Let’s get Intuit, I mean into it.

Layoffs suck, even if you wanted to leave

I know it’s weird to think someone wouldn’t mind being laid off, but during the 3-years after Intuit acquired Mailchimp, it became increasingly more difficult to enjoy work. Of course, many things will change once a company is acquired, but those changes, on top of yearly reorgs, made it nearly impossible to iterate on the work that I was doing.

This led to me wanting to leave and, ironically, I got what I wanted, just not on my terms. I acknowledge that depending on the situation, being laid off can be a touchy subject for some, but I don’t have bad feelings about it and actually enjoy talking about it. The structure of the layoff and the severance package allowed me to take some time off from work and job searching and do other things.

I used this time to build physical things with my hands instead of a mouse and keyboard. I built shelves and a deck, painted my home office, and completed other home improvement projects that were on my list for over a year. It was amazing being able to spend time doing what I wanted to be doing.

Taking 90 days off from designing, I knew the tools I used daily for 3.5 years might feel different, but when I opened Figma for the first time, I felt like I had never used it before. It wasn’t because I was rusty. It was because that is precisely when Figma rolled out a new UI without prior notice. I panicked at first but now find it to be hilarious.

“Don’t tie your self-worth to your job”

People, myself included, preach this concept often, but it’s much easier said than done. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with associating some self-worth with what you do for 40 hours a week. In fact, I think it’s totally natural.

It becomes a problem for me when I notice my life and relationships outside of work are negatively impacted. Whether it’s wanting to sleep in more often, falling out of my routines that make me happier, not wanting to reach out to friends and family as often, or simply becoming irritable and short.

During my unemployment, some weeks are fine and I don’t think of it much, and others feel low when I wonder “What am I doing right now with my life?” and “What do I want to be doing?” This is the main reason I love posting on LinkedIn and created this newsletter—because I put a lot of value in connecting with others.

All this to say, we all do it, but it’s something to be conscious of if you notice other areas of your life being impacted.

Challenges of the job search

I can think of several challenges designers face when searching for a new job. I can’t list them all going to list them all, but here’s what I’ve experienced:

1. The rapidly evolving nature of technology means that we must continuously update our skills and portfolios to stay relevant. This is daunting, as we need to demonstrate proficiency in the latest design tools and methodologies, which can vary significantly between companies. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve redesigned my portfolio over the past 6 months.

2. The current job market is insanely competitive and requires us to differentiate ourselves from a large pool of talented and qualified candidates. Crafting a unique personal brand, showcasing a diverse range of projects, and practicing interview questions and answers is time-consuming and requires strategic thinking.

3. Aligning with a company's culture and values is crucial, yet challenging, as it involves understanding the nuances of each organization and effectively communicating how your design philosophy and work ethic align with the prospective employer's mission. This often requires extensive research which adds another layer of complexity to the job search.

4. Product Designers are expected to wear many hats. Whether you work at a startup or a large company, skills like UX research, facilitating user interviews, creating user flows and customer journeys, and being a Figma expert are among the many that are typically desired.

Open job postings

That was fun

I like writing and sharing, so thank you for taking the time to read through this. As always, you can find me on LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or feedback as I look to choose relevant topics and grow my subscribers.