Craft a Winning Resume: Avoid These 10 Mistakes
If you're looking for a job in UX, one of the most foundational and important tools is your resume. Let's talk how to craft a resume that will get you more interviews.
What is a UX resume?
A resume is a tool to connect your past, your present, and your future opportunities. It’s not an archival document. It is a living, breathing tool that highlights the value and the skills you bring to your various prospective employers.
When and where do you submit a resume?
You can submit your resume through every job application but also through sending it directly to hiring managers and recruiters when asked. As a candidate, you will traditionally apply to jobs that are hosted on some sort of an “Applicant Tracking Software” that parses your resume for key skills and phrases to see how closely matched you are for the job.
📝 Read all about how the ATS works and how it parses through your resume.
What are the most common UX resume mistakes that candidates make?
1. Designing the resume in Figma
Designers reported that the PDF exported from Figma is not as easily comprehended by the ATS. Instead, keep your resume in a Word or Google Doc.
2. Utilizing the two column approach
The Applicant Tracking Systems are all a little bit different, so 1) it’s hard to predict how they’re parsing through your content, and 2) whether they can easily ‘read’ through a two-column layout. The database might not ‘understand’ at what point one column ends, and another begins.
3. Including headshots
Don’t use a headshot to pad your resume content as it encourages unconscious bias.
4. Redundant, boring objective statements
Executive statements are optional on your resume, but can be helpful to “smooth over” your story. However, the rule of thumb is “if you can lift the statement, put it on a completely different resume, and most of the words still apply, we have to change the statement.” It’s too repetitive. Managers know (or at least expect) that you’re an apathetic, thoughtful, cross-functional, etc. What else? What makes you special? What’s do you bring to the team?
5. A lack of title at the top of the page
Make it incredibly easy for the recruiter to understand what lens to look at your experience from. Are you a researcher, designer, content strategist?
6. Spelling errors, broken links, a lack of uniformity, a password-protected portfolio with no password info
Think of your resume as a product - is it easy to navigate? Is it easy to utilize? Read through? Are all the links working?
Your portfolio is your most valuable asset. Ensure the link is prominent and working. If it's password-protected, provide the password clearly on your resume next to the link. Avoid overly complex portfolio sites that are difficult to navigate. Passwords are 100% okay to utilize, but make sure that your resume has the password on it or include it in the email to the recruiter.
Double, triple check for :
grammar and spelling errors
all of your dates are written correctly
broken links to your LinkedIn and portfolio
passwords that you should be including on your resume if you have them on your portfolio
7. Not showing value through a lack of impact metrics: Numbers speak volumes. Instead of "Redesigned the company website," say "Redesigned the company website, resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement and a 10% reduction in bounce rate." Whenever possible, quantify your achievements with data. Even if it's a personal project, you can discuss the design decisions you made and the rationale behind them.
Additonally, if you need help writing great descriptions, follow the Google formula-
“Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].” But just to make it easier to remember, let’s shorten it to X-Y-Z.”
For example:
Improved user satisfaction (X) by 15% (Y) by conducting user interviews and usability testing on the new mobile app prototype (Z).
Identified key user pain points (X), leading to a 10% reduction in support tickets (Y), by analyzing user feedback and creating user personas (Z).
Increased user engagement (X) by 20% (Y) by implementing A/B testing on different navigation structures (Z).
Gained a deeper understanding of user needs (X), resulting in a 5% increase in conversion rates (Y), by conducting contextual inquiry and creating user journey maps (Z).
Validated design decisions (X) with a 90% user acceptance rate (Y) by conducting moderated usability testing sessions (Z).
📝 Read more- Google Recruiters Say Using the X-Y-Z Formula on Your Resume Will Improve Your Odds of Getting Hired at Google
8. Focusing on Tools, Not UX: While software proficiency is important, it's secondary to your UX thinking. Don't just list Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Focus on demonstrating your understanding of user-centered design principles, your problem-solving skills, and your ability to advocate for the user. Show, don't just tell. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe your accomplishments and highlight your UX process.
If you’re ever struggling with thinking about “stories” for your resume, use LinkedIn! Look up jobs that you’re applying to, and look through well-written job descriptions to borrow and build upon for your own resume.
Find great roles with well-written descriptions and tailor them to your liking.
9. Ignoring the rules of hierarchy and not utilizing expensive real estate properly.
Recruiters, as well as the ATS have “check-marks” they’re looking for in your resume- contact information, relevant experience, education, etc. We see a lot of resumes taking the “Skills” section and pushing it all the way to the top, where your Professional Experience should be instead. According to Teal HQ - “The average corporate job posting receives 250 applications! But for well known companies or remote roles, that number trends higher. Onsite or niche roles on the other hand, see fewer applicants. And recruiters are typically working on five to ten roles at a time, sometimes more.”.
So, let’s make it super easy for the recruiter to find what they’re looking for in that first 7 second glance, and keep reading your resume to then push you through the funnel toward the first round.
📝 Read more about how recruiters scan your resume.
10. Not tailoring to the specific job type: This is crucial. A UX Researcher role needs emphasis on user interviews, usability testing, and data analysis. A UX/UI Designer role needs focus on visual design, interaction design, and prototyping. Don't send the same generic resume and instead, thoroughly study the job description for a handful of similar roles, and highlight the skills and experiences that directly match their requirements. You don’t need to tailor your resume to every job you apply to, but if there is a really special role you really want, use keywords from that job posting where appropriate.