Why Designers Get Stuck in Interviews

I just got off a call with a designer who's been interviewing at Google, Uber, and DoorDash for 6 months and keeps getting to round two but not closing. Here are three things I told her. One, stop leading with context for behavioral questions. You're setting up the project, the background, the timeline, and the hiring manager has already checked out. Answer the question first in one sentence and then give the context. Two, being the only designer at your company is not a red flag, but how you talk about it might be. I had no design team to get feedback from. Sounds like an excuse, but I built a review process with my PMs and engineers. Sounds like ownership. Same experience, completely different signal. And three, it's obvious to you that you're the perfect fit for the role, but it's not obvious to them. Pull your most relevant projects to the front. Say the words out loud. I've done exactly this kind of work and here's where. Connect the dots for them every single time. If you're in the middle of a job search and want 30 minutes with me, I open up free mentoring calls to Level Up Club community members. Link is in my bio to join the waitlist.