Why Your Tech Portfolio Is Missing the Most Important Thing

Everyone talks about how they landed their first design job with a client that paid millions. Beautiful stories. Big dopamine. Mine was different. I got fired. Not because of bad luck — but because I wasn’t good enough yet. That job taught me real lessons. Hard ones. And I’ll share a few so you don’t have to learn the same way: 1. Getting the job is the easiest part. Keeping it, delivering, and leaving professionally? That’s the real challenge. 2. The workforce isn’t smiling. Working remotely doesn’t mean freedom — it means accountability. I’ve pulled 3-day shifts back-to-back just to meet deadlines. 3. Don’t oversell yourself. If the job says 5 years’ experience and you have 2, don’t wing it. It’ll show. Loudly. 4. Hone your craft *before applying.* I knew just enough to get hired — not enough to stay. I got paid ₦300k and still got fired within 2 months. Lesson learned. 5. UX isn’t about being a genius. It’s about asking the right questions. Getting clarity. Solving real problems. I now deliver fast — not because I cut corners — but because I start with strategy, not screens. Today, clients are surprised at how quickly I deliver. But it’s not a preset. It’s preparation. It’s process. It’s painful lessons turned into systems. I haven’t worked on many generic products — I’ve had to think deeply with each unique one: healthcare, edtech, logistics, etc. And every time, I lead with the same mindset: Design is not about aesthetics. It’s about clarity, empathy, and execution. If you're still on your journey, keep learning. And don’t fear a rough start. UX will humble you before it pays you. 😅 #ProductDesign #CareerGrowth #DesignJourney #EntryLevelDesign #UXLessons #FromFiredToHired

If your job description could apply to 200 companies… It’s not a job description. It’s a red flag. Founders often ask why they’re attracting average applicants. It starts here. I’ve read hundreds of startup job ads. Most of them sound like this: “We’re looking for a passionate, collaborative designer to work in a fast-paced environment.” But there’s no voice. No clarity. No stakes. You want elite talent? Write like you know EXACTLY who you’re talking to. Here’s what I tell founders: → Call out your mission → Be radically specific about the kind of work → Show what “good” actually looks like in your world ↳ Example: “We need a designer to: → Uplift our UI and enhance our design system → Improve the language in our checkout and product pages → Help engineers refine interactions” This beats “We’re the Amazon of pet food” 🔥Don’t outsource this part. Your job description is your first filter. Write it like it matters, because it does. #design #ai #johnisaac #careers #tech #ux #recruitment #startups

Your portfolio is hurting your chances of getting hired. I’ve seen so many talented designers fail not because of their skills… But because their portfolio doesn’t tell the right story. Here are the mistakes I see over and over again: Only showing final UIs No explanation of the process Zero context about the problem you solved Case studies missing or half-done A wall of pretty screens with no substance And here’s the truth: Hiring managers don’t hire pixels. They hire problem solvers. That’s why you need a T-shaped portfolio: Step 1: Show breadth Include a variety of projects to demonstrate range. Apps, websites, dashboards, experiments. Show you can adapt. Step 2: Show depth Pick 1–2 projects and go deep. Explain the challenge. Show your process. Share what worked and what failed. Highlight impact with numbers or results. Step 3: Make it human Tell a story. Write it so anyone can understand, not just designers. Show your thinking. Show your personality. Because here’s the hard reality: A hiring manager might spend 2 minutes scanning your portfolio. If they don’t see proof you can solve problems… They’ll move on. Your skills might be world-class. But if your portfolio doesn’t communicate that… You’ll stay invisible. Fix this. Your next opportunity might depend on it. Follow & Repost Chetan Sagar for no-fluff lessons on UX and bouncing back stronger.

