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What to have prepared so you nail your next UX design or research phone screen
Find this and much, much more in my UX Career Survival Kit for UXers!
I just recently launched my Get Hired Toolkit so that those looking for their first — or next — UX role can confidently market themselves and navigate tricky conversations from the first phone screen all the way to negotiating the final offer (check out some of the content above).
Let’s talk about what you need to successfully move from the phone screen to the first interview.
The phone screen falls somewhat near the middle of the journey the company has with you during the hiring process: they’ve already been impressed by resume, probably taken a look at your portfolio and LinkedIn profile — and now they want to get an idea of how you speak, how you describe your experience, and your general personality/enthusiasm for the role.
I’ve had more phone screens than I can count, from my days prior to being a UXR, and during my journey leading me to where I am today. I’ve learned that the phone screens where I hang up feeling most confident are the ones that I usually get scheduled interviews for. So what is the recipe for a successful phone screen?
1. Your elevator pitch
This is what you’re going to say when the recruiter inevitably asks “so tell me a little bit about yourself and your experience with X”. If you continue through the hiring process, you will repeat this many, many times. Know it. Love it. Make it your baby. Only half joking… but seriously, have this down and sound confident while doing it!
I would structure this pitch as: your name, how you discovered UX and what you were doing before, what your relevant UX education is and what it consists of, any relevant work experience, and NICHE DOWN! Describe what industries you’ve worked in, what UX projects you’ve worked on, and emphasize the skills you well. I would also mention now why you’re leaving your last role, or why you applied to this role. Be prepared to expand on aspects of this pitch, your recruiter will likely dig in to learn more!
