Mastering product design interviews
Get the product design salary you deserve — part 1
Negotiation basics, understanding your compensation package: salary, equity, and perks.
This is two part article to give you an insight into how compensation works for product and UX designers at tech companies and startups. We’ll cover the basics here and dive into negotiation techniques to try in part 2.
Negotiation Q&A
When we think of negotiation we think of it as the final step between you and the job. The reality is that we’re always negotiating. Sometimes you’re not even in the room. Your work, your portfolio is the piece that’s negotiating on your behalf especially in the beginning — so be sure to make it strong.
Show that you’ve achieved outstanding results in the companies you were with and this will lead to proper leveling and help the employer set the right expectations for a salary range.
What do I say when I get a call congratulating me?
Stay positive and convey your excitement for the role. The next step is to get the offer in writing so you can pore over it in detail. The employer wouldn’t expect you to commit on the spot and it’s reasonable to ask for time to think things over.
I’m not sure if I want to work here…
If you’re still on the fence about taking the job, get answers to your questions first by interviewing your future teammates. As part of your interviewing you can also ask about job expectations and careers ladders. How does success look like? Who is a good example of a strong designer there? Return here when you’re mostly certain.
52% of all designers negotiate their salary
—Comparably
I’m lucky to even get this job, should I negotiate?
Yes! It pays to ask. According to Comparably, only 52% of all designers negotiated their salary. Not negotiating is a guarantee that you won’t get more. Studies also show that women also take the first offer at face value whereas men see it as negotiable.
At least starting the conversation opens up the chance that you’ll get a bump and you won’t regret leaving money on the table. Your subsequent promotions and raises will be in-part based on that number. There’s no shame in asking and no shame in later accepting the original offer.
How do I get more?
Aside from polishing your skills, the next step is to collect data to understand the market rate for designers. The goal isn’t to squeeze every penny out of the company. Rather you want to make sure there’s a good match between your level of skill and the money that you’re getting. You don’t want to end up in a place where you drive a hard bargain, get the money, end up not performing and getting let go as a result.
How do I find out how other designers are compensated?
The best resource is real compensation from other designers. Ask your friends or even friends of friends to get a rough estimate.
Hired’s Salary Calculator and W2 filings are also good resources for actual salary data. If you’re going the startup route, take a look at AngelList as jobs come with a transparent equity and salary ranges.
Levels.fyi is a great resource as it has a granular side by side comparison of salaries across (mainly large) tech companies. Similar to Hired, Levels is starting to verify salaries through official documents. It also graphs ranges for tech salaries based on level helping you better understand how different companies do compensation.
Lastly, less reliable info comes from self-reported salaries on sites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and Comparably. Your best bet is to look at aggregate salary data per level there.
Snapshot of your written offer
Your compensation package will consist of multiple levers you can pull:
- Compensation — combination of cash, equity, and sometimes a starting bonus with a promise of a performance bonus
- Title — consists of a series of levels that determine your salary range
- Benefits — medical and voluntary insurance. This is a major perk that can help you save major $ compared to buying it yourself.
- Vacation — some companies offer unlimited, others allows you to sell your time off, and some tie vacation to employee band
- Perks — these can be some nice to have extras such as free lunch at the office, flex work hours, learning budgets, etc.
If you have multiple offers, it helps to do a summary of all the financial benefits that you get in order to do a side by side comparison.
Remember though, the most important things (e.g. industry experience, access to expertise from mentors) won’t be stated in your offer and are hard to quantify.
Continue reading this refreshed article on Holloway to learn how you can negotiate your salary.
Land Your Dream Design Job is a comprehensive book about landing a product design role in a startup, agency, or tech company. It covers the entire design interview process from beginning to end, and will arm you with techniques and strategies to navigate the (at times) turbulent waters of job searching with confidence. This book will help guide you to a role that plays to your strengths while providing enough support for professional growth.
You’ll learn:
- What skills are expected of designers
- How to demonstrate those skills throughout the job search process
- How to identify your next opportunity
- How to target your job search process to stand out
- How to build a stand-out portfolio and tailor it to your dream opportunity
- The ins and outs out of various design interview types from portfolio presentations, whiteboard challenges, app critiques, to take home design exercises and many others.
You’ll also find in-depth advice on how to apply beyond the job boards, and how to conduct due diligence, negotiate compensation, and accelerate onboarding to your new role.
