Mindaugas Petrutis’ Post

Read a Staff Product Designer’s experience with us! This Staff Product Designer, with 20 years of experience, hired us after they compared a few career coaches. They were looking for a new role and wanted help to… ✅ optimize their resume, LinkedIn, and website to get interviews ✅ make sure their portfolio deck for interviews was perfect ✅ elevate their talk track to be seen as competent in the role they felt they could be in Their search was for more than just a lateral move. They wanted to realize a higher potential and needed help with how to phrase their skills on a higher level. After a few months together, we achieved what they wanted! In their own words: “All of my outward facing content shifted to a much more elevated refined fidelity. The copy, content, layout, framing, everything was 5 times better. Even though it was all my same content, it was packaged much more in the way I wanted to be seen.” Now they have a Staff Product Designer / Design Manager role with a next-generation AI developer platform start-up company. If you want similar results, then… 💬 Comment “ELEVATE” for help to elevate your story 🤝 Join our FREE Career Community for Designers for more - link in comments #clienttestimonial #careeradvancement #productdesign #jobseeker #moreIn2004 #cc4designers

Here’s a thought: when did we become so obsessed with experience over potential? 🤔 I’ve seen countless job listings asking for 5+ years of experience, a stacked portfolio, and a million different skills, but here’s the thing—skills can be taught, but you can’t teach passion, curiosity, or that relentless drive to learn. Instead of fixating on who checks every single box, why not focus on those who bring enthusiasm, a willingness to grow, and the core skills that can be shaped into something amazing? We don’t need more job descriptions with endless requirements. We need opportunities that recognize talent, passion, and the potential to become great. Let’s start building teams that nurture growth rather than just checking off boxes. 💡 #DesignHiring #PotentialOverExperience #BuildTalent https://lnkd.in/gWB26UX4

Everyone shows off their best side differently. I LOVE take-home projects, partly because my best portfolio work is super locked-down and unsharable even behind password protection. When I'm hiring designers, I like to let people choose between three final-round options depending on how they work best: 1) A take-home design challenge. Give a week to complete, expect 4-5 hours of work. Importantly, the challenge must be totally unrelated to any problems that we are solving in the business (if hiring for a specialist area like developer experience, though, you can/should have the overall topic be relevant to the required background). Review the output and working process of the challenge live, NEVER just have them throw it over the wall. 2) A live 2-hour design pairing session, collaborating on a very tightly-scoped issue and showing off how the candidate thinks and communicates. Again, the task has to be unrelated to actual design challenges you're facing. 3) A more typical hourlong portfolio case study review. Pick out your favorite work and talk through how you approached it. Why make the design challenge unrelated to problems you're actually facing? A few reasons: - No need to get approval to share internal information or product priorities - Candidate and evaluator both have the same information about the challenge, which can help limit bias in assessment - No questions about whether you're sketchily trying to get "free ideas" from candidates to use in production (this might also be dangerous from a legal perspective if their ideas actually show up in the product, since there was never a work-for-hire IP agreement in place) So, don't totally exclude design challenges from your hiring process, but 1) they belong in the final round, not upfront, and 2) let people opt-in based on their personal preferences and circumstances.

𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲: How I'm using Design Thinking to turn my job rejections into opportunities 🌟 As a UX designer, I’m no stranger to iterating on ideas and tackling feedback head-on. But when it came to job rejections, I realized I wasn’t applying the same mindset. So I decided to change that. 🎨 I began treating my job search like a design problem: empathizing with recruiters, defining what success looks like, ideating different ways to present my story, and constantly prototyping and testing. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: 🔍 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘇𝗲: I took time to understand the needs and pain points of recruiters by attending webinars, reading articles, and even conducting informational interviews. Turns out, they were looking for very specific project outcomes rather than broad portfolios. 📝 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲: Instead of a generic ‘I’m a UX Designer looking for opportunities,’ I narrowed my pitch down to specific value points, like my focus on accessible design and CPACC certification. Each application was a new design problem, custom-tailored. 💡 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲: After receiving no responses initially, I experimented with adding sketches of potential UX solutions to my outreach emails and linked to short 1-minute videos explaining my process. This approach got me twice as many replies. 🧩 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 & 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁: Every conversation became a testing ground for my pitch, seeing what resonated and what fell flat. Each ‘no’ was just another data point, helping me refine my approach further. This process helped me understand that rejection doesn’t mean the end; it means there’s room for improvement. 💪 Design Thinking taught me to turn ‘no’ into ‘next’, a stepping stone towards something even better. So, for those facing job rejections: treat each one as feedback, iterate, and keep pushing forward. What unconventional methods have you used to tackle job rejections? Share below, I’d love to learn from your experiences! 🔗👇" #DesignThinking #UXDesign #UXResearch #HumanCenteredDesign #DesignProcess #CareerGrowth #JobSearch #JobHunt #CareerAdvice #CareerDevelopment

