Video: UX Job Search AMA #3 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer

100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.

UX Job Search AMA #3 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 • Rosenfeld Community

Dave Hoffer

Design Leader

Joanne Weaver

Co-founder, The Joanne Weaver Group

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

•

The UX job market is starting to open up again, particularly in industries like healthcare and financial services.
•

Candidates must apply to multiple places and actively network to increase their chances of getting hired.
•

Having a polished portfolio is essential; it needs to visually appeal and reflect candidates' best work.
•

AI literacy is becoming increasingly important in UX roles; candidates must show they understand and can leverage AI tools in their work.
•

A dual skill set in UX and UI is more attractive to employers, as teams require versatility in design roles.
•

New graduates may find challenges breaking into UX due to high competition and demand for experience.
•

Job titles are evolving, and candidates may consider branding themselves as product designers if they possess the necessary skills.
•

Candidates should be open about spec work projects in their portfolios if applicable, labeling them clearly to avoid misrepresentation.
•

Networking, following up on job applications, and genuine outreach can drastically improve job prospects in the UX field.
•

Economic conditions are cyclical, and today's challenges will eventually lead to new opportunities for job seekers.

Notable Quotes

"We actually are really busy right now, which I think is a great positive canary in the coal mine."

"It's hard to tell if that's like an industry-wide thing or if that's just like our clients that we love and they love us are kind of coming to us with new roles."

"Candidates are still taking a long process to land a job; it's a numbers game."

"There are companies out there that are hiring and sometimes quite a lot of people."

"The skills of being really well versed across UX and UI is just paramount."

"There's no excuse for not having a fairly polished looking portfolio at this point, given the tools out there."

"People eat with their eyes before they eat with their mouths."

"They want to see something that's visually rich."

"I think that there will be opportunity for contract work in the future, probably more than there maybe had been."

"The titles are going to be all funky; it's a new challenge."

Previous video

Surprise me

Next video