Build a portfolio that tells your story | Figma for Edu Early Career Week — Transcript

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1. 0:00So, hello everyone, and welcome to Day 2 of Figma for Education's Early Career Week. I'm Joanna, and I lead higher education marketing here at Figma.
2. 0:06Just two years ago, I was sitting where you're sitting now, attending this series as a student, so it's very much a pleasure to be back and running this series today.
3. 0:14Um, Figma's mission is to make design accessible to all, and that includes equipping you all with the tools and knowledge you need to feel confident in taking your next steps.
4. 0:23These sessions were shaped by feedback from students around the world, letting us know that the transition from school to career can feel quite confusing and overwhelming.
5. 0:32Our hope is that this series helps you navigate that journey with a little more clarity and a lot more support.
6. 0:38So, before we dive in, a quick reminder that Figma is free for all students and educators.
7. 0:43You can use the QR code on the screen to verify with your school email, or you can also.
8. 0:48Use the links that I just dropped in the chat.
9. 0:53Yesterday, we kicked things off with what does AI really mean for new designers? Today, we're really going to be focusing on portfolios with the help of our design managers and recruiters from Figma, Notion, and Shopify.
10. 1:03Tomorrow, we'll close out the series with how great teams really work, a look into collaboration between designers, PMs, and engineers on Spotify's product team.
11. 1:11If you haven't RSVP'd yet, you'll want to do that here, again, in those links that I drop.
12. 1:16And also be sure to stay tuned until the end. We'll share how you can enter to win one of three config tickets we're giving away.
13. 1:23I'm like, okay, one last few things. Um, housekeeping. So, before we get started, all sessions are recorded and will be shared afterward. This will both be on YouTube as well as shared to you all via email.
14. 1:34When you use chat, please make sure you're messaging everyone and following Figma's code of conduct.
15. 1:39Be kind, we're all virtual, but we are all still real people behind the screens.
16. 1:43And please avoid self-promotion in the chat, those messages will be removed. That includes LinkedIn links, um, this is just for the safety and privacy of the folks who are joining us.
17. 1:52If you have extra time at the end, we'll open up for live questions, you can submit your questions anytime before using the Q&A feature here in Zoom, at the bottom bar.
18. 2:00Um, with that, please join me in welcoming Kai, who leads design operations at Fitwa. And Kai will be guiding our conversation today.
19. 2:07Okay, passing the mic to you.
20. 2:08Awesome, thanks Joanna. Before I get started, would just love a little thumbs up or a yes in the chat to make sure you can hear me loud and clear.
21. 2:17Awesome. Alright, perfect. Um, sorry for the late start, y'all, but my name's Kai, I've been at Figma for almost 4 years now.
22. 2:24Um, initially, I studied graphic design in college, my career started out in product design. I switched over to ops for a little bit.
23. 2:32Um, and right now, I'm sort of working a hybrid role, doing ops and product design on the Figma design team.
24. 2:45So I have a little studio here in the city, and that's really fun.
25. 2:48Um, I'm gonna pass it over to Johanna, and then after that, we'll intro Chris P, and then Chris A.
26. 2:57Hello, can you hear me? Um, my name is Joanna, and I'm a design recruiter here at Figma. Um, I started my career at, uh… a study machine… or I studied creative advertising at Michigan State, and then started my career as a brand designer on the agency side.
27. 3:14Um, and then through some layoffs and soul-searching, transitioned to design recruiting at Figma.
28. 3:22And then for fun, I love hobbies. Um, I love to run, yoga, knit.
29. 3:28Cook, things like that.
30. 3:34Thanks, Joanna. Chris P! Would love to introduce yourself!
31. 3:36Hey, y'all. Well, did I freeze? My camera freeze? Are you kidding me right now?
32. 3:43You're good. We hear you loud and clear.
33. 3:44Oh my gosh. What is happening? Uh, love that. We'll just… we'll just keep going. Uh, it's so good to be with you, thanks so much for being here and, like, having me. I'm super grateful.
34. 3:54Uh, I'm Chris. I recently took a very big step and left Shopify to kind of do my own AI-native consulting and app building thing, which has been really.
35. 4:17To see so many portfolios over the years, uh, and be part of the hiring conversations.
36. 4:23I'm also in Denver, Colorado. It's dark and cold and snowy outside right now, feels very, very holiday-like.
37. 4:30Thanks, Chris. Uh, Chris, hey, take us home.
38. 4:33Yeah, hey folks, I'm Chris, I lead design recruiting at Notion.
39. 4:37Um, I actually don't have a design background at all.
40. 4:41Um… never studied it, uh… really have no connection to design whatsoever, um, but after I graduated college, I studied history.
41. 4:52Um, and after I graduated college, I moved to Tokyo and just… Uh, cut my teeth in kind of the Tokyo design scene, worked at various agencies there.
42. 5:01Um, and… Really just fell in love with the community, the space, um, and, um… Yeah, I just never looked back after being involved in this scene, and then worked for various design agencies, um, in recruiting.
43. 5:19then it was an intercom, um, Flexport, Stripe, uh, and now Notion, where I'm at today.
44. 5:26Um, I live in Oakland, California. Uh, and in my free time, I love music, uh, I grew up playing in bands, um, and.
45. 5:35I love metal, death metal in particular, um, and so that's kind of my… my main thing these days.