🌟 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗞 Before managers dive into your story, give a reason to keep reading. A strong summary is more than words it’s your personal pitch. So in a few sentences, write a brief overview about your contributions and expertise. Make it engaging and authentic. Don’t write your summary like a grocery list, write it in a way that flows organically. 𝗧𝗜𝗣: Strategically place some keywords from the job description into your summary for more visibility. 𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘 “Senior Software Engineer with 8+ years leading web development projects and mentoring teams. Drove user engagement growth. Improved deployment speeds and team productivity through automation and performance analytics.” 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗘 https://lnkd.in/gkeMQ3gY #resumetips #resumehelp #jobsearch #jobsearching #careerdevelopment #careergoals #networking #resumecoach #technology #techjobs

Scaling a company isn't what the spreadsheets tell you. You think: "We need 2 more engineers, 3 designers" – clean math, clear roles. Reality: You're hiring for positions that don't exist in textbooks. A "growth engineer" who's half marketer. A designer who ships code. Someone whose title is just "makes things work." The best hires I've made? Roles we invented on the spot because we felt what was missing, not what the org chart said we needed. Scaling is vibes, not formulas.

Most portfolios get excluded after less than a minute of cursory screening. Not because the work is bad but because it doesn’t speak the right language. I see it happen again and again: Designers pour months into building stunning case studies that don’t seem to land them interviews. Only 1 in 10 portfolios make it past the initial screen. And the work isn’t the problem. When I helped a fintech startup hire their first staff designer, we went through literal dozens of portfolios. Only two candidates got interviews. It wasn’t because they had flashy visuals—it was how they tied their work to tangible outcomes. Think about how a hiring manager actually skims: 0–15s → Homepage scan: “Any business value here?” 15–35s → Work grid: “Do they solve real problems?” 35–55s → First case study: “Where’s the measurable impact?” If they don’t find what they’re looking for by T-minus 56s, then you’re out. This is where most designers get tripped up: → They lead with process instead of problems → They blur their role instead of showing specific contributions → They use design language (“better UX”) instead of business language (“increased retention 34%”) The designers who break through are the most bilingual—able to move easily between user pain points and business results. That’s the difference between being seen as “just another designer” and being someone worth interviewing. So the next time you’re updating your portfolio, try flipping the script: 1️⃣ Frame the business problem before your process. 2️⃣ Make your role crystal clear. 3️⃣ Translate design outcomes into metrics that matter to stakeholders. It’s not about dumbing down your work. It’s about making sure your work actually gets seen. 💡 Want this as a file you can reference later? Drop “PORTFOLIO” in the comments. Remember: Invisible work doesn’t get hired. #uxdesign #uxcareers #designleadership ⸻ 👋🏼 Hi, I’m Dane—your source for UX and career tips. ❤️ Was this helpful? A 👍🏼 would be thuper kewl. 🔄 Share to help others (or for easy access later). ➕ Follow for more like this in your feed every day.

Soft skills aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re the multipliers. Too often, hiring processes reduce candidates to technical checklists—“Instructional Designer,” “Project Manager,” “Executive Leader.” But when you bring someone on who also demonstrates strong soft skills, you may gain far more than the title on their resume. That candidate might also prove to be a web developer who can bridge technical gaps, a UI/UX mind who elevates design, a marketing and content strategist who drives engagement, or a client services expert who strengthens relationships. In other words, by overlooking soft skills, organizations leave transformative value on the table. By prioritizing them, companies not only hire for a role—they unlock hidden versatility, innovation, and, ultimately, significant cost savings. The real differentiator in today’s talent market isn’t just hard skills—it’s the adaptability, communication, and problem-solving that soft skills bring. #RecruitmentStrategy #TalentAcquisition #opentowirk #FutureOfWork #Leadership #SoftSkills #Hiring #WorkplaceCulture #HumanCapital #CareerDevelopment #OrganizationalGrowth

