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How to get the best out of UX interviews

Tips for interviewing, or preparing as a candidate, for UX job interviews

Notes getting the best from UX interviews at the UXPA UK Careers Event 2013 organised by Raj Arjan and Paul Coombs.

Be Kaler Blake, Founder of Futureheads, chaired a panel encompassing Lewis Milford, Global Talent Acquisition at Nokia; Jonathan Culling, UX Director at Foolproof; and Craig Le Grice, tech and start-up strategist and Jason Mesut; Head of User Experience at RMA Consulting.

Tips for interviewing, or preparing as a candidate

  • What do you wish you had worked on and why?
  • How do you ensure successful relationships?
  • What have you over delivered on?
    • projects that have exceeded success criteria, but not necessarily its requirements.
  • Probe for humility and emotional intelligence
    • the ability to emphasise with, and listen to, colleagues and their criticism.
  • Evidence of working with different levels of people, avoiding silo’d mentalities and behaviours.
  • What did you do on the project?
    • what did you deliver?
    • how did you collaborate?
    • were you (as a UX’r) at the centre of the project?
    • who else was involved?
  • Tell the organisation why want to work for them; align with its:
    • history
    • design language
    • goals and challenges
  • Use STAR when presenting portfolio information.
  • Tell, or elicit, a story about the journey to UX qualifications (and the industry).
  • Be prepared to take control and boss the interviewer:
    • provide interview structure (outline career path, portfolio walkthrough)
    • have questions
    • help the interviewer interview and understand your candidacy

By Rik Williams

I write about how to collaborate to design simple, usable and inclusive information experiences that make the lives of customers easier. Read more in Categories and Tags.