46. 5:41Um, but yeah, that's me.
47. 5:44Awesome, very cool. Um, okay, let's get into it. I know we're all here to talk about portfolios. So, first, let's talk a little bit about.
48. 5:54first impressions and the initial review process. Um, so starting with the basics, when y'all are reviewing portfolios, what catches your attention first? And the big question a lot of folks want to know is.
49. 6:06How much time are we truly spending on each portfolio?
50. 6:09Um, Chris A, would you want to kick us off?
51. 6:16coming from the agency space, I naturally hired a lot of brand designers initially, so, um… I would argue I'm quite visual when it comes to looking at portfolios. I know product design is not just visual design, but that's certainly the first thing that sticks out to me.
52. 6:32Typography, white space. Um, and just overall aesthetics, and dare I say, vibes. Um… And that's certainly, like, the first thing that sticks out to me. Um… And then, as far as how much time I'm spending on it.
53. 6:48Y'all are gonna hate me. Um, probably, like. 4 or 5 seconds? Something like that? Um, really, for me, that's, like, what it takes. Like, my process is, okay.
54. 6:59How are the vibes? How is the visual design? Does it look good? Okay, now I'm gonna dive in.
55. 7:15first approach when it comes to hiring here. But yeah, probably 3 to 5 seconds, and visual design is the first thing that sends out to me.
56. 7:23Yeah, plus one. Um, Johanna, would you like to add anything to that?
57. 7:28Yeah, I mean, it's pretty similar, um… I think… similar to, I think, even just talking with somebody, you often can know pretty immediately if it's gonna be.
58. 7:39a fit or not. Um, I would say, in addition to the visual craft, um, and design of the website.
59. 7:47Um, even something as simple as, like, how is the portfolio built? Is it easy to access? Does it take me digging through?
60. 7:54Lots of different, um, or jumping through lots of different hoops to input, like, a really lengthy password.
61. 7:59Um, it sounds maybe simple and nitpicky, um, but that gives us little signals on a candidate might not have the attention to detail or, like, UX thinking that we're really looking for.
62. 8:11Um, and so I would… that's, like, the first thing. Um, maybe it's not something that would immediately disqualify it for every role, um, but that's definitely, like, an immediate signal.
63. 8:21Um, so yeah.
64. 8:24Awesome. Chris P, any thoughts there?
65. 8:27Yeah, it's… how fast do I get to see your work, is really, like, the big question. So, to Chris Andrew's point, I mean, uh, even Johanna, like.
66. 8:35The more that you make me think and hunt down, the less likely I want to spend that extra 5 to 10 seconds, you know, kind of going through.
67. 8:42Uh, and I think, to be clear, like, I think Sonic… Emoji about crying in 5 seconds. When you do this a lot, you get a sense for very quickly, like, how fast you can process the information.
68. 8:53So even though it sounds rough that it's only 5 seconds, like.
69. 8:56the skill set here, and especially, like, I mean, I think Chris and I have been connected over the years in the design community, uh, and Chris is, like.
70. 9:04Legendary, like, world-renowned in the design community for this, but you develop this sense.
71. 9:09Of, like, what the company is looking for, and, like, what my teams need, or what I need, you can do it very quickly. And so, I don't want that to sound like a negative, um, it's just a way, like, you go through a big volume.
72. 9:19The other thing, so yeah, how fast can I see your work? And then, uh, there's other little signals that I'll get really quickly around, like.
73. 9:27If you do, this is such a hot take, but if you do post-it notes, or whiteboards very quickly.
74. 9:32I… I pass. Uh, it's a hard pass, because it… to me, it signals someone who's very junior, and, like, I expect that you know how to do your job, I don't need to see you showing the work with the post-it notes.
75. 9:49Those are kind of things I'm looking for.
76. 9:50Can I chime in real quick? Um, yeah, totally agree. Uh, I think sometimes we spend too much time on context setting.
77. 9:57when we just want to see the work. Um, and… I think a good rule of thumb, and maybe Figma's different or Shopify or whatever, but at least at Notion, it's like.
78. 10:0770% work, 30% contact setting. Like, set the stage just enough so we understand what you're showing us.
79. 10:14But we want to see how the sausage is made. Otherwise.
80. 10:17we're gonna see sticky notes, and my eyes are just gonna glaze over a little bit, and um… so…
81. 10:25Yeah, huge, huge plus one, and I think for me.
82. 10:29Um, if you set the stage well, and after that 4-second glance, you know, we see that you've set the stage well, we see that your portfolio's accessible, then for me, then I do do a bit of a deeper dive, right? Like, if I see all the core components there, then I will click into one or two case studies and actually be like, okay, great, I know this person has the basics, they clearly have taste, they clearly know how to make this accessible.
83. 10:51let me now dive into this case study. So for me, when I'm looking, it's sort of two-tiered. It's like, I do that quick glance.
84. 10:56And then, if all the basics are there, then I will dive into a case study. Um… But yeah, plus one to what everyone was saying.
85. 11:04Let's talk, since we're already sort of on the topic, let's talk a little bit about.
86. 11:08structure and format. So, how many projects? Should students feature? And how deep should they go into each project?
87. 11:16Um, let's maybe kick it off with Chris P.
