Table of Contents
- Your UX resume is not your portfolio
- ❌ 7 things to avoid in your UX resume
- 1. Avoid paragraphs
- 2. Avoid the mug shot
- 3. Avoid using fluffy words
- 4. Avoid self-praising words
- 5. Avoid writing your job description
- 6. Avoid going overbroad with the design
- 7. Avoid extracurricular courses as part of your education
- ✅ 6 things to do in your UX resume
- 1. Do prioritise
- 2. Do use action words
- 3. Do use the XYZ formula
- 4. Do quantify your impact
- 5. Do skip the intro paragraph
- 6. Do have a template for customization
- ATS—The robot gatekeeper of designer dreams
- What the hell is ATS anyway?
- What it cares:
- The two-resume strategy
- 1. ATS version
- 2. Figma version
- How to bypass the screening process
- Door #1:
- Door #2:
- Door #3:
- How you can sneak through door #3 (and get hired):
- 1. Redesign something they already have
- 2. Slide into their DMs (with value)
- 3. Make a short video pitch
- 4. Go where they hang out
- The ultimate UX resume checklist
- Design your resume like you design products
- TL; DR
Do not index
Do not index
Read time: under 12 minutes
Your UX resume is not your portfolio
Writing a UX resume isn’t just about listing your skills.
It’s about knowing what not to say, how to say the right things clearly, and making sure your resume doesn’t get eaten by an ATS robot.
Too many great designers get ignored, not because they lack talent, but because their resume fails to connect. FAST.
Today, I will break down things UX designers should avoid and things they should do. Plus, what hiring managers are actually looking for, and how to design a resume that stands out (to both humans and the ATS).
Let’s clean up the clutter and help you land more interviews!
Free Resume Template for UX Designers
![Resume Template [Figma Template]](https://www.notion.so/image/https:%2F%2Fpublic-files.gumroad.com%2Fgxx6wn4zfi18pac7rpi5ar5ngiwy?table=block&id=1d62a971-edb7-80ee-8dc9-c86ccddd1e81&cache=v2)
![Resume Template [Figma Template]](https://www.notion.so/image/https:%2F%2Fpublic-files.gumroad.com%2Fmwk9di0199hyehnc20tpz84vy21i?table=block&id=1d62a971-edb7-80ee-8dc9-c86ccddd1e81&cache=v2)
❌ 7 things to avoid in your UX resume
1. Avoid paragraphs
No one reads walls of text—especially not recruiters speedrunning through 200 applications while their coffee gets cold.
Example:
Don’t:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Curabitur libero odio, consequat
non rutrum vitae, fringilla at erat. Proin sodales ex lorem, vel semper tellus gravida quis.
Better:
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
- Consectetur adipiscing elit.
- Curabitur libero odio.
2. Avoid the mug shot
Your beautiful face has no place on your resume unless you're applying to be a model (and even then, they'll ask for a portfolio).
Example:
Don't: Include a professional headshot at the top of your resume because you spent $200 on those LinkedIn photos.
Better: Use that space for relevant skills and experience, your face belongs on your portfolio site and LinkedIn profile.
Resume photos are a no-go in most Western countries to avoid bias, but expected in places like Japan or parts of Europe. Always follow local norms.
3. Avoid using fluffy words
Saying "I'm a good communicator" is like claiming "I know how to use a fork"—it's expected and proves nothing.
Example:
Don't: I'm a good communicator with excellent teamwork skills.
Better: Built deep and trusted partnerships with engineering teams, reducing design-to-development handoff time by 40%.
4. Avoid self-praising words
Calling yourself a "design unicorn" on your resume is like introducing yourself as "the smartest person in the room"—even if it were true, it immediately makes everyone skeptical and uncomfortable. 👀
Example:
Don't: As a UX genius and design unicorn, I bring unparalleled talent to every project.
Better: Redesigned checkout flow resulting in 24% increase in conversion rate and $1.2M additional annual revenue.
List of words you should avoid using:
- Genius
- Prodigy
- Unicorn
- Talented
- Illustrious
- Self-starter
- Test of breed
- Thought-leader
- Jacks of all trades
5. Avoid writing your job description
Listing tasks makes you sound like a robot from the company handbook.
Hiring managers are hunting for the person who'll do it so well that the CEO name-drops them in the quarterly all-hands.
Example:
Don’t: Designed a registration page for the event.
Better: Led design from ideation to launch for an event registration landing page, resulting in faster dev handoff and an on-time launch.
6. Avoid going overbroad with the design
Your beautiful skill bars confuse the robot (ATS) that decides your fate.
Recruiters spend less than 8 seconds on your UX resume, don't make them decipher your creative genius.
Example:
Don't: Use fancy columns, skill sliders, icons, or anything that pleases the eye but confuses the ATS.
Better: Create a clean, single-column layout with standard headers that both machines and humans can understand.
