Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
UX Job Search AMA #2 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer
Summary
We’re thrilled to bring back to the Rosenverse an AMA dedicated to finding and getting UX jobs! Co-led by Dave Hoffer, a design leader / hiring manager (from PwC, McKinsey, frog design) and Joanne Weaver, a recruiting agency owner (clients include: Mailchimp, Etsy, Justworks, Grubhub, NY Life), we’ll hold an insightful one-hour AMA to address all your job search questions. Join us! Whether seeking advice on crafting your ideal resume, how to nail your interviews, or understanding what employers are looking for in candidates today, bring your questions. Dave and Joanne are longtime design career coaches and know how to help. You’ll gain valuable insights from us, and we’re sure, each other!
Key Insights
-
•
Hiring in New York’s UX and product design market is showing hopeful signs with increased mid and senior-level roles, especially in enterprise SaaS and regulated sectors.
-
•
Design job titles like 'product designer' and 'experience designer' evolve to reflect small role shifts but are mostly about organizational clarity and hiring ease.
-
•
Employers prefer candidates with related domain experience to reduce onboarding friction, but cross-industry skills can enhance team diversity and innovation.
-
•
Successful designers now need an end-to-end skillset combining UX, interaction, and polished visual design, often pulling from established design systems for pixel-perfect results.
-
•
AI hype led to rushed implementations without user-centered design; the next phase will require senior designers to thoughtfully integrate AI into products.
-
•
Resume and portfolio authenticity matter greatly; AI can help draft materials, but they must genuinely reflect the candidate’s experience to pass interviews.
-
•
Senior design leaders must maintain portfolios that showcase not only UI work but also team management, strategic impact, and polished visual outputs.
-
•
Networking creatively and in person, even with small gestures like bringing donuts, is highly effective to bypass ATS systems and build meaningful industry connections.
-
•
Introverted professionals can succeed at networking by preparing strategically, targeting key people, and focusing on quality over quantity of connections.
-
•
Strategic design roles focused on early-stage product discovery and insight synthesis often carry titles like design strategist, UX strategist, or product research and insights.
Notable Quotes
"I’m getting hopeful. For what it’s worth."
"Titles will change as roles and skills change; what matters is what you need to do, not just what you call it."
"People eat with their eyes before they eat with their mouths — polish makes a big difference."
"Donuts are delicious, right? Nobody doesn’t like donuts."
"Your resume, your portfolio, your body of work should reflect you as a human being."
"If you get the interview, say, I don’t have experience in that field, but here’s how I solved similar complex problems."
"Networking isn’t just asking for favors — it’s about building relationships and doing something for others first."
"The introvert’s edge is that they research, plan, and have a strategy for meaningful conversations."
"The portfolio should not be a forensic exercise pulled together last minute; it’s a journaling effort capturing weekly work."
"A design strategist role focuses on synthesizing insights and collaborating to produce design specifications rather than doing final screens."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We created a simple WordPress site so all corners of the business could contribute and share insights, breaking down silos."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Users frequently felt overwhelmed and misunderstood; this was a significant barrier to a positive shopping experience."
Kritika YadavOptimizing AI Conversations: A Case Study on Personalized Shopping Assistance Frameworks
June 10, 2025
"Engineering’s number one goal should be to enable learning."
Bill ScottLean Engineering: Engineering for Learning and Experimentation in the Enterprise
May 14, 2015
"We’ve enabled exposure hours for our entire teams, taking the heat off our recruiters."
Vicky Teinaki Michele Marut Tim ParmeeShort Take #3: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022
"Racism doesn’t just hurt people like me; you’re hurting yourself by perpetuating beliefs that deny a greater humanity."
Denise Jacobs Nancy Douyon Renee Reid Lisa WelchmanInteractive Keynote: Social Change by Design
January 8, 2024
"I was able to create user segments to analyze sustainability-related user journeys and identify gaps."
Amy ParnessScaling Sustainability: Complementary strategies that drive long-term success
May 29, 2025
"Trend forecasting is a culture industry—it produces culture as much as it predicts it."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022
"Communicating as a proxy for a senior leader taught me how to tailor messages for different audiences."
Lisa GirondaOpener: Chief of Staff–An unexpected journey
January 8, 2024
"Unfortunately, that natural, spontaneous connection in person is something we can’t fully replicate virtually; it has to be scheduled and intentional."
Nicole UmphressDelivering Design Education During a Global Pandemic: Lessons Learned
June 9, 2022