88. 11:18Yeah, uh, again, spicy take, especially early in your career, like, and you… we know, a lot of times we'll know if it's early and what you're hiring for. You're not going to have the volume of work that a principal or staff level is going to be able to show, and especially the volume of work.
89. 11:34With the high-quality bar and craft that is kind of expected. And so, the thing that you'd want to do.
90. 11:39is start with… even if you have one, make that one project, like, absolutely incredible. Like, so if you have one project.
91. 11:47everything on your portfolio needs to be 100% locked in. So, design fundamentals.
92. 11:52type of… I'm gonna look at your type, for sure, like, if I was to strip away all the images, how well do you understand hierarchy? How well are you understanding, like, the storytelling itself?
93. 12:01One project is okay. You're not going to have the volume. If you do not have real projects, there are a lot of times, a lot of advice out there is to either, like.
94. 12:10Replicate someone else, like, oh, I'm gonna redesign Slack, and here's my Slack design. That's fine. It definitely shows you're more junior. I think the better thing to do would be if you have one real project.
95. 12:20And then I'd love to see one project that you're pitching yourself. Like, you made this thing, there's no excuse now for us not to be able to make.
96. 12:27whatever's kind of in our heads, uh, and Figma's leading the way with that, which is not a plug for them, I don't work for Figna. Uh, but… That would be… I'm answering the question, I want to make sure I'm answering the question. How many projects? Uh, and then how deep would you go? I would go, again, knowing that people are kind of glancing, you want the highest, best quality information at the top, and then if you want to add more context, and you want to add some fun little details on the bottom, like, that's fine.
97. 12:51I love what Kai said. Which is that if it draws me in, I'll dig in. I'll want to read more, I want to hear more about you. So… Start with your very best.
98. 13:01And then you can kind of filter down and add more context.
99. 13:05Plus 1. Johanna or Chris A, did either of you want to add on to that?
100. 13:09Yeah, um, I think… Definitely quality over quantity, especially, um… Earlier in your career, like Chris was saying.
101. 13:19Um, I also think, um, in… there's so many really interesting portfolios that.
102. 13:27have some, like, one or two really high-quality case studies, and then they also show, um, like, a million… explorations that they're doing, especially with, like, vibe coding tools now. Like, there's so many different things you can be tinkering with, um, and so I always…
103. 13:39Really appreciate when a portfolio has 1 or 2 really awesome, high-quality case studies that we can even dig deeper into, like, later down the interview process.
104. 13:48And then they have a section of, like, explorations, or play, or fun, um, that shows a bit more about, like, their curiosity and what they're really excited about. Um, and so I would say, like, especially if you don't feel like you have, like, a large breadth of work to show right now, like.
105. 14:01show us, like, some things that you're really excited about in the design world and in technology, and write about them, or show us kind of how you're playing with those tools.
106. 14:09Yeah, um, and I kind of have… Um, something maybe from left field, but I actually really like to see, like, yes, include, you know, like.
107. 14:18I kind of put in the chat, like, show us your bangers, like, we don't… Like, I know you're probably doing a lot of, like, concept work and all that stuff, like, that's great, but just really show us, like, your.
108. 14:27best. In my perspective, maybe, honestly, like. 4 to 5 tops, um, for me.
109. 14:35Uh, and then something that I really like to see.
110. 14:38is, like, your personal… like, side projects, like, whether… like, are you a fine artist?
111. 14:44Do you… I know it's kind of a stereotype, but, like, designers, like, they, like, do pottery, and, like, you know, um… show us, like, what you like to do, like, what is your… what are your creative outlets?
112. 14:53Um, and… and so, like, I really like to see just kind of the holistic creative human.
113. 15:00Um, not that that will mean the difference between you getting the job or not, but… Um, I think it helps, uh, especially if you're a product designer and.
114. 15:08You, kind of to Johanna's point, like. Um, you show us kind of these, like, playgrounds and things that you really experiment with that you don't have any constraints. It's like, it's just your own little.
115. 15:19project, and you're just going pedal to the metal, just doing what you really like to do, and.
116. 15:24Um, and showing us what you're made of, um, and especially if you have interns, internships and stuff.
117. 15:30Um, sometimes the… the design, um… the design systems might not look that great, and that's not your fault.
118. 15:39Uh, but showing us what you're actually capable of without those design systems, I think is… is something that I personally really like to see.
119. 15:47Yeah, plus 1. I have another one that's kind of out of left field related to this. Um, I've had a lot of students ask me, like.
120. 15:54What if my one to two projects I have just, like, aren't that substantial? Like, what if I don't have a ton of content for them, and.
121. 16:00The advice I always give to folks is, um, you can make up your own constraints, right? Like, you can go in and be like, okay, like, maybe I didn't have a ton of time to figure out what this project could have looked like for.
122. 16:11this different user, or maybe I didn't have a ton of time to explore a deeper prototype that I would have liked to. I think, like, take the extra time.
123. 16:19and make sure you're telling more of that story, make sure you're showcasing, like, how you handled a pivot. Um, and, you know, you can tell us or you can not. Like, you can, you can just go in and pretend like the project went that way.
124. 16:32Or you can be like, hey, you know, this project, I only had 2 weeks for it, but I actually went out of my way and worked on it for 2 extra months because I wanted to tell more of a story. Um… that's… that's some advice I've always given folks. If you don't have something that you feel is, like, super substantial.
