I wrote this post a while ago when I landed my first full-time Product Designer role. I initially posted it in Case Study Club and received many positive feedbacks from the club members.

As I advance my career, I find it still relevant and helpful for anyone going through the interview process. Hope it will make your journey a bit easier as well.

Career change is hard, especially for someone from another country who has worked in another industry and another profession for over 10 years.

I received my first full-time offer as a Product Designer at a health tech startup yesterday. I went through 3 rounds of 5 interviews, including a whiteboard challenge and a design critique.

It was my first time experiencing the entire design interview process. I want to share some heart-to-heart tips and resources that helped me walk so far.

1. Be conscious of the fear, then drop it

What stops you from getting a new career is not that you are not good enough. As career changers, we made the hard decision and took a leap of faith. You already did the most challenging part.

If you feel inadequate in calling yourself a designer and consistently learning everything related to your new career, you are experiencing something called “imposter syndrome.”

Yes, people in the tech industry give a name to this fear. I suffered from “imposter syndrome” for a long time, but the moment I realized what it was — it was just a feeling. I don’t feel I’m an imposter anymore. Instead, I’m a good designer to be. I could admit I didn’t know in the interviews, but I’d love to learn and could learn fast.

People love to work with authentic people, not unrealistic “Know-it-All.”

Fearing fear is worse than fear itself. Call it out, “Oh, it’s imposter syndrome,” then shrug your shoulders and move on.

2. Feel valuable and pass the baton

Confidence is a feeling. To feel confident in your new journey, you need to feel you can create values in the first place.

The truth is, the moment you step on the career change journey, you are already valuable to anyone who is one step behind you.

You always have something to share. Even your tears and failures have value to both you and others.

I won’t make it so far without all the support and advice I received from all the mentors and other career changers. Many of us are willing to give back to the community and hope to make others’ journeys more manageable.

Join a community and remember to pass the baton.

Before any techniques and resources, feeling good about yourself is the key to helping you launch your new career.

Resources and When to Use Them

1. If you are looking for your next design job, read this book now: Land Your Dream Design Job

I wish I had encountered this book earlier. It guides you through the design job hunting process from the beginning to the end.

I used this book while preparing for Whiteboard Challenge and Design Critique.

I will keep reading it even after I get my design job. It gives you a big picture of the design industry and the differences between working for big companies vs. a startup. Very practical.

2. Watch Mike Locke’s Youtube before your interviews

Using the phrases that Mike gives you will help you pass the interviews. Especially if you are new in your career. Check this one in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQmCkuAH3JI

After watching dozens of his videos, you will build the right mentality of collaborating with teams as a designer.

Also, it calms you down before the interviews.

3. Participate in CSC Pro Sessions whenever possible

I feel the pain of talking about design in a second language. For a while, I was intimated by this. However, facing and embracing it is the only way to welcome your fear.

Again, fearing fear is worse than fear itself.

I won’t be able to pass the interviews without practicing talking about my design in the club. Thank you so much, 

Jan Haaland, Thanh An, and all the members who have practiced with me.

Thanks again, Zohar, for sharing the resources for the Whiteboarding Challenge. Please read and use the resources Zohar provided.

I hope you enjoy reading it and, most importantly, use it for your process, iterate on it and pass the baton to the next designer-to-be you will meet. 🙂