Are you searching for a fully remote UX job?
Working fully or partly remote is quite common these days, even in UX and UI Design. Unfortunately, it’s still not standard in lot’s of companies and maybe that’s why you are one of those people who would struggle to change jobs and work more or even completely remote.
I experienced this journey by myself and would like to share my insights with you. So I decided to sum up the tactics which worked best for me finding a remote UX job. (Disclaimer: Which does not mean they will work for anybody else out there.)
Job search, applications and interview processes are exhausting and cost time and energy (on both sides 😉). To help you find the job that fits you most, there are a few things you should keep in mind. They could make your search more successful.
There are 4 steps you can work on, while searching for the job that suits you best:
- Defining your goals and vision
- Promote yourself
- Interview preparation
- Keeping track
✨ Goals and vision
Before you even start searching for a remote UX job, think about what you expect from a new position. It’s best to define a few criteria that are important to you and get a clear idea how these points should look like in your future work life.
Criteria could be:
- the position you would like to work in
- your expected salary (range)
- the way of working, like fully remote, hybrid or even on-site (which is not very likely, otherwise you would not read the article)
- the size of the company
- and the industry you will work for.
- Are there any other criteria that come to you mind, expand your list.
Describing the goals for your future job helps you to know what you’re searching for exactly. To visualize your goals and visions, you can create a goals & vision board, for example in FigJam or Miro.
📢 Promote yourself
In order to process your applications quickly and effectively, I recommend that you make certain preparations.
Set up a portfolio
As a designer – whether UI, UX, or product designer – you basically need an online portfolio, not just if you’re searching for a remote UX job. Meanwhile, there are countless drag & drop website providers that make it easy for you to create your online presence. Many of them also offer templates for portfolios.
Bring in your own style and give your portfolio a personal touch. Texts should be error-free and photos, videos, and graphics should be in high resolution. The portfolio is your flagship as a designer – especially when it comes to a remote job. Ask friends for proof-reading and early feedback in your creation process.
Design your CV
Think about the content of your CV and how you want to present it. If you want to create some recognition, you can base your CV on the style of your portfolio. Use the same theme, fonts, and colors.
I often read that a CV should come as neutral as possible. No photo, no design. Personally, however, my experience has been quite different. Maybe in some countries, it is common that there is no photo on the CV, alright. But in Europe, especially in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), it is quite common.
Also in terms of design, you can set some pleasing highlights. Don’t overuse colors or visual elements, but use them to highlight the most important information. This will make you stand out from the rest of other applicants at the first glance a recruiter gets at your CV.
But what is definitely important – keep it short. All the information should fit on one page. If you can do that, your CV already shows that you are able to prioritize well. In times of information overload, this is an important quality.
Write a cover letter
In some applications – again, it probably depends on the region in the world where you are applying – a cover letter is still required. But often it is only optional.
If it is optional – send it anyways.
If it is optional – send it anyways. This expresses your motivation for the job: «I’m investing my time into this application.»
So my recommendation is that you create a template for your cover letter in a text or design program, maybe even Figma. Draft text blocks and then customize them for each application.
But don’t just change the company name and the contact person. Avoid texts that are too generic, but focus on the company and the product. Tell them why you are applying and how you can contribute to their future success. Tailor it to each job, company, and your skills.
This involves effort and takes some practice. However, the more you do it, the faster you’ll get the point of what you’re saying. In addition, you have the opportunity to vary and, over time, you can understand from the feedback you get from your applications, which wording in your texts is most successful.
🎙 Interview preparation
Job interviews are always stressful. However, by preparing well, you can minimize the stress level in advance and concentrate on the essentials during the interview for your remote UX job.
Video setup
If you are looking for a remote UX job, all interviews will be conducted remotely. Make your video setup professional, so you can immediately show that online meetings are part of your daily business.
I always find it very disconcerting when my interview partners replace their background with stock photos or use a blur effect. For me, it gives the impression that the person I’m talking to has something to hide.
