104: Your UX portfolio isn't about selling the product you worked on, it's about selling YOU

In this episode, Sarah Doody delivers a hot take on a common mistake in UX portfolios: focusing too much on showcasing the product and not enough on showcasing the designer . Drawing on her experience reviewing thousands of portfolios since 2017, Sarah explains why it's critical to highlight your decision-making process, iterations, and problem-solving skills to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.

Timestamps

00:44 Understanding the Recruiter's Perspective

02:41 Key Elements to Highlight in Your Portfolio

03:00 Showcasing Your Decision-Making Process

03:49 The Importance of Iteration and Trade-offs

06:42 Collaboration and Learning from Projects

08:40 Conclusion and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways:

1. Sell Yourself, Not Just the Product

• Your portfolio should showcase how you think, not just the shiny end results.
• Recruiters and hiring managers are the users of your portfolio, and their needs differ from internal stakeholders.

1. Common Portfolio Pitfalls

• Reusing slides and presentations designed for team meetings or stakeholder updates.
• Treating your portfolio like an investor pitch deck, focusing on visuals rather than process.

1. What Recruiters and Hiring Managers Want to See:

• Decision-Making Process: Explain why you chose specific methods or solutions.
• Iterations and Evolution: Show how your designs evolved and improved.
• Trade-offs: Highlight how you handled constraints like budget, time, or team capacity.
• Challenges: Share how you navigated setbacks or unexpected problems.
• Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with peers or across departments.
• Lessons Learned: Reflect on what you gained from the project and how it informs your future work.

1. Reframe Your Portfolio:

• Treat it as a showcase of your thinking and not just your output.
• Avoid the temptation to make it a "Shark Tank" pitch for your project.

Resources Mentioned:

• E91:  No, you don’t need 3-5 projects in your UX Potfolio to apply for a job
• E85: Q&A about UX portfolio formats, case studies, tailoring your portfolio, & more
• E60: Create a portfolio that stands out by focusing on your benefits, not features as a candidate
• Blog: <a href="https://www.careerstrategylab.com/8-ux-portfolio-website-mistakes-to-avoid/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" s