Design Tests: I love them personally. When they’re done right... I’ve been on both sides of the table, and while they can feel like a time suck, they can also be one of the most valuable parts of the hiring process for creatives. I’ve never made a bad hire, and I attribute that to handling team building personally, with real care and attention. ✅ How to run them fairly and effectively: - Only use with the final few candidates when there is no clear winner. - Keep them short, a few hours max with a deadline. - Use old prompts, not current / new work. - Provide clear direction and assets, but leave a little room for interpretation. - Hiring manager, not recruiter, should oversee. - Supply materials right before the start, based on the candidate’s availability. - Always provide feedback after, they earned it. ✅ Why I like them when hiring: - Reveals their skills, efficiency, accuracy, and self-QC in real time. - Shows what they are like to work with. - Shows how they take direction and solve problems. - Demonstrates how they communicate and ask questions. - Demonstrates motivation. If someone refuses because it’s “free work,” I respect that, but you don’t want to be here as much as I’d like. Not a good fit for either of us. ✅ Why I like them when I’m job searching: - Lets me prove I can perform in a new industry or brand space. - Gives me a chance to showcase effectiveness beyond my portfolio. - Avoids a potential rejection simply because my experience didn’t line up with their industry. Do I say no sometimes? Absolutely, when they’re too early in the process, irrelevant, or disconnected from the actual hiring manager. Those waste everyone’s time. I know not everyone agrees with this. Has anyone ever had a design test that actually felt fair? If you’re looking for someone who knows how to build effective, long-lasting creative teams, hit me up. #CreativeHiring #DesignTests #CreativeCareers #HiringProcess #CreativeDirector #TeamBuilding #DesignIndustry #Portfolio #CreativeLeadership

Here’s the cycle I see every day: Step 1: Grab a PDF with the “7 secrets to get hired.” Step 2: Try it for a week. Step 3: Doesn’t work. Step 4: Get discouraged. Step 5: Repeat with the next shiny object. That’s not a job search strategy. That’s a hamster wheel 🐹 . Advice ≠ Strategy. Advice is random tactics. Strategy is a system that compounds. If you want to break out of the cycle, here’s what actually works: → 1. Nail your Relevance (Macro) Pick ONE domain (fintech, healthcare, SaaS). Rewrite your LinkedIn headline, resume, and portfolio intros to scream that domain. If it applies everywhere, it applies nowhere. → 2. Prove Outcomes (Micro) For every project, write 3 ROI bullets. Format: baseline → intervention → measurable outcome. If it doesn’t tie to revenue, cost, risk, or speed—it’s useless. → 3. Eliminate Risk Signals Close obvious gaps before you’re in the interview. Missing Figma depth? Run a 2-week crash project. Employment gap? Reframe with freelance or advisory. Don’t hope they’ll “overlook it.” → 4. Kill Ambiguity Boil each project into a 2-minute story: Role → Problem → Constraints → Decisions → Outcomes. If a hiring manager can’t retell your impact in one line, you lost them. Do these four steps, and you won’t need another PDF. You’ll have a blueprint that makes interviews predictable instead of a gamble. ========== 👉 If you’ve collected a library of PDFs but still have no interviews, comment BLUEPRINT or DM me, I’ll invite you to my next workshop where I break this all down (no PDF 😉 ). #UXCareers #ProductDesign #UXResearch #DesignLeadership #CareerStrategy

For the longest time in my career, I felt like I was sailing on too many boats. Back end. Front end. Tools. Support. Design. I tried everything… and yet, when it came time to move ahead, I didn’t know where to go. What’s my niche? I didn’t have an answer. Yes, I had done a design project which gave me some validation. But every time I thought of UX as a career, one thought pulled me down: "You don’t have a design degree.” I spoke to so many people in the industry. Some encouraged me. Many told me a degree was a must if I wanted to grow. And that hit hard. It demoralized me. I started interviewing again - but only for development. I was good at it, sure. But was I happy? Not really. And honestly, interviews became stressful. JDs said “full stack” and expected everything. Every technology. Every skill. I felt like companies wanted robots, not humans. Then one day, I said yes to a design interview. I don’t know why - maybe because a voice inside me whispered again: “You already know the concepts. You should give it a try. This could be your chance.” And you know what? That was the first interview I gave without stress. The design principles, the laws, the patterns - they all came naturally to me. I didn’t get that job, but I walked away with something even more important: The realization that this is where I belong. That one “yes” changed everything. #CareerJourney #UXDesign #NoDegreeButPassion #WomenInDesign #GrowthMindset