Employer-Ready Criteria for UX/UI Career Switchers

1. Resume Criteria
2. Portfolio Criteria
3. LinkedIn Profile Criteria
4. Professional Brand Statement Criteria

Resume Criteria

Content

Heading

Include name, phone number, professional email address , city and state or region, and written out hyperlinks to LinkedIn and Portfolio.

Summary

Title of role pursuing (do not identify as a student).
Background experience that connects to the role you are pursuing.
Avoid pronouns.
2-3 transferable skills (ex. adaptable; time management; communication; innovative; collaborative; conflict resolution).
Years of related experience (keep below 10 years).
Accomplishments, recognitions, and/or awards.
Training or certifications

Skills

Include skills / concepts / methodologies (etc.) acquired in the program.
Ensure programming languages and technologies conform to standard spelling and style for the industry.

Projects

Include up to three of your strongest projects
Include a brief description for each project (1-2 lines)
Include skills / concepts / methodologies (etc.) used
Include written links to both deployed projects and code.

Experience

Clearly laid out with accomplishments highlighted rather than job duties.
Experience listed in reverse chronological order, with job title, job description, company name, city and state or province, and dates of employment.
Start every bullet with an action verb; don’t use the same verb more than once.
Pull out transferable skills from previous roles that will speak to your target role (e.g. attention to detail, thrives under pressure, etc.).

Education

List education below Experience.
Listed in reverse chronological order
Include city and state
Include title (ex. certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, etc.)
Include the current program as the most recent item in education and ensure it is listed as a certificate.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

Include standard heading titles (Education, Projects, Technical Skills, Summary, Experience).
Spell out acronyms and abbreviations (abbreviated months are acceptable).
Use bullets instead of asterisks.
Avoid images, icons, or photographs.
Avoid colored text.
Avoid columns, tables, text boxes, and graphs.
Do not write in the header or footer of the document.
Use keywords that match the job description and align with required skills needed for each specific role.

Design and Format

Simplicity

No template language or blank areas.
Design does not get in the way of necessary text/content.
Text fills the page without overcrowding.
Balanced margins, between 0.5” – 1.”
No more than one page if new to the field, two pages if have relevant experience.
Name and headlines stand out.
Few (or no) hanging lines (where just a few words take up an entire line).

Consistency

Font size of 11 or 12.
Consistent and professional font style. It’s okay to use different fonts for the headings and body. Professional font styles include: Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Helvetica, Times New Roman.
Consistent use of bold, italic, and underline; same bullet point style for all lists.

Accuracy

Consistent punctuation throughout.
No grammar errors; no spelling errors.
No personal pronouns (I, we, he, or she).
Abbreviations or acronyms are not used unless necessary.

Portfolio Criteria

Content

Name and Links

Includes name, email address (not hotmail, yahoo, aol, or school), and link to LinkedIn page.
Includes a button or link to a PDF of your resume or CV.

About Section and Skills

Minimum of 5 skills or technologies listed as proficiencies.
Clear and concise description of your passion for design.
Visualizes design skills over a long list of keywords.

Professional Presentation

Demonstrates experience in and passion for the role you are currently pursuing.
Quantifies your work with accomplishments, not duties.
Includes no more than 3-5 lines.
Written in the 3rd person without personal pronouns.

Simple Navigation Structure

Portfolio contains no more than 3-5 primary sections:

Homepage (case studies, work highlights, etc).
About you (skills, passions, personal background).
Portfolio works (list of projects and case studies).
Services (overview of UX/UI/FE skills).
Contact (email, social media, etc).

Case Studies

Includes at least three case studies
Case study includes:
- Design and development process and the UX methodologies used to solve the problem.
- Low fidelity designs (sketches, post-it notes, wireframes) and how those became high fidelity prototypes, ui, or system visualizations.
- Your role and what problem the project helped solve.
- The time it took to complete the project.
May include external links to outside portfolio platforms like Behance or a website.
Includes links to prototypes where applicable.

Design and Format

Simplicity

Web design does not overshadow content.
Clear use of grids and responsive web design best practices
Name and headlines stand out.
No excessive use of animations

Consistency and Professionalism

Clear and clean use of typography and fonts.
Consistent and professional voice and tone.
Consistent use of bold, italic, and underline; same bullet point style for all lists.
Legible storytelling with designed content sections and process descriptions.

Accuracy

Consistent punctuation throughout.
No grammar or spelling errors.
Abbreviations or acronyms are not used unless necessary.

Images, Video, and Audio

Clear thumbnails or screenshots from each project.
Images are appropriately sized with good quality and lighting.
Images are contextually appropriate with labels and captions.
Videos are embedded.
Video content is sized and timed appropriately. (Avoid long videos; The average recruiter spends 60-120 seconds per project.)
Videos have clear titles and contributors sourced.
Use of sounds sparingly.
No music.

LinkedIn Profile Criteria

Compelling Introduction

Professional profile photo.
Customized background image.
Up-to-date contact information (email).
Catchy headline that incorporates target role.
Clear summary statement that speaks to experience, background, and professional qualifications.

Experience

Clearly laid out with accomplishments highlighted rather than job duties.
Experience listed in reverse chronological order, with job title, job description, company name, city and state or province, and dates of employment.
Start every bullet with an action verb; don’t use the same verb more than once.
Pull out transferable skills from previous roles that will speak to your target role (e.g. attention to detail, thrives under pressure, etc.).

Education

List education below Experience.
Listed in reverse chronological order
Include city and state with
Include title (ex. certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, etc.)
Include the current program as the most recent item in education and ensure it is listed as a certificate.

Skills, Recommendations, Accomplishments, and Interests

These sections give a fuller picture of who you are.
At least 20 skills, both technical and transferable.
At least 2-4 recommendations that attest to your skill set and work ethic.
At least 2-3 projects highlighted with working links.
At least 20 interests displayed, with a mix of personal and professional interests.

Accuracy

All spelling is accurate with consistent punctuation.
Tone consistent throughout.
All links work.

Professional Brand Statement Criteria

Concise

Consists of 75-150 words. Keep it focused and make every line count.

Targets Role

First line presents you in your desired role. Avoid identifying as a student (as you will use this after graduation). Ex: UI Designer, UX Engineer, Visual Designer.

Includes Education

Includes only relevant degrees, certifications, and/or trainings. Make sure you include the boot camp to demonstrate your technical training. Ex: Certificate in UX/UI from XYZ University.

Includes Skills and Strengths

Includes 3-5 relevant technical skills and professional strengths that align with a desired role.

If available, use the job description to determine the best skills to include.
Show how you have applied these skills and strengths in previous roles or projects.

Demonstrates Value

Showcases professional or academic achievements, accomplishments, successful projects, and recognitions. Hint: Aim for professional, but if you lack professional experience, pull from academics.

Includes Motivation/Aim

Determine what motivates you professionally. What end results do you hope to achieve in your role?

Positions Yourself

Sell, don’t summarize! Connect how your past experience, skills, and/or training have prepared you for your desired role. This is where you can provide examples to support your claims. Hint: To demonstrate that you are a team player, give an example of working successfully in a team environment. Show outcomes of your work.