Dive Club 🤿: How to Get Hired by the Best Teams

Release Date: January 14, 2025
Host: Ridd

Introduction

In this insightful episode of Dive Club 🤿, host Ridd delves into the essential traits that top design teams seek in candidates. Through engaging discussions with industry leaders like Diego Zaks, Soleo, Amy Lima, Pran from Vercel, Alex Schleifer, and Maheen Sahail from Meta, the episode uncovers strategies and mindsets that can help designers stand out in a competitive job market.

1. Emphasizing Learning Potential: "Slope Over Intercept"

Ridd introduces the concept of "slope over intercept," a metaphor highlighting the importance of a candidate's ability to learn and adapt over possessing a fixed set of current skills. Diego Zaks, VP of Design at Ramp, emphasizes:

"If you find someone who's going to learn the skill set you need quickly, they're the ones that are going to be able to evolve as the company evolves."
[00:23]

This perspective prioritizes candidates who can grow with the company, adapting to its evolving needs and technological advancements.

2. Communicating a Learning Mindset Through Personal Stories

Soleo shares insights from hiring designers at Facebook, underscoring the value of demonstrating a quick learning ability:

"One's ability to learn new things quickly is like a meta skill in and of itself."
[00:59]

Ridd advises that candidates should showcase their learning capabilities through personal narratives, not just their design experiences. By sharing stories about diverse interests—like playing guitar or mountain biking—candidates can illustrate their depth and adaptability. Diego adds:

"If you like to go deep on a topic, get really good at it... You can replicate that for anything."
[01:22]

3. Telling a Holistic and Unique Personal Story

Amy Lima highlights the power of sharing personal backgrounds to create memorable impressions:

"I just go into, you know, just the threads of me... to paint a clearer picture of the person you're talking to because I'm a person first."
[02:04]

Ridd echoes this sentiment, noting that recruiters often look beyond portfolios to understand the person behind the work. By presenting a well-rounded narrative, designers can differentiate themselves in a crowded field.

4. Demonstrating Passion for Specific Areas

Passion for a particular domain can significantly bolster a candidate's appeal. Pran from Vercel illustrates this by sharing how her enthusiasm for developer tools helped her secure a position at Graphite despite a limited design background:

"I really show that I cared about this specific area. I love developer tools."
[03:58]

Ridd adds his own experience, explaining how a deep commitment to education led to opportunities at Maven, even without a background at major companies. This deep engagement fosters curiosity and a drive to learn, aligning well with company needs.

5. The Role of Curiosity and Tool Proficiency

Curiosity emerges as a recurring theme, with Maheen Sahail from Meta asserting its foundational role in developing other essential skills:

"If you don't have curiosity, then it doesn't matter... whether you'd be able to execute on them."
[08:41]

Alex Schleifer, Airbnb's former Chief Design Officer, reinforces the importance of tool proficiency as a reflection of a candidate's curiosity and willingness to learn:

"Curiosity and interest in tools... teaches that this person has not only curiosity but a learner's mindset."
[05:17]

Contrary to some senior designers' beliefs, Alex argues that proficiency with current tools is crucial and a sign of an adaptable, forward-thinking designer.

6. Acting on Curiosity: Sharing Work Publicly

Ridd emphasizes the importance of not just being curious but actively showcasing that curiosity. Sharing projects and ongoing learning publicly can attract opportunities. For instance, Sam Peitz built his reputation by consistently sharing his desired work, eventually leading to high-profile job offers even without an initial strong portfolio.

Diego shares his strategy of using platforms like Twitter to display his passions, which connects him with like-minded professionals and potential employers:

"If you share the things you're really passionate about, the right people will find you."
[09:08]

7. Success Stories: Leveraging Public Portfolios

Mariana Castillo exemplifies the effectiveness of an active online presence. By sharing her work on Twitter, she connected with companies like Vercel and Graphite:

"Being active on Twitter, sharing my work, that's the best way to get connected with people from these companies."
[11:05]

Ridd adds a personal anecdote about how posting a homeschool dashboard on Dribbble led to a leadership role in education product design, demonstrating the power of visibility and targeted sharing.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways

The episode underscores that the ability to learn, adaptability, and a proactive approach to showcasing one's work are paramount for designers aiming to join top teams. By fostering curiosity, sharing unique personal stories, and demonstrating passion for specific areas, designers can effectively differentiate themselves and attract the right opportunities.

Notable Quotes:

• Diego Zaks:
  "They're going to learn whatever skill set they need as the company changes."
  [00:23]

• Soleo:
  "One's ability to learn new things quickly is like a meta skill in and of itself."
  [00:59]

• Amy Lima:
  "I'm a person first... it's refreshing and it stands out."
  [02:47]

• Pran:
  "I love developer tools. This specific section of developer tools is really interesting to me."
  [03:58]

• Alex Schleifer:
  "Curiosity and interest in tools... there's no excuse not to be proficient at the tools."
  [05:17]

• Maheen Sahail:
  "If you don't have curiosity, then it doesn't matter... whether you'd be able to execute on them."
  [08:41]

For more insights and resources, visit Dive.club.