125. 16:47Um, related to structure and format, and I'll let anyone jump in here, what advice do you have when it comes to showcasing motion on one's portfolio?
126. 16:58How can students make prototypes, um, get the attention they deserve while staying in that story flow?
127. 17:06I'll pass it to anyone who wants to come off mute.
128. 17:11Uh, it has to be really tasteful, and it has to… I want to see restraint with motion, and I think that, like, there is a line very quickly when, if every element, and especially if you're using Framer.
129. 17:23Uh, like, Love Framer, great tool, so easy now to add every possible effect. Uh, and I know that I'm… significantly older than everyone in this room, probably by, like, 100 years.
130. 17:35But back in the day, we had Myspace, and everyone was learning how to, like, code and design, and that's how a lot of us got the, like, the spark for design was through that.
131. 17:41And we added every possible effect on your own MySpace profile, because it was cool to do. And now, looking back, like.
132. 17:48boy, I wish I had a little more taste and restraint. So, yes.
133. 17:51Absolutely showcase motion if you have it. Don't do it if you don't understand the concepts behind motion, like, don't just throw it in there. Uh, and… but if you do have it, make it tasteful, and make it… Um, yeah.
134. 18:04My space.
135. 18:11Did y'all have any feelings on this topic?
136. 18:15Mmm, I mean, not more to add. I think, like.
137. 18:17I think a big mistake that I see often is just, like, super intense, like, scrolling animations, and just… Things that make it harder to move, um, throughout the portfolio, but…
138. 18:30Yeah, plus one. No, you're good, please, Chris.
139. 18:31Yeah. Oh, sorry, go for it. Oh, um, I was gonna say, yeah, not much to add, really, but I guess, like.
140. 18:39make it scannable, um… you know, I think I've sometimes seen… like, we love prototypes, like.
141. 18:46big fan of prototypes. Like, please include prototypes, like, as much as you can.
142. 18:49Um, but, uh, like, I think sometimes it's a portfolio is, like.
143. 18:54just a prototype with zero context, and you're just like, uh, what is this? Um… So include, like, just an… maybe it's kind of contradictory to what I said earlier, but, like, still, it's the 70-30 split, at least. Like, include just enough context, and I understand, like, what I'm playing with.
144. 19:09Um, for prototypes, I think, really speak volumes about who you are as a designer. You're… Um, technical chops, or your curiosity about AI by tools and, like, so, especially these days.
145. 19:21Um, I… I basically implore everyone to include as many prototypes, or to include a prototype, at least, in their portfolio.
146. 19:30Yeah, plus one. Something I'll add on to that.
147. 19:35Um, it's just make sure the videos and GIFs you're using are of good quality.
148. 19:41Like, really pressure and stress test it. I've seen some portfolios where there's, like, errors loading, or the GIFs are really small and, like, very lossy.
149. 19:49Um, so just, just make sure you're doing your due diligence, make sure you have your friends open up your portfolio on different devices. It's super important.
150. 19:56Um, because that's also a skill, right? That you need to have in this workforce to make sure that you are testing across devices, so… Just make sure that performance.
151. 20:05is on your mind when you're thinking about motion.
152. 20:09cool. Let's… Let's talk a little bit about storytelling and craft.
153. 20:14We've kind of touched the surface here, but I'm curious, what does strong storytelling look like in a portfolio? I think when we say storytelling, that can feel a bit abstract to folks, so… How do you really recognize, like, a good story when you see one? Um, Johanna.
154. 20:29Would you want to start us off?
155. 20:31Yeah, I think, uh… So when we were talking about the immediate first impressions of a portfolio, um, like, that nice visual design, that's the first piece, but that's not maybe all we see in a portfolio, especially after we make that first initial check of.
156. 20:45It passes the craft bar on immediate first glance, then we start to dig into maybe some of the more details.
157. 20:51Um, and so we start to see more of the thinking, more of the problem solving, and then the growth. Um, I think there's a fine line to balance between, like, giving us so much information.
158. 21:00That it's overwhelming, but also, um, making sure that we do still see this, this arc of the project.
159. 21:08Um, and so I think, like, giving us exactly what we need in the first, um, uh, the first fold of the portfolio, so… clarity of the role, what your contribution was, and be really explicit about that. Um, give us some bits of, um, of, of process, and what did you do, basically, in between idea and final result.
160. 21:29And then give us… I think the majority should be the final result of, you know, what did you actually land on, and then maybe a little tidbit about reflections, about, like, maybe what you would do differently, um, what you learned.
161. 21:41Learned what you'd improve on, things like that. Um…
162. 21:45Yeah, um… I mean, definitely, like. I know I'm kind of giving off the impression that I just want to see the work, and I don't want to see anything else.
163. 21:54No, like, you know, we still want to understand.
164. 21:58Um, just, like, the narrative of that project that you did.
165. 22:03Um, and let's be honest, like. Usually, a project, like, it's never linear, um, as much as we wish it were.
166. 22:10Um, and it's just like a story. It's like, there's this setup, there's, like, the confrontation, and then there's, like, the resolution, right?