Last week, I shared my origin story—how I taught myself design, fought through self-doubt, and built a career in UX from scratch. I didn’t expect it to resonate as much as it did. Honestly, the response left me humbled, inspired, and a little overwhelmed. I got flooded with thoughtful questions from junior and mid-level designers about career transitions, breaking into the industry, and how to level up. I wanted to answer every single one, but I quickly realized I can’t keep up with all the meeting requests. So, here’s what I’m doing: 👩🏾💻I’m hosting a virtual AMA (Ask Me Anything) and opening up office hours to answer your questions, share real talk about design careers, and help you make the connections you need to grow. If you’re figuring out your next step, feeling stuck, or just looking for someone who gets what it’s like to start from zero—I see you 👀 This is for you. To my students —thank you for your patience. It’s only January, and life’s already moving fast. I appreciate you sticking with me through the chaos. If you’re interested in joining the AMA or office hours, drop a comment below or shoot me a DM. I’ll be sharing more details soon! Your next level is closer than you think—you just need the right people to help you see it. #DesignCareers #TechForChange #DiversityInDesign #GlobalDesignCommunity #LevelUpInTech

I would remove this ONE thing from my CV today. Your CV already has limited space and you can't afford to keyword stuff with "Skills" and "Tools" These lists don't communicate the HOW and WHY. Plus, it's a given that your familiar with Figma, Storytelling, Research, Prototyping etc Instead, use these sections to communicate HOW you used that tool or implemented that skill, and what the outcome was. Example: "Refined the design system for my ecommerce client by testing it with existing customers and developing a more streamlined Figma file" (And since so many CVs are template-based, this is another way to differentiate yourself) #careers #jobs #tech #design #ux #software #business #careerdevelopment #techjobs #jobinterview #recruitment

Are you a recruiter venturing into hiring Product Designers for the first time? Here are five key things to look for: - Portfolio Quality: Ensure the designer’s portfolio showcases a variety of projects, highlighting their skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. - User-Centric Design: Look for a demonstrated understanding of user-centered design principles and how they've been applied in their work. - Collaboration Skills: Product Designers often work closely with cross-functional teams. Check for evidence of effective collaboration in their past roles. - Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with design tools like Sketch, Figma, and Adobe Creative Suite is essential. Evaluate their proficiency in these tools. - Communication Skills: Clear communication is crucial for articulating design decisions and collaborating with stakeholders. Ensure they can effectively convey their ideas. #productdesign #recruitment #sourcing #hiringtips #designhiring #design

Are you worried you might get laid off? Worried you become irrelevant? Worried, you don't know how to get to that next level? Where you can truly shine as a designer? Where you get to fully contribute? And are completely seen, respected, and valued in your team? Where you feel empowered to bring everything to the table that you've got? And get your ideas implemented and shipped! In a way that your contributions make a massive impact on the users of your product AND towards the business goals? $$$ That's the empowered designer that's needed and respected in today's market! The designer that becomes layoff-proof!!! Because letting you go would be more expensive than the savings they get by no longer paying you a salary. It's time to fully step into your power as a designer. I specialize in working with designers (UX/UI, Product Design, Interaction Design ...) and help them get to that place of empowered confidence, where that inner drive is charged up, ready to participate and fully seen as a valuable contributor of any team! Ready to level up your UX career? DM me the word "Ready" and we'll create a custom plan on how to transform your career today! Let's make your dream career a reality!

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

✂️ What to Avoid on Your Designer Resume 1️⃣ Creative but Confusing Job Titles Stick to recognizable terms like "UI Designer" or "Product Designer" instead of quirky titles like "Pixel Sorcerer." Pro Tip: Tailor your title to the role you're targeting, e.g., "UI Designer | Specialized in SaaS and Edtech." 2️⃣ Generic Team Project Descriptions Don’t just say, "Worked on X app redesign. " Be specific: "Led UI design for an app with 500K daily active users." 3️⃣ Overloaded Tech Jargon Replace lists with results-driven statements. Instead of "Skilled in Prototyping," say, "Built prototypes that reduced feedback cycles by 20%." 4️⃣ Outdated Education Details If you’ve been working 5+ years, focus on recent certifications or relevant courses, not college GPAs. 5️⃣ Overly Artistic Layouts Prioritize simplicity. Clear fonts, organized headers, and white space > complex designs. 6️⃣ Every Tool You’ve Ever Used Focus on tools that matter. Instead of "Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD," highlight "Used Figma to reduce feedback loops by 25%." 7️⃣ Unrelated Experience Only include past roles if they enhance your design career. Highlight transferable skills like project management. 8️⃣ Outdated Phrases Skip "References available upon request." Use that space for achievements. 9️⃣ Personal Photos Avoid photos that can introduce bias or disrupt ATS readability. Keep LinkedIn updated instead. 🔟 An Unfocused Portfolio Link Customize your portfolio link. Guide recruiters with labels like "See my SaaS redesigns" or "Top UX case studies." 🎯 Key Takeaway: A strong designer resume in 2025 is clear, concise, and impactful. Cut the clutter, focus on results, and let your work shine. #DesignerResume #ResumeMistakes #ResumeTips #DesignCareers #ProductDesign #UXDesign #CreativeJobs #ATS #ATSFriendly #PersonalBranding #CareerSuccess #JobSearchTips #GetHired #Hiring2025 #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerAdvice