The Everyday Designer #9 — The one skill that will get you further anywhere

There’s one particular skill I’ve been focusing on since I first started to learn Product Design and one soft skill I have that’s single-handedly landed me jobs at some of the biggest companies on the planet. In this post, I’m hoping you walk away with a couple of nuggets that will help you land your dream job! 

In the summer of 2021, I started taking the design platform Dribbble way more seriously than I have in the past. Most people know or at least most designers know you can’t trust Dribbble for inspiration for real-world problems you are trying to solve for a real-world product. I thought to myself, “I’m going to have my Dribbble portfolio be made up of designs that could very well be… Real-world applications and products.” 

Thanks for reading The Everyday Designer! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

When I started posting ideas and concepts that could be actual products I noticed my Dribbble started taking off. I wasn’t gaining a ton of followers but I was gaining a ton of job leads. I would post a Dribbble shot and then share it on Linkedin, which would then allow recruiters to see my work and see that it’s really thought out and designed really well. They would then reach out to me. 

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege to go from being a Product Designer at AXS.com which is the leading event ticketing company in the world, to then landing my dream job at Paramount Plus designing the home page, the most used page in the product, to then getting a massive promotion and salary increase, by becoming a Lead Senior Product Designer at Wells Fargo. 

How did someone who started their career in 2019 make this happen? By posting real-world concepts on Dribbble, sharing them on Linkedin, but then having a very specific soft skill that was noticed by the hiring managers in my interviews. 

This soft skill is simple, having a great attitude. In other words, not being a jerk. 

My work opened the door but my attitude is what landed me the jobs. I may not have been the most skilled designer they interviewed but my attitude from what I was told is what secured the position. 

I have 100% faith that if you hone in on this soft skill even more than your work you will see your career take flight and it will bring you opportunities like never before. 

It’s not always about working for the company that will look great on your resume or even taking a high salary. It’s about being humble and expressing that to the hiring manager. 

Your attitude will shine brighter than someone's years of experience. There are a ton of amazing designers out there but very few of them hold a great attitude. 

Afterward

Hey guys, Alex here. Who else enjoyed this first (of hopefully many) guest post, by Jacob Olenick? I know I sure did. Simple yet memorable.

If you want to see more of Jacob, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Dribbble and LinkedIn!

🌊 Currents

I love sharing what I’ve been up to lately and this is one way for me to let you in on what’s been happening in my life.

📚 Currently reading: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - this has been such a convicting read already and I’ve only gone through the first couple chapters. Learning how to slow down and be present in the moment feels like SUCH a monumental task in a society that prides itself on being busy and “productive”. I think we need to honour our time of rest and take more actual rest for ourselves to heal and recover.

🌿 Currently inspired: Monocle Toronto - I had one of the most pleasant retail experiences of my life, brought to you by Catalina at Monocle. I did not know they had a retail store (the only one in Canada hehe) and so when my friend posted a story about I knew I had to see it for myself. I was greeted with a smile and no pressure to engage in conversation yet so invited by the warmth of the midday sun to engage. We exchanged some sentences in spanish after learning of her background and then she proceeded to offer me sparkling water and an espresso, for free. How could I decline such an offer? Anyways, if you’re in Toronto, Monocle is a must-stop.

😄 Currently contemplating: Want a House In Japan for Free? - apparently there are more houses to go around (2.2 million to be exact) than the population of a lot of countries. Imagine buying a house for $1…anyone else with me?

‍