7. Avoid extracurricular courses as part of your education
That 3-hour LinkedIn Learning course is not the same as your bachelor's degree. And pretending otherwise is the resume equivalent of wearing a fake Rolex.
Example:
Don't:
- Education: Harvard University - Design Thinking (actually just a $49 online certificate)
Better:
- Education: BA in Interaction Design, State University
- Professional Development: Design Thinking Certificate, Harvard Online
This framework is part of UX Portfolio Playbook—your full guide to creating an outstanding portfolio and getting noticed.
✅ 6 things to do in your UX resume
1. Do prioritise
Think of your resume like a movie trailer. You don’t show every scene, you show the best parts that get people hooked.
Example:
Don't: List every job you've ever had with equal emphasis and detail.
▪️ Barista @ Coffee Spot (2016–2018)
- Took orders
- Restocked milk
- Cleaned counters
▪️ UX Designer @ Fintech Co (2022–2024)
- Led onboarding redesign
- Interviewed users
- Made wireframes
Better: Highlight your most relevant UX experience with detailed bullet points while summarizing or omitting unrelated positions.
▪️ UX Designer @ Fintech Co
- Ran 10+ user interviews
- Prototyped in Figma, shipped fast
- Boosted user retention by 35% via onboarding redesign
▪️ Previous roles:
- List down…
2. Do use action words
Start your bullets with powerful verbs that make you sound like the hero of your career story, not just an extra with no lines.
Example:
Don't: Was responsible for wireframes and prototypes.
Better: Created high-fidelity prototypes that secured executive buy-in and directed the product roadmap for Q3-Q4.
Some words you can take note:
- Increase
- Mentor
- Improve
- Manage
- Achieve
- Resolve
- Trained
For junior designers, if you don’t have a chance to do those things, you can’t use those words.
In that case, you shouldn't just focus on crafting the perfect CV & trying to get experience and leverage relationships. Volunteering is the easiest way to start.
3. Do use the XYZ formula
Transform vague accomplishments into compelling narratives with clear cause and effect—like turning a tweet into a blockbuster movie.
Follow this formula:
- X is WHAT you did (increased sign-ups)
- Y is HOW MUCH it mattered (by 37%)
- Z is HOW you worked your magic (redesigned onboarding based on user research)
Example:
Don't: Improved the onboarding experience.
Better: Increased user sign-up completion by 37% by redesigning the onboarding flow based on usability findings from 15 user interviews.
Show what you have done, how, and the impact
→ "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]."
4. Do quantify your impact
Numbers are like spices in your resume—without them, it's just bland corporate oatmeal that no one remembers.
Example:
Don't: Improved app usability and customer satisfaction.
Better: Reduced customer support tickets by 32% and increased app store rating from 3.2 to 4.7 by implementing research-based UX improvements.
For junior designers who don’t have much experience yet, you can brainstorm potential impacts once the solution is released:
Example: If a user tells you in an interview that they spend 10 hours doing X, and your solution aims to cut that down to 5 minutes
↳ You could frame it as: 'Potential hours saved: 9.9’
5. Do skip the intro paragraph
We know you want a job. Everyone applying does. Skip the appetizer and go straight to the main course.
Example:
Don't: Passionate and detail-oriented UX designer with a dedication to creating user-centered experiences seeking a challenging role to leverage my skills...
Better: Start directly with your experience or a concise skills summary that showcases your specific UX expertise.
▪️ Product Designer @ ABC App (2022–2024)
- Designed a booking flow that increased completion rate by 45%
- Collaborated with PMs and engineers to launch 3 core features in 6 months
- Led usability tests across 3 markets, uncovering key insights that shaped v2 redesign
6. Do have a template for customization
A one-size-fits-all resume is like showing up to every date in the same outfit—it might work once, but you're limiting your chances.
Example:
Don't: Send the exact same resume to a startup, a large tech company, and a design agency.
Better: Customize your experience bullets to highlight startup scaling for the startup, enterprise collaboration for the large company, and creative problem-solving for the agency.
Scenario 1 – Startup
- Helped grow active users by 80% in 3 months by running lean usability tests and iterating based on direct customer feedback.
Scenario 2 – Enterprise tech company
- Worked cross-functionally with 5+ departments to implement a scalable design system used by 30+ teams globally.
Scenario 3 – Design agency
- Led fast-paced client projects from brief to delivery, juggling brand guidelines, client egos, and tight deadlines with grace and snacks.
ATS—The robot gatekeeper of designer dreams
What the hell is ATS anyway?
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is the soulless robot that stands between you and your dream job.
It's like that bouncer at the club who doesn't care how cool you are—it's just looking for specific keywords and proper formatting before it lets you in.
What it cares:
- Clean formatting it can actually read
- Keywords that match the job description
- Text it can parse, not images or layered layouts
Think of it as the bouncer outside your dream job. If your resume doesn’t say the right things in the right format, you’re not getting in.
The two-resume strategy
When I first started applying for UX jobs, I poured hours into crafting a beautifully designed resume, one that truly reflected my skills and style as a designer.
