How to land a design job, get promoted, and be successful as a freelancer, at a creative agency, or as an in-house designer. Lots of copyrighted Star Wars material... Presented at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, 1/26/16.

1. Design as a Force for Good in any Organization

2. I. How to land a job
II. How to level up
III. When to to jump ship
IV. Freelance Bounty Hunting
V. Design Agency Jedi
VI. Going In-house with the Evil Empire

3. Let’s get started

4. Tailoring your application

5. One page each (seriously)
Customized for the company/position
Online portfolio & work samples
Action and outcome oriented statements
Have a friend proofread!

6. Nailing the interview(s)

7. Show up early
Dress like you want the job
Assume they want to hire you
Show energy, passion and interest
Sell, but don’t bullshit

12. Jedi Mind Trick:

13. Mirror body language
Ask thoughtful questions
Illustrate a process on the whiteboard

14. Your first job might suck

15. Here’s how to Level Up

16. First Order of business:
Master your current role.
Realistically: 1-2 years

17. Promotions aren’t automatic

19. You’ll be promoted when you:
Have a record of success
Bring new ideas to the team
Improve the process, not just the work
Could get hired in that role elsewhere

20. Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound

21. Jedi Mind Trick:

22. Ask for advice, don’t wait for permission
Solicit feedback early & often
Don’t undersell your accomplishments

23. Your first review always goes well. Why?
Expect 3-5% raises annually
Title change ~ 10-15% raise
To make more, you might have to quit
Consider total cost of living if you move

24. When to jump ship

25. No hope for new ideas.
Constantly doing the
same thing, but harder.

26. Unpredictable job
requirements and
frequent process
changes.

27. Management seems unstable

28. Design is an afterthought

29. Everything is on fire

30. “He wanted you to have it...”*

31. You are an experience designer

32. Branding
Industrial Design
Packaging & Display
Print & Advertising
Web, App & Interactive Design

33. Win-win problem solving

34. User Goals Business GoalsXD

35. “This party’s over!” - Mace Windu

36. Designers have
many tools.

37. But the process
is what gets results.

38. Engage
Understand your users and their goals.

39. Engage Connect
Show how your solution is a good fit.

40. Engage Connect Convert
Eliminate friction and close the deal.

41. Engage Connect Convert Inspire
Turn customers into friends with benefits.

42. Engage Connect Convert Inspire
Experience design builds relationships.

43. Freelance Bounty Hunting

44. Sell the opportunity to work with YOU
Develop a broad set of skills
Keep what you earn (but pay your taxes)
Work on your schedule
*No disintegrations

45. There are some downsides

46. Half your time is spent on “admin” work
Clients don’t know what they want
Their nephew will do it cheaper
You become support for everything
Health insurance is expensive...

47. Proposal templates for common jobs
Document deliverables and timelines
Bid at least $50/hr to cover overhead
Discount your rate, not your time
Your #1 job is getting paid

48. Jedi Mind Trick:

49. “I believe in what you’re doing, and
want to be a part of it.”
“I understand your customers because
I am one.”
“I think there’s an untapped market here.”

50. Design Agency Jedi

51. High-concept vision and creativity

52. Fast-paced and competitive

53. Clients want special and unique

54. Tell a story - Make it personal
Create a “composite character” (or several)
Give them hopes, dreams, fears…
What keeps them up at night?
How does your solution meet their needs?

56. Jedi Mind Tricks:

57. Keep an organized archive of inspiration
Conduct hallway usability testing
Design for “less than ideal” content
Don’t get cocky – expect many revisions

58. In-house doesn’t have to suck

59. You have to learn some new tricks

61. Employees are often more concerned with
not screwing up than trying new things.

62. Management understands this, but is all to
often a part of the problem.

63. What’s a HIPPO?

64. Highest-Paid Person's Opinion

65. Change? Prepare for a battle.

66. Identify current User Experience problems
Conduct formal user tests
Review user flows for friction
Develop prototype solutions
Conduct A/B testing (limit risk)

67. Are we serving the needs of mobile users?
Do we compare well with our competitors?
Can we engage users with new features?

68. Link small projects as a part of a “program”
Share what you’ve learned
Always have a next step in mind
Don’t waste momentum
Update stakeholders & share credit

69. They see me rollin’

70. Millennials face serious challenges with
student loans, housing costs, job market…
But there’s good companies out there and
good people who want to hire you.

71. Bring a positive attitude, a sense of
ownership, and your creativity
And we’ll rule the galaxy
...or at least build something cool.

72. Thank You!
Steve Noone
stevenoone@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/stevenoone