Thread by @millyshaw

I've been on a lot of UX recruitment panels recently, and I'm seeing too many people fall into the same traps. So here are my tips for bossing a UX role interview! (thread) (1/11)

If you're asked for an example, STAR is your friend (Situation, Task, Action, Result). You might think it's boring and formulaic to use that structure in every example, but so what! Do it, please! It tells me everything I need. (2/11)

Talking of STAR, people spend a lot of time talking about the situation and task stages. I get it! This was your world for a long time, you want to tell me all about it. But don't spend too long there. (3/11)

Tell me what you did (action), and - too many people forget this - the subsequent RESULT. If you persuaded someone, what did they do differently as a consequence? That last step in the story might seem a bit redundant to you, but I can't assume, I need to hear you say it. (4/11)

Bonus tip: 'action' means YOUR action. I need to know what YOU did. Not the team, YOU. Collaboration is brilliant and I want to hear that too, but I need to evidence of why I should be hiring you, not the colleagues who appear in the story. (5/11)

UX buzzwords: I hate to say it, but use them - obviously in context and when appropriate. Using the terms for the things UX people do is a shortcut to showing that you understand this world. But don't bullshit if you don't really understand, it will be very obvious. (6/11)

UX skills are essential of course, but I work at a consultancy and we also need people who are comfortable, confident & tactful when working with senior people. Bear this in mind when talking about your work - show me you're a safe pair of hands to put in front of a client.(7/11)

Interviewing can be a stressful experience. It's ok to pause, think, take a breath. Remember that we want you to do well, and we're not trying to catch you out. (8/11)

We're all human, and things go wrong sometimes - wifi drops out, dogs bark, doorbells ring. We won't hold it against you. Just show us that you can deal with unexpected problems, and get back on track when you can. (9/11)

Finally, remember that we want you to do well. Not to brag, but where I work (Opencast Software) keeps winning work and we are continuously recruiting, so you're not competing with hundreds of others for one job. We'll happily take on as many good people as we can find. (10/11)

And on that note... we have open positions for Content Designers, User Researchers, Interaction Designers and Service Designers (plus a load of developer roles). DM me if you want an informal chat to find out more. opencastsoftware.com/careers (11/11) #contentdesign #uxjob