5 things I wish I’d known as a junior designer on the job hunt

Portfolio advice to a younger self.

1. Your portfolio will get you an interview, not a job

The role of your portfolio (and resume) is to get you an interview. Your work should stand on its own, but it shouldn’t include an 8-page case study. Save your detailed process and trove of artifacts to review onsite.

2. Unsolicited redesigns are OK

Junior designers often don’t have a lot of client projects in their portfolio. It’s OK to supplement these with a couple unsolicited redesigns. I’d recommend a product you already use but have some issue with. Take a look at one I did awhile back or find more here on Medium.

3. Your portfolio should reflect what you want to do

Your portfolio should reflect the work you want to do. It may sound obvious, but often portfolios show everything we’ve done, not just what we want to continue doing. No longer interested in logo design? Prune your portfolio.

4. Tailor your pitch to the interviewer

Always feel free to tailor your portfolio and presentation to a specific interviewer or role. For example, highlight the details of your design process to fellow designers, share your collaboration techniques with developers, and stress business goals and your impact to product managers.

5. Understanding code is an advantage

It’s might not be a requirement, but knowing how to code can tilt the scales in your favor. Anyone can pick up the basics of HTML and CSS, and with more patience, JavaScript. There are good free courses on freeCodeCamp.

But even more important than coding is understanding technical concepts and terminology. In addition, knowing the possibilities and difficulties of developing for your target platform — be it web, native, or mobile — goes a long way.