A weekly email on portfolios, job search strategy, confidence, and career growth. From a designer with 25+ years in the industry helping 500+ designers level up. Read past issues below. Get the next one in your inbox every Tuesday.
Share
Find design roles beyond job boards
Published 16 days ago • 3 min read
One of the best jobs I've had in my career wasn’t posted anywhere. I had reconnected with a former colleague I had worked with at AOL. During that conversation they mentioned a friend’s company was looking for someone to lead design. I asked for an introduction. That intro became a conversation, then an interview, then a job offer. Boom, just like that. It wasn’t a clever networking strategy on my part. I was talking with someone who knew my work and they knew someone who needed it. When I think about that experience now the lesson isn’t “stop applying.” It’s this: applications are one route into a new role. They don’t have to be your only route.
What the hidden job market actually means
The phrase makes it sound like there is a secret collection of jobs that only well-connected people can access. A better way to think about it is opportunity that starts through relationships. Sometimes a team is considering a hire but hasn’t posted the role yet. Sometimes someone shares an opening with former colleagues or a professional community first. And sometimes the role is already public, but a conversation helps you understand what the team actually needs or get an introduction to someone involved. Those are different situations. What they have in common is that the job board isn’t the whole story. Here are three ways to start those conversations.
1. Help people who know you understand what’s next
Start with former coworkers, classmates, mentors, or people you have collaborated with.
You don’t need to contact everyone. Pick three people who know something about your work.
Reconnect, and give them a specific update.
“I’m looking for a design job” is not the best approach.
You could say:
I’m starting to explore my next role, particularly senior product design positions focused on [area]. My recent work has involved [relevant experience]. If you hear of a team looking for that background, I’d appreciate an introduction.
Make it easy for someone to recognize a relevant opportunity. Don’t make them guess what you want.
2. Choose teams you're interested in
Build a shortlist of five to ten companies or teams whose work interests you. Look at their careers pages, product announcements, and what their designers or leaders are sharing. A new launch or team change doesn’t prove they are hiring. It gives you something specific to learn about.
Then you can ask:
Do I know someone connected to this team?
Does my experience relate to the problems they work on?
Is there a relevant conversation I could start?
You are not trying to manufacture an opening. You are learning where your experience might fit before the right listing happens to appear in your feed.
3. Return to conversations you already started
Not every useful conversation leads to an immediate opportunity. Someone might like your work but have no opening. A former colleague might offer to keep an eye out. A team might say its plans are still uncertain. Keep a record: who you spoke with, what you discussed, and any timing they mentioned.
When there is a reason to reconnect, follow up.
You mentioned your team might revisit hiring this fall. I wanted to check in. I’m still interested in the work you’re doing and would be happy to share an updated project summary.
Respect a clear no. But don’t assume a conversation has no future. A designer I worked with did just this, followed-up on a previous conversation and eventually was hired.
One thing to do this week
Send one update to someone who already knows your work. Tell them what you are exploring, what experience you bring, and what kind of introduction would be helpful. Keep applying to relevant roles. Just give yourself another way into the conversation. You do not need to know everyone. Start by helping the people who already know you understand what you want to do next. A conversation can open the door. Your portfolio helps someone understand what you bring. If you want direct feedback on how your case studies communicate your contribution, your thinking, and the strength of your work, I’ll record a 20-minute video audit showing you what to improve.
A weekly email on portfolios, job search strategy, confidence, and career growth. From a designer with 25+ years in the industry helping 500+ designers level up. Read past issues below. Get the next one in your inbox every Tuesday.
Over the last couple of weeks we talked about building visibility, getting on people’s radars, and finding design roles beyond standard job boards.Now, let’s talk about what happens when it all works.You got the recruiter email. You passed the phone screen and now you’re sitting in the portfolio review loop, walking the team through your best case study.Your work is strong. But mid-interview something happens. The panel smiles, nods, thanks you for your time and then two days later you get...
I’ve worked with so many talented designers who were uncomfortable talking about their work.They could solve difficult design problems, help teammates, and take on challenging projects. But ask them what they’re good at, and they struggle to answer.I understand that feeling. I've been there.But after 25+ years in design, here’s what I’ve learned:People need to understand what you bring to the table before they can think of you for the right opportunities.And that takes a little...
Recently, I was working with a designer on his case studies.The work was solid and the case studies were structured well. But the outcomes section for an education platform was empty.I asked: “What happened after this launched?” He said: “It’s been adopted by over 1,000 educators globally.”He hadn’t included it because he didn’t think it counted.More than a thousand educators were using a platform he had helped design and that information was missing from his portfolio.I see this more times...