167. 22:18Um, and so, like, give us the setup. And then talk us through… You know, how you designed and iterated, and, like, what are the explorations that you did? Like, we went with this, but then…
168. 22:29the PM said that, and so we decided to, like, do this instead, or… Um, and what we really like to see, too, is, especially if you are earlier in your career.
169. 22:38That you're able to… Uh, like, try to ship something, like, basically you have an idea.
170. 22:45And then, like, maybe there's some sort of opposing force internally that, like, maybe, like, oh, that's not great, or for whatever reason.
171. 22:51And then you're just like, hey, I think it's great for these reasons, we should ship it for these reasons. Um, and then the PM's like, oh my gosh, like, designer, like, you just graduated, but like.
172. 23:00Holy smokes, that's such a great idea! Um, and then, you know, you ship it, and then, like, you have this, like, beautiful story of how.
173. 23:07Um, you really gave impact, um, in an organization despite being, like, earlier in your career.
174. 23:13Um, but I guess, like, the thing is, like.
175. 23:16Just… just enough detail. Um, again, so it's, again, that 70-30 split, but… Um, but, like, still tell us that story. Like, it's… it's exactly the same as storytelling, like… Um, what was the setup? And then, like, what were the challenges that you experienced along the way? What were the… what did it look like in the beginning, and then how'd you get to the final result? And, like, show us.
176. 23:37those screens, like… So we can see that journey of how that product, like, really changed.
177. 23:44Um, and so, uh, yeah, that's… That's what I… I personally like to see.
178. 23:50Yeah, it… this is a tough one, because I think I've seen some comments of, like, oh, should I, like, add post-it notes to this, and how would I tell that story, like, the setup and stuff, and.
179. 23:58You can, there's ways around it. I think that it would… it's helpful for everyone to.
180. 24:04to learn some storytelling techniques, so… Sid Field is a great example. You can borrow from other mediums, like, I'm assuming you all like movies and TVs.
181. 24:24Your portfolio can be very much the same thing. I don't… what is the hard part with this is we're throwing lots of advice out.
182. 24:30And that's part of our, like, the gig here is, like, hopefully something lands.
183. 24:40results impact, right? You can follow those formulaic things.
184. 24:43As long as it works really good. You can also get really creative with it. I definitely have been drawn in to someone.
185. 24:48A couple of years ago that I hired. They had, like, a whole novel about their work, and it was, like, very character-driven, but they had little, like.
186. 24:56rabbits going down a hole in animations, and I was like, okay, I'm kind of in, like, this is wild. It's like Alice in Wonderland themed.
187. 25:03As they're showing their work, and like, that was weird enough that, like, I wanted to keep going. You could do stuff like that.
188. 25:09Storytelling, though, at its heart, is, like. You gotta draw people in. And so, if you're learning about these things or checking it out, I would absolutely.
189. 25:17look into someone like Christopher Vogler, A Hero's journey, which he based on Joseph Campbell, Myth of a Thousand Faces, like, it's kind of the whole story narrative that we have as humans.
190. 25:25Cinfield is another great one. He's got a three-act.
191. 25:28narrative, and once you learn these techniques, it will make your own presentations, portfolios, pitch decks, everything so much smoother.
192. 25:36And so, yeah, that's, that's a way, so yeah, it does go a long way, for sure.
193. 25:39plus one, um… Something I also want to answer, I find it so funny, this question during the storytelling format keeps coming up in the chat, but I keep seeing.
194. 25:48What's the best, like, thing to build your portfolio on? And, like, does, you know, responsiveness and having, like, a mobile-friendly portfolio matter? I think, like, the thing I want to say there.
195. 26:09But I think if you do want to have a live website, it is important to make sure that, like, your digital footprint is accessible, so… In my opinion, like, if you're going as far as to host a website, um, 100%, I do think it should be mobile-friendly.
196. 26:24Um, am I, as a person looking at portfolios, going to review it on mobile? No.
197. 26:29And I think if that's the situation you're optimizing for, you can think about maybe sending over a slide deck, um, maybe sending over something that's a little bit different, right? Like, you don't actually always need to have a live website, but when you have a live website, I expect it to be accessible and useful for everyone on the web.
198. 26:46Um, let's talk a little bit… I want to, like, go down the storytelling and craft a bit more.
199. 26:52Um, what makes a portfolio memorable? What makes you move someone to the next round? Um, Chris A, would you want to answer this one?
200. 27:02Yeah, um, so actually… A really interesting story. I'm curious if anyone joined, um, the Designing the AI session yesterday.
201. 27:12Um, maybe people did, maybe they didn't… no one's answering, so they did, they did. Okay, cool.
202. 27:19Oh, look at that! Wow, okay, a lot of people did.
203. 27:21Um, so actually, Jen, I hired Jen, um, maybe he'll be really embarrassed to hear this.
204. 27:34His portfolio is… As the kids say, I mean, it's an early career session, so I'll say it. It was very crapped, um, and uh… And, like… so basically what stood out to me was just the sheer…
205. 27:50Just, like, visual information that was, like. in front of my face. It was just like… the most beautiful portfolio that I've ever seen. And, like, I'm sure y'all are kind of figuring it out. I'm extremely visual.
206. 28:03Um, and like… and so that was the first thing.
207. 28:06Um, that I saw, and… and this is why I think it's so important, especially for earlier career students or graduates.
208. 28:13Um, your portfolio's almost… 90% of what you have to get a job.
