means getting really clear on what your personal brand stands for first and foremost, so that you can attract the right opportunities to you.
The problem with UX portfolios tends to be that they don’t show the behind-the-scenes design process, and active problem solving.
Hiring managers don’t just want to see pretty prototypes and polished deliverables. They want to understand how you think through problems, what your problem solving process is like, how you will solve problems on the job.
Your UX portfolio needs to highlight your ROUGH behind-the-scenes problem solving process, while highlighting business impact.
The biggest problem with UX job interviews is that desperate UX job seekers don’t know how to balance power dynamics in the moment.
It’s not just about what you say during an interview….its HOW you say it. Learn how to balance power dynamics and improv during your UX job interviews with our playbook.
Of course it important to know what to say- but it is equally important to practice HOW to say it so it lands well.
Don’t just take my word for it…
The 4 Skills That Separate Hired UX Designers From The Ghosted Ones
Skill #1: Powerful Storytelling —
Hiring managers want to see how you think. Without story flow, your projects feel like homework.
(Without it, your case studies sound robotic and forgettable.)
Skill #3: Clear Tonality —
UX interviews aren’t about right answers; they’re about how you articulate your process.
(Without it, even talented designers get passed over.)
Skill #4: Job Search Actions —
You can’t just apply once and vanish. Visibility compounds — especially on LinkedIn.
(Without it, your applications disappear into the void.)
Skill #2: Personal Branding —
You don’t need years of experience — you need to show you understand business impact.
(Without it, recruiters can’t see your value beyond “junior.”)
Here’s Everything You Get With The 90-Day UX Job Search Playbook
The Complete 30-Page+ Playbook:
Long & Short Form UX Resume Templates
Consider transferrable skillsets and education to focus on 1-2 UX career paths, specializing in 1-2 industries based on expertise.
LinkedIn Profile & Posting Tips to Boost SEO
Consider UX hiring seasons, knowledge gaps, and UX portfolio building to break up with your current situation.
UX Portfolio Templates
Learn to talk through the end to end design process with confidence, including your industry or educational expertise
UX Portfolio Storytelling Tips
Define key impact metrics to show how you moved the needle in terms of work impact and business impact.
Bonus #6: Speak Like a Senior UX Designer in UX Interviews
Speak like the new brand that you’ve created for yourself on paper, talking like a Senior UX Designer in interviews.
Bonus #5: Balance Power Dynamics in UX Interviews
Rebrand your past education and work experience to consider transferrable skillsets and update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
Before and after the UX Job Search Playbook…
Before The UX Job Search Playbook:
Endless ghosting from job applications
Confusing portfolio feedback
Feeling like “UX is gatekept”
Applying for roles that don’t fit
Constant imposter syndrome
Believing you’re not “experienced enough”
After The UX Job Search Playbook:
Recruiters reaching out to you
Clear, confident portfolio storytelling
A repeatable job search system that works
Real interviews at companies like HP, Reddit, and Nike
Renewed confidence in your UX journey
Finally landing that first UX role
Ready To Finally Get Results?
While other UX designers are still sending cold applications into the void, you’ll be attracting recruiters, landing real interviews, and finally stepping into your first UX role — with clarity and confidence.