This subject matter came up because we’re currently hiring for a new person to fill a 

. Emilee and I have looked at dozens of resumes lately, and are of a similar mind in what we hope to see. I’m going to talk about some things that never in my life would I have thought I would have to say out loud, but a good percentage of last year’s resumes fell into some traps that are easily avoided.

OK, biggest pet peeve of 2015 was the “infographic” resume. Just because you want that UX position doesn’t give you the right to give yourself a “95%” score for UX. That’s not for you to decide. That’s for your peers. Also, it’s not good UX. That stands for “User Experience”, remember?

I understand that you’re trying to show how you visually solve a problem, but that’s not what your resume is for, and it most certainly did NOT solve the problem. Check out 

” article to be further blasted about resume infographics.

Especially in the world of the internet, I can find out much more about who you are and what you’ve done from your LinkedIn profile and your website (you have a website, right?). Also, I’m busy. Make it informative and pretty, but don’t make me read more than one page. A good design challenge, indeed.

In this world of ridiculous job titles, let’s be honest about where we are in life. Yes, we want to make as much money as possible, but calling yourself a “Senior Designer” with only 3 years of professional experience is a load of Bantha crap. If you expect us to value honesty, we expect the same from you. One of the best developers I know graded himself a 6/10. Think about it.

It’s possible to be an amazing designer and never touch Photoshop. As much as I love that program, I would not hire a plumber to fix my sink if “wrench” were a skill they professed to have. It’s a tool in your toolbox. You’re expected to be proficient with design as a craft. The tools you use are secondary. Also, you have our blessing to take Word and PowerPoint off your list of proficiencies (you’re welcome).

Random shit you should have already known

Email should optimally be @ your own domain name, because if it’s coming from AOL you don’t stand a chance in hell. Attention to detail is what we’re looking for here. dubStepKid4life@yahoo.com stands less of a chance than jane@smith.design.

If the words “Visionary”, “Expert”, or “Thought Leader” come near your resume, forget about it.

Don’t waste space on: your religious or political affiliation, old jobs that are irrelevant, pets, hobbies, etc. If it’s important to you, I guarantee we’ll see it somewhere else.


That blurry/artistic selfie of you just tells us you can’t take a good picture. You want a design position, right? That means you should have some taste.


You have a website, right? It’s 2016 folks, there’s no reason not to. Even a Squarespace template lets us know that you spent some time considering what work to show.

Spend some time getting your profile right

Yeah yeah, I hate LinkedIn too. If you’re not job hunting it’s where all the salespeople are, trying to get you to buy into whatever snake-oil they’re selling today. And that marketing mumbo-jumbo. Jeeez, you’d think they’d tire of writing that crap by now.

But seriously, this is the first place a potential employer will look for you, so you’d better do a fantastic job representing who you are as a professional.

Oh yeah, you can take the Panera gig off the bottom of your work experience. It’s cool.

Either lock that shit down or don’t prove to us that you’re a freak, or still obsessed with the girlfriend you broke up with two years ago. We like to know that you’re a real person, and if your accounts are public, it’s really great to see that you’re into the same stuff that we are. Well, almost the same stuff (I’m the only Slayer fan in the office).

Here’s what gives us the heebie-jeebies:

Religious or political ranting (although I’m guilty of the latter myself)

Complaining (especially about your current job)

Keep in mind that a large percentage of folks aren’t hired because of good resumes. They are hired because we know them and trust them already. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting to hire that person that you already know would be a perfect fit. Designers traditionally work in small teams, so personality and culture are hugely important. Here are a few tips for things that don’t annoy me as an employer.

Yeah, we keep an eye on that stuff. It’s easy to know if we care about the same things if we interact a little bit online.

Can you just guess how many people find employment by participating in industry organizations? There are sincerely good people sitting on those boards and organizing events related to what we do. I know you’re shy, but this is the easiest way to get to know your peers.

Last, and certainly not least, don’t wait for someone to hire you to do what you do. Spend your free time designing that poster, that logo, that mural. I’m sure there’s a band out there that needs a website or flyer designed. At all costs, you must hone your craft, because at the end of it all, you are a craftsman. The work needs to be part of your DNA, or design might not be the career for you. I get many, many resumes with the stated objective of landing at a place that will “let me reach my full potential”, or something similar. You best be on that road already.

PS: Anyone who knew me back in the 90’s with my crazy hair may laugh now that I’m writing about professionalism. Go ahead, laugh. I deserve it.

One of my more unemployable moments in life.

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How to Land that Design Dream Job in 2016

Back in the Middle Ages, when education and literacy were reserved for royalty and ecclesiastics, iconography was the main source of “written” information. (I put “written” in quotations because they are technically drawn or painted but, you know… semantics.)

If you were an uneducated serf walking down the street and saw a sign with a ?, you could probably bet it meant “Cobbler Shop,” or a sign with a ? probably meant “Stable,” and one with a ? probably meant “Get out of here. Go far, far away.”

However, despite being far more educated, literate and tech savvy than our Dark Aged ancestors, there has been a resurgence in iconographical communication:

On April 8, 2015, Apple released the iOS 8.3 that included over 250 new emojis including the option to choose multiple skin tones for certain ones. Now, the iPhone has over 845 emojis and the number is only growing! Who needs A-Z when you’ve got ? - ? , right?

So when and where did iconography/emojis make their triumphant reentry into modern communication? According to the 

the first emojis came from Carnegie Mellon where a joking post about a mercury spill was mistakenly taken seriously. So, faculty member, Scott Fahlman, came up with 2 emojis as a distinguisher between satirical and serious posts on a digital message board:

I propose that [sic] the following character sequence for joke markers:

Read it sideways. Actually, it is probably more economical to mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends. For this, use:

?, right? Since then, emojis have become more intricate and have expanded to nearly every facet of digital communication where a keyboard is present. And these emojis have a seemingly infinite number of combinations that can form an almost infinite number of meanings. Anything from:

Sure, they’re fun and make us laugh, but what are the social implications of these emojis/icons? Are they inhibiting our ability to express our ideas and feelings with written language? Are we devolving back into an illiterate and iconographical society similar the middle ages? Or is it another step forward in written communication and 

, combining the familiarity and hardwired positive disposition toward faces and objects with written language?

Only time will tell, as for nowâ¦ how well can you identify emojis and the new trending language? Test your emojis knowledge at testyouremojiiq.com

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How to Land that Design Dream Job in 2016

???? (I see what you’re saying)