209. 28:18because you have, like, maybe an internship or two at best.
210. 28:21Um, and, um, that is, like, your secret weapon. That is, like, the way to get a gig.
211. 28:28Um, oh yeah, but they put the link in there. Um, and so Jen, he… Um, he doesn't necessarily come from, uh… You know, like, the usual suspects.
212. 28:40Um, but his portfolio is just absolutely stunning. Just one of the most beautiful portfolios that I've ever seen in my life.
213. 28:48And, um… And then he also had a lot of brand work.
214. 28:53But then also… which is not important. It's, like, it's not a brand designer role. But, um… but also had a lot of product design work that was actually fairly complex, like, we care a lot about complexity at Notion.
215. 29:06Um, Notion is a separately complex product to design for. I'm sure Figma is very complex to design for as well.
216. 29:11Um, and of course, Shopify. Um, and so complexity is important, and so… It was just… and actually, this is a new portfolio of his. He… he changed it. Um, and so… but he's really… He's… it's really… it's really great. So anyway, I'll never forget it, and I just… I told Randy, our head of design, I'm like.
217. 29:30I don't know who this guy is. But we need to talk to him. Um, and… He interviewed really well. Um… And so, but that was… that's, like, my… Uh, story, and I love Jin so much, um, and uh, he's such a great guy and great designer, but anyway.
218. 29:48Um, sorry, I got really passionate with that one. Uh, but… That… that was… that's my story, and I'm sticking to it, I guess.
219. 29:57No, I really appreciate it, Chris. Um… I think something I can add here before we move on to the next question… Something I always find memorable in the student portfolios is someone who has the ability to edit.
220. 30:10And someone who has the ability to simplify, I think I see a lot of student portfolios where.
221. 30:16It can be very formulaic, it's like, you know, here's my thesis, here's my problem, here's my sketches, here's my user flows, and… I was mentoring a handful of designers a couple years ago, and.
222. 30:28Uh, what I said, they showed me the first draft of their portfolio, and I was like, great, what I want you to do.
223. 30:34is go in, remove 10% of this, and come back to me with that. And then the second session, I was like, great, go in, remove 5% of this, come back with that.
224. 30:44And what I was trying to do there is just, like, teach someone how to edit down to the core story, so I think for me.
225. 30:50Whenever I see a student portfolio that I can just tell is really edited, is really simple, has, like, really beautiful thesis statements. It's always, uh, just really impressive to me.
226. 31:01Cool, um, let's pivot a little bit, um… How is AI changing what you look for in early career designer portfolios?
227. 31:09Chris P.
228. 31:10Yeah, uh, that's a great question, and… It absolutely has changed my perspective, because.
229. 31:18There really is, like, no excuse not to have the permission to build the ideas in your head now, right? Like, the amount of tools that we, like… Figma make, and it's, like, leaps and bounds better than when it was when it was released.
230. 31:30Um, is accessible to you now, and you can jump in with one of the best models to start.
231. 31:36iterating on your ideas and showcasing that, and I… right now, like, Shopify, for example.
232. 31:41you must be AI proficient, uh, and it's kind of a mandate, like, top-down, and it's a very heavy mandated. Like, you're being, you know, the design team, designers, design managers are being judged.
233. 31:51on how much they're using AI. Like, I had a… leaderboard as a manager that I could see my team's.
234. 31:58Hey, I use it, to be like, hey, like.
235. 32:00We're going to be tracked on this, you gotta jump in. So, that bleeds over into portfolios.
236. 32:05Uh, from a tactical perspective, it means it also gives you this incredible opportunity to showcase your creative skills. Like, if you don't know how to make an iOS app, there's actually not an excuse not to try it now, because all you have to do is ask some questions. You just, like… I don't know becomes a superpower for you, like, oh, I don't know, I don't know how to do this.
237. 32:23portfolio, like, I'm using Notion to make my portfolio, which is actually kind of interesting. I'd love to take a look at people doing that.
238. 32:28But I want to make a website. I don't know how to do it. Well, guess what? You have the tools that are available just to ask a few questions and start iterating on it, so… It absolutely should do that, and I think it would differentiate you quickly from more senior designers who are struggling to figure out how to use these tools in their creative workflows, because there are a lot of designers who are actually very embedded.
239. 32:47in their design tools. And just like when Sketch came on the scene, everyone in Photoshop and Illustrator was like, what is the sketch crap? And then Figma comes around, and everyone's like, multiplayer, why would I want to have a browser tool? This is ridiculous.
240. 32:59People switch, and then there are a group of people who are, like, just entrenched in their own opinions, and they don't want to move their workflows over. You have a chance to leapfrog that and showcase how you're embracing these new technologies creatively. It's an unbelievable time to be doing that, so… absolutely changing it. I would start looking for, like, how are you exploring this? And it is a question in a lot of interview panels. I'm curious.
241. 33:33whatever tool we want to use. This is a big passion of mine, and I, like, didn't care deeply about these tools in this space, so… I'm happy to answer more, but yeah.
242. 33:44I also think what comes to mind, too, is… Because we look at so many portfolios every day, um.
243. 34:03designer roles and designers and engineers and PMs, those lines are getting blurry with designers becoming increasingly technical. I think any way you can showcase that.
