Abhijit Thosar’s Post

View profile for Abhijit Thosar, graphic

Head of Research and Design at Amazon

I couldn’t have said it better! Thanks Deanna for sharing such super important tips on engaging and activating your network! I often get flooded with messages from people in my network for mentoring, portfolio reviews and job referrals. Those who get my response follow the best practices outlined below… #uxjobs #networking #design

View profile for Deanna Blackwell, graphic

UX Designer II @ Amazon | Seamlessly Blending Fashion, Anthropology and Technology for Innovative User Experiences

Stop sending random DMs!!! I can’t stress this enough. Instead, strategically tailor your message so the recipient can quickly help you. I’ve been there. You want to send out a lot of messages at once, so you prioritize quantity over quality, but I wasn’t able to land interviews until I started being intentional. Here are a few tips to help you get the response you’re looking for: 🎯 Have a role already in mind that you want to be considered for. This is very important. The person you are messaging doesn’t know what role you would be a good fit for and most likely doesn’t want to take the time to figure it out. Help them help you by having a role you already want to apply for. This is critical when asking for a referral. ⏳ Your “ask” should be easy to answer and considered a low-lift task for the recipient. If the task is going to take more than 5 minutes to do, you can’t assume that it will be fulfilled or free of charge. Pick one thing that you need an answer on instead of asking for general help. Examples of asks that people typically don’t break down into specific 5-minute tasks: ✏️Portfolio reviews - What about your portfolio do you need help with? ✏️Informational interviews - What specifically are you trying to find out? ✏️Resume help - What about your resume needs clarity? ✏️Good-fit feedback - What do you want to confirm? ❌ Don’t lead with commonalities (i.e., alma maters, organizations, etc.). I know, I know. Folks are going to rip me to shreds in the comments, but I stand by this! Just because you went to the same school or worked at the same company, does not mean that they know your work enough to vouch for you. Let me make it plain. Unless this is a person you know and have spoken with before or worked with personally, they may feel uncomfortable putting their professional reputation on the line by vouching for you. DON’T DO IT! This is what people mean when they stress the importance of creating a relationship. It doesn’t have to be a personal one, but the individual needs to have come into contact with you in some capacity. Keep in mind that this takes a little time and effort to cultivate. Examples of how you can do that virtually: ✏️Comment on their posts - Believe it or not, people recognize you when you are consistently engaging in their content. This one is an easy low-lift option. ✏️Send them a meaningful post you created on your own page. Each UX role I landed was because I took time to cultivate relationships and followed this strategy. Yes, I sent DM’s! I hope this info helps you too! #tech #uxdesign #fashiontech #anthropology #AI 📸: created using MidJourney

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Mayuresh Gade

MFA Industrial Design, Parsons School of Design, minor in Impact Entrepreneurship | Looking for full time Industrial Design Opportunities | Expert in Sustainable Product Design & Innovation | Showcased at NYCxDESIGN 24'

5mo

Thank you Abhijit Thosar for sharing this!

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