Mastering Product Design Interviews
Networking for designers
How to find events and make authentic connections
This article is part of a longer series on how to put your best foot forward when interviewing for UX design roles. Previously we talked about using five strategies for skipping job boards and making personal connections.
Think of networking is another powerful tool in your job searching arsenal. Aside from the short term benefit of finding a job by networking, it opens up the possibilities of making mutually beneficial long-term connections that can last over the course of one’s career.
If you’ve moved to a new location, attending professional events is a good way to immerse yourself in the local community. Most talks tend to be light on the details but useful for exposing you to new ideas and most importantly, new people to follow-up with.
When I first moved to San Francisco, I found one of my jobs by waiting in line for a product management event. Outside the venue, in the uncharacteristic San Francisco rain, I struck up a conversation with a couple of folks behind me. One of them happened to be a data scientist who was looking for a designer for her startup. I applied and a few months later got the job. You never know what might happen unless you get out there! Sometimes waiting in line can be an advantage.
But I’m not an extrovert…
You might not feel like going out there because you’re not an extrovert and prefer not to be a life of the party. That’s ok. It’s a common myth about networking that you need to get out there, shake hands, hand out business cards left and right while jumping from one person to the next.
When I first started going to design events I usually froze, latched onto the first person that I’ve met and kept talking to them as if they were my life line. But over time, by attending many events, networking has become more natural. Today, I still enjoy spending my time alone but going out is no longer a fear inducing activity—it’s fun to meet new folks and find ways to give back.
A few tips on how to talk to strangers
At its core networking is about finding mutually beneficial ways to help each other. If you’re new to it, here are some things you can do. If you’ve gone to events before, feel free to skip.
- Don’t be afraid to be the first one to strike up a conversation. You can start by asking what brought them to the event? What are they hoping to learn? Have they attended similar events?
- Be interested. It’s easier to connect with someone by letting them talk about their favorite topic—themselves. Find out what’s important to them and see where you can help.
- Go alone. This forces you to get out of your comfort zone (as opposed to relying on the safety net of talking to your friends).
- You’re not obligated to keep the conversation going, if you feel like you’re not connecting, don’t feel bad excusing yourself, “it was nice meeting you and I promised myself that I’d chat with more folks here”.
- If it does go well, ask to connect. Usually it’s as simple as adding them on LinkedIn or getting their business card (do those exist still?)
- Follow-up the next day. Don’t wait too long, suggest a time and place to meet and continue the conversation.
If you’re curious to learn more, I also included a few books at the end of the article that I personally found useful on my networking journey.
Deciding on a conference to attend
If there aren’t many events in your part of town, see if you can attend a conference that brings design professionals together ideally for a couple of days so that you can make a couple of high quality connections. There’s no shortage of conference lists these days.
Organizers and topics
Before going it helps to familiarized with the conference itself. What’s the theme? Who are the organizers? Have they done this conference before and how were those (you can usually find reviews online). Next look at who’s going to be speaking and what their credentials are. Based on this info start comparing conferences and earmarking the ones that look good.
The magic happens between not during the talks
More breaks = more opportunities to connect
Aside from looking at the speakers and companies that are attending, take a close look at the schedule. One major thing to watch out for are the breaks in-between. Often times the magic happens between not during the talks. Is this conference packed back to back with little time to spare or is there enough time for breaks between talks? Are there also dedicated food breaks — lunch, extended coffee, and treats?
Conferences that last a couple of days offer more chances for you to connect, not just at the venue itself but also afterwards over dinner or drinks.
Getting a discount or volunteering to get in
In my experience price is not a good indicator of quality and unfortunately most conferences tend to be pricey. If anything price is an artificial barrier for who can attend. That said most conferences do offer discounts especially if you’re a student or if you’re in transition. You can also look for ways to volunteer. Usually by helping organizers with set up and logistics, you get your ticket fee waived.
When I was trying to save up some money, I reached out to one of the conference organizers for a volunteering opportunity. I helped out by packing swag bags, helping out with speaker timing, and manning some tables. The effort wasn’t demanding and it was fun to build camaraderie with other volunteers along the way.
While conferences tend to be pricey and are a one-time deal, events are usually a fraction of the cost and happen more frequently.
Picking events to go to
Depending on where you live, the cadence of events varies. It’s usually easier to find them in larger cities. When I used to work in suburban area I would drive an hour down south to Boston just to attend some of the events there and stay close to the community. Here are a couple of things to consider when evaluating where to go.
Interest-based design events
One way to choose events is based on a topic or theme. Over the years I’ve been passionate about healthcare and design and have attended multiple events in that space from hackathons, to quantified self meetups, to design events with a focus on healthcare. Attending these types of meetups is a great way to meet people in the broader industry and especially if you want focus your career on a specific vertical.
A few years ago I joined the Design for Healthcare community organized by Stacy La. Aside from connecting with cool folks in companies like OneMedical and Clover, I’ve also found my next gig when I wasn’t actively looking.
It was through happenstance that I saw an interesting presentation on using Google Glass for healthcare that I knew I had to find out more. So I cornered one of the designers working on the product there and peppered him with questions. Turns out the company had a position open but I was already happily employed at the time.
We stayed in touch and when the company I was with at the time went through a downturn, I decided to make the switch. In short, it helps to invest in relationships long-term. Dig your well before you’re thirsty.
Who’s coming to the event?
Another way to choose event is based on who’s going to be there. Aside from connecting with speakers, certain platforms (like Meetup) allow you to check the guest list. It’s not a guarantee that the person will actually be there but it’s a good signal.
Continue reading an updated and refreshed version of this article to learn all about networking to maximize your chances of getting to the next stage of the interview.
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.