244. 34:15Um, is, um, really, really great. So, like, using these new tools to build this.
245. 34:22Cool, interesting, complex portfolio, um, that you weren't able to do 3 or 4 years ago, um, I think is… is that, um, yeah, it's… the excuse of using, kind of, some, like, templates are, um, like, that for me is, like, kind of an immediate turn-off, is using, um, like, a Squarespace, um.
246. 34:37kind of template that I see every day.
247. 34:44I've spoken to a lot of students who were like, you know, asking a lot of the questions I see in the chat where it's like, how can I showcase my AI proficiency? How can I do that best? And I think, like.
248. 34:55This is gonna be a little bit, like, lofty, but I think, like, reframe that question in your mind a bit, right? Like, it's not… how can I showcase that I know how to use AI? It's like, how can I use these tools to make my project better? How can I use these tools to.
249. 35:09enhance my design process, right? Um… We're just able to go from design to code to, you know, validating, just so much faster now. So I think, like.
250. 35:21change your mindset, get excited around using some of these things, and, like, figure out how they can actually make your projects better, and then.
251. 35:28your story's gonna come naturally, right? It's no longer, how can I showcase this? It's just a natural part of your story of, like, I did this, and then I brought it into this, and… Voila. So, I think a bit of a reframe there is helpful.
252. 35:42Um… Did someone else want to chime in? I thought I heard someone come off mute.
253. 35:43Hmm…
254. 35:49Okay, cool. Alright. Let's move… I know we're running short on time.
255. 35:55So… let's move along a little bit here, um… Curious for the panel, what are some common mistakes or pitfalls you see in student portfolios? I know we've covered a few, but would love to hear a little bit more about that, maybe.
256. 36:09Chris P, would you like to start us off?
257. 36:12Yeah, absolutely, as long as I don't dominating the conversation. Um, I think the biggest thing, right, and we've touched on this a handful of points.
258. 36:20Nailing your design fundamentals, right? We're telling the story, you're drawing me in, I want to see, you know, see those pieces.
259. 36:26But I think what's actually related is a handful of these questions around, like, what if I have NDAs, or what if the projects aren't.
260. 36:33real, like, do I make up metrics because I actually didn't get to ship this? And I think there… it's very easy to start sussing out, like.
261. 36:40it's okay if it's not a real project. that is something you can make clear and explain, like.
262. 36:45your thought process that went into it, the decisions, and the work is good. We kind of moved past that. There's also, like, there is a different.
263. 36:51expectation for hiring new designers, like more junior designers, than there would be more senior designers about, like, metrics and impact. Like, if you're… Making a fake, you know, fitness app.
264. 37:01And you say that you've got, you know, like, 80% retention, but it's a fake app, like.
265. 37:05What do we doing here, right? You don't need to do that. So, um, I think, is there, like, a level of authenticity? And I think a big pitfall is when.
266. 37:12people are kind of scared to just be themselves on their portfolio and know, like, where you're at in your stage.
267. 37:17Then focus on, like, the fundamentals and make sure everything else is locked in.
268. 37:21The other pitfall I see is wanting to give way too much information, so Chris mentioned this earlier with the context and stuff, and it's not even just, um, words on a screen.
269. 37:30If you're sending, like, 30 screenshots of your work, it's, like, overwhelming, right? You really want to have that curated level of taste, like the editing down that was mentioned earlier. Uh, Stephen King's, like, Kill Your Darlings, like, you may love.
270. 37:42screenshot 25, but it's too much, right? So you need to actually pare down to, like, a handful. Um, so those are kind of a couple of common pitfalls. Uh, and then also just making it hard for me to contact you is another one that I haven't mentioned yet, but, like.
271. 37:55I really like the work, and, like, it's out, like.
272. 37:57I don't want to hunt for it. Someone sent me a portfolio the other day for, like, asking for help.
273. 38:02And I had to copy their email into my email browser, like, my email app to be able to email them, and I'm like, that's ridiculous, like, it's 2025, I shouldn't have to do that, you just made it way harder for me to actually want to, like, follow up with you, so… Make it as easy for me as possible to say, like, yes, let's keep going.
274. 38:19Yeah, and then really quickly, I feel like I've been talking a lot too, and I want to hear from Johanna, um… But just make sure to include your… your password. If you have one.
275. 38:30Come on, people. Uh, and not even just… it's not even just early career, this is everyone.
276. 38:35Whether you have 15 years of experience or 0 years of experience.
277. 38:40Include your password. Otherwise, we're just gonna skip it.
278. 38:47Yeah, um… I think, so, plus one to everything. It's amazing how many, like, really, really senior designers still forget their passwords, so… plus one. I would also say, think about… I know we're talking about portfolio.
279. 39:04So I want to stay on topic, but I would also think about, like, the extensions of your portfolio and how you're showing up.
280. 39:09online and other places. Um, I think a common, um, pitfall of, like, early career designers is they think, like, submitting that application is gonna, like, get them their best shot, but I also think, like.
281. 39:20I know our design managers at Figma, they, um, they're very active on, like, Twitter, um, and I get DMs every day from, um, a student or an early career designer sharing, like, an exploration that they did that leads them down the rabbit hole of finding their portfolio.
282. 39:36And then we start the conversation, and we never would have seen them if they haven't shared that. So I think, like.
