Jared Tredly’s Post

🤦♂️ So, GIVA wants to hire a UX Designer, but they seem to have taken “test before you hire” to a whole new level. Not only are they asking potential candidates to do the job of a full-time employee before even getting hired, but they’re also expecting applicants to provide complete redesign suggestions for their app, revamp the product page, and improve their website user flow—all as part of the application process. Let’s be real: asking for an extensive assignment based on their own product that covers what should be months of work is not only unrealistic but frankly, a bit shameless. It undermines the value of a designer’s expertise and time. This approach not only showcases a lack of respect for the applicant's skills and efforts but also reveals a troubling mindset about hiring practices in the industry. UX Designers bring creativity, insight, and solutions—qualities that can’t be effectively assessed through a single assignment. I understand the need to gauge a candidate’s capabilities, but expecting them to essentially produce a full strategy without any guarantee of compensation or a real opportunity for dialogue is just plain wrong. Let’s advocate for a better hiring culture that values collaboration over unrealistic expectations! Thoughts on this? #UXDesign #Hiring #JobSearch #DesignCommunity

When I see take home assignments like this, I assume the intent is to steal as many ideas for free as possible. It says a lot about the lack of culture and ethics at this company. If you’re going to do take home assignments, it should be an assignment that has nothing to do with the company’s shipping products (but the concepts make sense for the domain). This works for designers and engineers. For product people, asking applicants to build a memo or deck about how they would figure out what is working, what is not working, and what next steps would be is a useful approach as well. Or a product brief for a sample project that is kicking off. Asking designers for free work also shows how little you know about design. A designer without access to your customers, research, data, and other employees is bound to make really poor suggestions. Maybe they’ll luck into some good ones. Design is ultimately about how something works, not just how it looks. It’s basically impossible to design something that works well without context.

🔮 A junior is hired for their future potential This took me long time to realise and is something I wished I knew in my early days. Instead of feeling insufficient for lack of experience and real cases I would like to know that everyone started from zero. That someone helped me to embrace the state of not knowing anything about anything. UX student is not a bad junior designer, and a junior designer is not an insufficient senior designer. Be the best in your class and be proud of that. See the higher levels as inspiration and aspiration, not competition. You are not bad, you are just not there yet. Hiring a junior is a future investment that will take time and effort to shape. Make sure to show your potential but be also transparent on areas where you need guidance and support. Nobody expects you to hit the ground running. First you need to learn how to walk. #juniordesigner #hiring #jobapplication

⛔ For designers: ‼ ⛔ 🚦 Always avoid accepting or undertaking any assignments or tasks that are directly associated with the company or organization. to test the skill, employers can take anytask that is not associated with the product or service the company is in. ⛔ For employers: Its enough of a cheat and exploitation business, design community is small and smart enough to break these patterns of your , be aware get highlighted for your crookedness and be ready to get negative reviews on social media platforms, I urge and request all designers to take this seriously, post the employer if there is no feedback response past 4 weeks or task submission or getting any task related to improvising the current product or apps, etc.

The scarcity of junior and intermediate UX/UI design jobs doesn't make a lot of sense...🤔 Hear me out. - 🔨 Junior designers generally focus on the executional side of things. This means creating interfaces in Figma, conducting the user research, etc. once the direction has been decided. - 🔍 Seniors designers focus on product strategy and collaboration with other teams using their understanding of the business, market, and user needs. So seniors/leads decide on the direction and tasks, and let juniors/intermediates carry them out. This also means that most seniors will give feedback to help iterate, but they are not actively creating artifacts in Figma. This is an oversimplification, of course. Check out Intercom's Product Designer Job levels chart for a better understanding! https://lnkd.in/gPSTcCni ❗ And here's why it doesn't make sense — doesn't every single tech business need somebody to build their interface?? Who's doing it if they have no juniors? Are senior designers forced to also do junior design work, or worse, treated like a junior designer? 🚩 And the ultimate problem: if there are no junior/intermediate jobs now, then there will be no seniors to hire in the future. There has got to be some misunderstanding somewhere. I believe there are huge opportunities for us to create more beneficial scenarios for BOTH businesses and the design ecosystem. I'd like to start some discussions around this topic! Are you a company trying to hire their first UX designer, or have a small design team that you are trying to expand? I want to hear from you and learn what you're looking for! Or if you have any insights and input for the situation, let me know what you think! #UXAvengers #UXDesign #UIDesign #ProductDesign #JuniorDesigner #IntermediateDesigner #Jobs