Moreover, this technology only works semi-perfectly so far, and the unsightly borders around the other person’s head are usually more distracting than if they had simply left the background real.
I even had a conversation partner once whose shirt was half blurred with the blur filter, and I had the impression of talking to a floating head with no body – for more than an hour. Creepy. 🧟
Better make your background simple. Either sit in front of a plain wall, a calm picture is also nice. This way you put yourself as the person for the video call in the center without much distraction. The alternative is to place yourself with your back in an open, tidy room. This view creates depth and also draws attention towards you.
Pitch yourself
The first interview within sight? Then it’s time to think about how you want to introduce yourself.
How do you present your strengths without sounding boastful and how do you convince people about you without sounding phony? Since you can convey less through body language, you should prepare this point well to be convincing and authentic.
You can follow a simple 4-step rule to prepare your personal pitch:
- You in one sentence
- Your story
- Your why
- Why you
You can read more about this framework for your pitch in this article about how to pitch yourself.
Know your design process
One of the most common questions in interviews for design jobs is about your design process. So it’s best to think about how to describe your methodology beforehand.
As an experienced designer, this shouldn’t be too difficult. However, even if your previous experience is limited to case studies and you have not worked on products in the market, it is important to have a good answer to this question.
A good tip is to follow the Design Thinking process, but don’t necessarily describe everything according to the book. Use your own experience to describe how you would be working.
You can also include why this process works well entirely remotely and/or what your previous experience with it has been.
Specific interview prep
Use the time before the first interview to prepare yourself specifically for the meeting.
Know the company and the team
Take some time to look at the company’s website. What different products are there? Who is on the team? Who are their customers?
When it comes to the interview this knowledge will help you to ask questions spontaneously and show your overall interest.
Questions are key
Prepare questions for each interview that you can ask depending on the time available or the topics of conversation. From general questions about the company to product-specific ones, to work processes and teamwork, it is advisable to cover a wide variety of topics.
Of course, a generic list of questions will help you to prepare. Nevertheless, before each interview, you should think about what interests you about the position, the product, and the company.
✅ Keeping track
Job search is not easy and requires a lot of effort. Rarely one attempt is enough to find your dream remote UX job. To keep an overview of your applications, you can track your activities and thus monitor and improve your process.
As a template, I recommend my job tracking board for Notion. With this board you have all your information in one place:
- Links to remote UX job platforms to check regularly
- List of jobs you want to apply for incl. tags for priority
- Status list of your current applications.
In the status list, you can keep the status of your application up to date (applied, 1st interview, take-home task, etc.), store information like salary requirements, and sort everything with filters.
🧺 To sum it up
Looking for a remote UX job can be stressful, but with a few tips, you can jumpstart your application process:
- Set your goals and your vision.
- Create an individual portfolio that emphasizes your uniqueness.
- Design your CV so that it fits you and keep it up to date.
- Write a cover letter that you can customize.
- Make sure you have a professional video setup for your online interviews.
- Think about your pitch and know your design process.
- Learn about the company, its products, and the team before the interview.
- Prepare company-specific questions for each interview.
- Record your efforts on a job tracking board to keep track of them.
I wish you the best of luck in your job search and hope you find your dream remote UX job soon. Let me know if these tips were helpful to you or if you’re missing something important by writing me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
📒 Get your remote UX job — A Playbook
I have written a comprehensive guide that walks you step-by-step through the whole UX job search. 🚀
Why a Job Search Playbook?
Because job hunting is a bit like a game. Sometimes it’s one side’s move, sometimes it’s the other side’s. And there are always a few rules to follow. You should be aware of them as these rules also make the process easier, and with the right strategy, you’re sure to get towards your goal.
This is not just a guide to help you get your next job. It’s a playbook, which means you have to get into action.
Grab your copy of the playbook as a PDF version!