WE’RE SO BACK 👋

After a short 20-week break, I’m back and ready to go! I’m thinking of posting every other week instead of every week because, if you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I struggle to enjoy writing, and it can start to feel like a chore.

I will say that, despite my disdain for writing, the conversations that I have and the connections that I make from this make it worth it.

A lot has happened since my last post in May, but here are the topics for today:

• My contract with Paramount+ ended in July.

• The job market has not gotten any less challenging to navigate. I made some changes; we’ll get to those.

• My wife and I welcomed our first baby into the world. His name is Callum, and being a parent is awesome, and I can’t wait to watch him grow up and drive shareholder value ❤️

PARAMOUNT+

A bittersweet ending

The original goal was to bring me on as a full-time employee instead of a contractor, but the business was in the process of being acquired by Skydance, which was later approved.

Acquisitions don’t typically come with a surplus in budget, and this was no different. So, while I was bummed, it wasn’t a surprise that they weren’t able to extend the contract or bring me on full-time.

Being a power user of streaming platforms, I had a blast designing in that industry and with such talented teams, and I would definitely work with them again.

Overall, contracting isn’t for me. I don’t mind it if I have a full-time gig already and am allowed to take on outside projects, but I don’t enjoy having to continually search for what’s next.

MY JOB SEARCH

Steady improvements

While the market hasn’t felt like it’s gotten any better in the past few months, I made some very intentional changes to my resume, cover letter (yes, I write those), website, and case study presentation that have resulted in me making it to the final rounds with a few companies.

Actually, this past month was the first time that I had so many interviews going on that I needed to prioritize which roles I’d be best suited for. This resulted in me withdrawing my candidacy from a company whose product felt a bit too technical, and wasn’t exactly what I’m looking for next.

The toughest part of the job search is getting in front of the right people at the right time. If there is one piece of advice that I’d give to those in the search, it would be to see if there’s a connection that can refer you to a role before you apply directly. Referrals work wonders when it comes to getting initial interviews; the rest is on you!

Knowing the rest was on me, I made the following changes to my application resources to see if I’d have more success than in the past.

Resume updates

Prior to the changes, my resume read like a list of actions. It had worked very well in past searches, and I think this is one of the reasons why it wasn’t high on my radar to change. However, this is one example of where AI is a great tool.

I looked to ChatGPT and Claude for insights. I uploaded my resume and cover letter, added a few links for Senior Product Design jobs, and prompted it to create a list of improvements I could make to represent myself better at a senior level.

It wasn’t groundbreaking knowledge, but it was a great starting point to reframing the bullet points on my resume. I’m not huge on buzzwords, but they can help get you past the applicant tracking systems, and sometimes, are included in the job description (so they should be included in your resume/cover letter).

An example of a bullet that I didn’t have success metrics for:

An example of a bullet that I did have success metrics for:

Case study updates

When I saw an increase in initial interviews, it clicked. I made similar changes to the organization and cadence of my case study presentation, which has also proved to be more effective than past iterations.

I now include individual slides to chat through topics such as design leadership, collaboration and stakeholder management, visual iteration, research, and more. Before making these changes, my case studies felt like I was simply walking the audience through my design process (something we are all too familiar with), and didn’t do the best job at showing them who I am as a designer and a teammate.

THE BEBÈ

Callum

With Paramount ending in July and baby Callum being due in September, it wasn’t terrible timing. I was able to continue applying and interviewing while getting the house prepared for him. Painting walls, changing outlets, hanging wallpaper (something I would only wish on my worst enemy), and more really got me in Dad mode.

Leading up to his birth, I never felt a sense of nervousness. I was eager and overall super excited to see him. Once he was here, things felt natural. My wife and I make a great team, so even when we get just a few hours of sleep, I can wake up, shake it off, and pick him up to soothe, change, or feed. It’s truly been the best few weeks so far!

I was in the third round of interviews for three companies and the second round for another. He was born 10 days earlier than expected, and I had to reschedule these interviews (two of them were the following day). I will say, each company was understanding and accommodating. I thought this would hinder my chances, but everyone involved handled it with grace.

First reactions to parenthood

Having a baby has made me realize how many things in life don’t matter. Or, maybe not that they don’t matter, but that they don’t need to take up as much mental space as they have in the past. Some of my first reactions to being a parent are:

1. Nobody knows what they’re doing at this stage, and that’s okay. All babies are different, and all parents are different. There’s no one right way to do things.

2. Time flies. It’s only been a few weeks, but seeing him grow and change already makes me glad I’m able to spend so much time with him.

3. Self-awareness and communication are key. This one feels like a no-brainer, but worth mentioning. Being able to support your partner, and vice versa, makes it so much easier.

4. Single parents are absolutely amazing. I’m fortunate enough to be going through this with my wife, but I have found myself thinking of how challenging this would be for either of us to do alone. This isn’t something new, but this experience has uncovered a newfound appreciation.

5. Newborns don’t care about shareholder value. No comment.

Unemployed as a father

While I’m still in the job search, I’m taking it day by day and simply enjoying the time I get to spend with him, especially my favorite newborn cuddles where he’s crunched up and cozy.

I will say that there is more of a sense of urgency in my search now that he’s here. I love being at home with him, but I also feel more than ever that I need to make sure he’s provided for. My wife works, and I like to joke that she’s the breadwinner and I’m a stay-at-home Dad, but I’m definitely missing work.

I’m still being very intentional with the roles that I’m applying to, but am putting even more effort into being prepared for interviews at each step. Tailoring my case study and resume to each job description, practicing answering common questions, rehearsing my case studies and adapting my presentation to each role, looking at my interviewers on LinkedIn beforehand for any talking points, and so on.

It’s 1am now so that’s it for me. Until next time!

-Nick

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