Very insightful. Candidates receive generic rejection mails but this post here actually addresses what might have caused the rejection. While it may not be for the job you're applying for, it will help you understand the company's POV

"From Developer to UX Designer: How Switching Hats Changed My Approach" Switching between roles in development and design isn’t just a skill—it’s a mindset. As a developer, I’m driven by efficiency, accuracy, and functionality. In design, my goal shifts to engagement, clarity, and user experience. These may sound like different languages, but combining them brings a powerful synergy to my work. By moving between these roles, I’ve learned the importance of: User-Centric Thinking: In both development and design, users come first. This means every function I code and every layout I design serves the end user. Attention to Detail: In design, I’ve learned how the smallest color or alignment change can impact perception, which translates into coding with the same care. Balancing Creativity with Constraints: Constraints breed creativity. Coding requires structure; design allows flexibility. Together, they create an experience that’s both engaging and dependable. Have you ever worn multiple hats in your career? Let’s discuss how switching roles has shaped your approach. Tag someone who’s taken on a dual role! #CareerPath #Fulltime #Jobenvironment

The job market is a joke You'll come across companies asking for 3+ years of experience for a junior role while being unclear about what they want from a UX designer. To put this into perspective, think about what happens in three years: • Babies take their first steps and say their first words • You could earn a bachelor's degree • Dogs grow up to 21 human years Three years is a significant amount of time. If you've spent that time working, you've surely outgrown the "junior" label. Some companies are clueless about UX design and what we do as UX designers and still expect us to receive these entry-level positions with open arms. The truth is that we can't immediately change the UX maturity of these companies. What we can change though, is our own outlook, positioning, and approach to professional growth. By taking your career into your own hands, you can break free of these crazy expectations and settings. Communicating your unique value and the benefits you bring to a professional relationship helps both you and prospective employers see the advantages of working with you. Communicating your unique value helps your dream companies understand how working with you will make their lives easier. This moves both you and them from uncertainty to a path with clear goals. Don’t stay stuck in the struggle and start designing your own future! If you need hands-on support with building your remote design career, reach out to me via DM.  #uxdesign #careercoaching #careerdevelopment

I was hoping to start sharing a list of entry level roles available at the moment. When most in the "entry level" filtered list state that they're looking for "Experience of end-to-end design" and "Several case studies demonstrating your process"... You can see why entry level Designers are struggling. If you're listing a role for entry level designers, make it clear and more realistic. If you're looking for more Junior-Mid level with 1-2 years experience, don't list it as entry. Either way, I'm going to find a way to find entry level roles easier and hopefully start sharing them for the budding junior product designers. Watch this space. #productdesign #ux #uxdesign #designjobs #juniorproductdesign

Last week, I hired a designer to work with me 1:1. No formal interview. No fancy degree. No massive following. No impressive portfolio. Just a DM conversation and a quick scroll through his portfolio. Why? Because potential beats experience every time. I've seen too many people hire for experience or qualifications, only to have those hires turn out to be mediocre. Our industry constantly evolves and changes, and it takes someone with the right mindset and potential to learn, grow, and keep up. When hiring for potential: 1. Look for passion: Someone who cares about the field and has an eagerness to learn and grow. 2. Evaluate their attitude: Someone who is humble, curious, and open-minded. 3. Consider their work ethic: Someone who is willing to put in the effort and go above and beyond. Remember, the right hire isn't always the one with the highest level of education or years of experience. It's the one who is passionate, eager to learn, and demonstrate a willingness to work hard. WE ARE NOT HIRING. KINDLY READ THE POST! #design #ux #uxdesign #designcommunity