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Ariah from St. Louis, Missouri, asks: How can I prepare for a UX job interview?
I love that question. Thanks for asking, Ariah. This is UX Question number 93 and I am Ben Judy.
How can I prepare for a UX job interview? Well, job interviews can be stressful but with preparation and the right attitude, you can knock it out of the park. Here are a few tips from me.
First, research the company, the products, and the team. Familiarize yourself with the business and how it makes money. Learn whatever you can online about the UX practice and design culture. Linkedin stalk everybody you can find who is related to the role you’re interviewing for.
Practice talking about what’s in the role description. Be prepared to articulate your point of view on the skills and requirements listed in the job posting.
Consult lists of common UX interview questions and be prepared to answer them—zero in on the ones that give you the most trouble.
Practice interviewing and get feedback from a mentor. Practice really does make perfect, and it’s better to stumble in your answers when the stakes are zero and you’re just practicing.
You can also try to get a sense of what the interview process is like and what questions you might be asked by visiting sites such as Glassdoor and TeamBlind.com where people post reviews of their interview experience.
Of course the real gold is found by talking with a current or former member of the team you’re interviewing to join. You’re unlikely to get anyone to respond on Linkedin if you don’t already have a connection, but if you go about it in a professional manner, there’s no harm trying.
Develop a few compelling, short stories from your past experience in design, or prior professional experience. Talk about challenges you’ve overcome or project work you look back on with pride. Be ready to pivot to those stories as you answer questions during the interview.
Similarly, know your portfolio inside and out. Always be ready to show and tell, rather than just tell when you answer an interview question.
Finally, come to the interview with questions of your own. Interviews are a two way street: you’re interviewing them just as much as they are trying to learn about you.
As a hiring manager, few things make a candidate seem more uninteresting to me than someone who seems like they’re just looking for a job, any job. And if you’ve done your homework and you come with insightful questions, eager to know more about this organization you might be joining, you can easily avoid this problem.
Keep asking your questions about UX. Next time, I’ll answer the question: How should I choose colors for UI design?
Referenced in this episode:
- UX Interview Tips: How to Prepare for a UX Design Interview by Maria Myre at Designlab
https://designlab.com/blog/ux-interview-tips/ - Glassdoor
https://www.glassdoor.com/ - Blind
https://www.teamblind.com/
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