It looked great…but it got me zero interviews.
Turns out, most companies use something ATS. And guess what? That gorgeous layout? Totally unreadable to the robot.
Once I switched to a clean, text-based version focused on impact and keywords, my response rate tripled. So now, I often recommend UX designers to use two resumes: one to beat the bot, one to impress the human.
Here’s why that works & how you can do it too:
1. ATS version
A clean, simple Word document with:
- Single column layout
- Simple section headers
- No text in headers/footers
- Saved as a .docx or clean PDF
- No images, charts, or graphics
- Standard fonts (Arial, Inter, Roboto)
- No more than 3-5 bullet points per role
2. Figma version
Your design showcase with:
- Custom typography and visual elements
- Your full personality and design sensibilities
- Beautiful layout that demonstrates your design chops
- Creative demonstrations of your skills and experience
How to bypass the screening process
Getting a design job is like trying to get into an exclusive nightclub where the bouncer has resting murder face and the line stretches longer than the terms and conditions you never read:
Door #1:
The main entrance — standing in line with everyone else (applying through job boards). This is where 99% of people are waiting.
Door #2:
The VIP entrance — for those with connections (referrals). This is for the lucky few who know someone inside or have a friend who can text the owner.
Door #3:
The unconventional way in — the staff entrance, the open bathroom window, or some creative approach that nobody else thought of.
This door isn't advertised, has no line, and might involve minor trespassing laws 😉
Most designers focus on Door #1. A few lucky ones have access to Door #2. But the smart ones find Door #3.
Land your next role with Job Sprint —165+ micro-video lessons directly from years of experience hiring UX designers as UX Managers.
How you can sneak through door #3 (and get hired):
1. Redesign something they already have
- Find a rough user flow in their product?
- Create a quick redesign or UX case study.
- Show them what better could look like, with before/after screens or a Loom video.
↳ Bonus points if you also identify a pain point and solve it. That’s you doing the job before having the job.
2. Slide into their DMs (with value)
- Don't just say “Hi I love your company”.
- Say: “Hey, I redesigned your onboarding, want to see?”
- Or: “I had 3 ideas that could improve X in your app.”
↳ Respect their time. Keep it short. Link to your work.
3. Make a short video pitch
- Show your face. Drop a joke. Be memorable.
- Introduce yourself. Talk like a human, not a résumé bot.
- “Hi, I’m [Name]. I love [Company] and I made a 60-sec teardown of your pricing page. Check it out 👇”
↳ This isn’t YouTube. One take. No pressure. Keep it under 2 minutes.
4. Go where they hang out
- Founders tweet. Designers blog. PMs lurk on LinkedIn.
- Join their world. Comment on their posts. Share ideas.
- Show up consistently, not like a stalker, but like a helpful peer.
↳ You’ll be top-of-mind when they are hiring.
Be bold, resourceful, and memorable, you’re looking for that third door!
The ultimate UX resume checklist
Before submitting your next application, run through this checklist:
No self-rating systems or skill bars
Action verbs start each bullet point
PDF format (unless otherwise specified)
No more than 3-5 bullet points per role
Skills section is keyword-rich but honest
Experience bullets follow the XYZ formula
Achievements are quantified where possible
No generic objective or summary statement
Clear, scannable format with no fancy elements
Education section is brief (unless you're entry-level)
Maximum two pages (one page if less than 5 years experience)
Filename includes your name (e.g., JaneDoe_UXDesign_Resume.pdf)
Design your resume like you design products
Good UX is invisible — and so is a great resume.
It gets you where you want to go without friction, confusion, or 17 dropdowns.
If you treat your resume like a design challenge — with a clear user (the recruiter), clear goals (get the interview), and constraints (thanks, ATS). You’ll stand out for all the right reasons.
✨ Focus on impact, not ego.
✨ Be concise, not clever.
✨ Let your work brag for you.
Now go forth, clean up that resume, and give those hiring managers a reason to say: “Wait… we need to talk to this person.”
Good luck, folks 😉
TL; DR
7 things to avoid in your UX resume:
- Avoid paragraphs
- Avoid the mug shot
- Avoid using fluffy words
- Avoid self-praising words
- Avoid writing your job description
- Avoid going overbroad with the design
- Avoid extracurricular courses as part of your education
6 things to do in your UX resume:
- Do prioritise
- Do use action words
- Do use the XYZ formula
- Do quantify your impact
- Do skip the intro paragraph
- Do have a template for customization
Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:
1. Junior Designer Bundle: Transition into UX and craft an unforgettable portfolio & get hired.
2. Senior Designer Bundle: Become a design leader with systems to build healthier, happier teams.
3. UX Portfolio Critique: In less than 48 hours, get your 30-minute personalised video of brutally honest feedback.
4. Job Sprint Course: Stand out in an unpredictable job market by building a memorable personal brand and a killer job search strategy.