283. 39:42outside of, you know, really, uh… perfecting your website. I would also think about how are you, like, showing up in other places online, because.
284. 39:52Um, there are so many applicants, and unfortunately, we can't look at all of those.
285. 39:56Um, and so, I wouldn't stop at your portfolio, I'd also think about how you can share, like, how you're thinking about design, um, on other spaces on LinkedIn, and… an accent. I would say, like, there's, there's some really good designers from Figma that do a really good job of that. I know Kai does. I've seen their posts on LinkedIn of…
286. 40:10little explorations and, um, sites that they've built on Figma Make, and so… take a look at some of those, but…
287. 40:16A quick plug, uh, this is nothing to do with portfolios, um, but I posted in the chat, too.
288. 40:22Design Twitter as your friend. Um, I… when I joined Stripe, I made a commitment to.
289. 40:29be on Twitter. Um, and I know it sounds ridiculous, um, but there is a very… there's a very strong community of designers on Twitter that showcase their work.
290. 40:39Um, I would argue in a lot of ways, it's better than LinkedIn.
291. 40:43Um, it's at least much more focused. than LinkedIn is. Um, and I've hired probably, like, 8 people on Twitter.
292. 40:52Um, in my career. Um, and what I did was, basically, like, I follow all the designers that I know.
293. 40:59And then they comment on people's work, and then I follow.
294. 41:02those designers. And then, before you know it, my whole feed are just designers.
295. 41:08And, um, and I really kind of threw myself in that community, and I made hires off of Twitter, I made friends off of Twitter.
296. 41:15Um, and I… I strongly encourage everyone here to.
297. 41:20get on Twitter, and I know that sounds ridiculous, um, but I… I'm… I… I promise you, um, it's a great resource.
298. 41:30Yeah, plus 1.
299. 41:31Yeah, 100%, for sure. It can be. I think some people get… A little, like, bummed out by it, but overall Twitter Discord, not so much.
300. 41:40LinkedIn is super cringe, to be honest. I mean, people are posting there, I'm posting there, it's just, it's tough.
301. 41:45Um, but Twitter, you're gonna get organic, and you're gonna just get a lot more… you're increasing your surface area of luck.
302. 41:55Yeah, I think there's also other communities, you know, like… I've been… I've been a part of Queer Design Club for a really long time. They have, like, a really active Slack, and people are posting work there. There's, like, women in design, there's, like, a ton of different design communities out there, there's even, like, local chapters for your cities, you know.
303. 42:13Um, there's the Figma student ambassadors, so, like, wherever you can get plugged into.
304. 42:18To other people that are having active conversations, that's… that's where you want to be.
305. 42:22Um, okay, so the last question before maybe we have time for, like, one Q&A.
306. 42:28Uh, what's one thing you wish? New designers knew before designing their first portfolio. Um, I'll… I'll kick it off with a really quick answer, and this is gonna sound a little silly, but I think, um…
307. 42:40The people looking at your portfolios, like, are excited to look at them. I have been doing, you know, Figma's intern and early career sourcing for 4 years now. I've looked at.
308. 42:51thousands of portfolios, and one might be like, that sounds exhausting, but every year when it rolls around, I'm stoked. And the reason I'm saying this is because.
309. 43:01I want everyone to know that, like, if you put the work in.
310. 43:05And, you know, you edit things down, you make your portfolio really great and really accessible, you have your stories there, like.
311. 43:12We're gonna be excited about it. Um, it's always a really great feeling when I see a student portfolio come through.
312. 43:18That is just beautiful, you know? We share it with each other, we're like, oh my god, look at this, this is incredible. So, I don't know, I think.
313. 43:25Just, like, a little beacon of positivity there, like.
314. 43:28We're all nerds, and we just want to look at cool stuff. And we will look at it, and we're excited to look at it.
315. 43:34Um, Chris P. Any advice here?
316. 43:38Yeah, I would say, um… Go look up the talk, uh… oh no, I forgot it, of course I forgot it. The radio host, uh… I'll link it, I'll send it. It's just about, essentially, a taste is what got you into the game, and what you like to make. You probably like to make your whole life, and you're…
317. 43:56at college studying these things, and we were super excited about making. And so, like, the advice is, like, go make a lot of stuff, and it, like, doesn't all have to end up in your portfolio, but just make.
318. 44:05a wild amount of things, like, have a ton of fun with it, because that will come through more. Um, and then I do love the advice of, like.
319. 44:13if I'm looking at your portfolio, I want you to be the one solving my problem, because my problem right now is that I've got all this work to do, and I have a role to fill, and I can desperately use someone. It's like, I want you to be that person.
320. 44:24So, like, there's not, uh… to the previous point, the very beginning, like, oh, we're only scanning 5 seconds, it can be disheartening.
321. 44:31The fact is, like, I want… that 5 seconds, I want you to be the person that moves on, and like, as you go through the process, like, I'm rooting for you, and it's tough.
322. 44:38Uh, as a hiring manager, because you start, like, rooting for everyone, and that's just not how it works, and you kind of have to have, like.
323. 44:44filters and, you know, not everyone makes it through.
324. 44:47But I'm hoping you're the person that solves the problem, and so kind of own that, too. Like, be excited about your work, have confidence, um, and then, yeah, just create a volume of work.
325. 44:58Ira Glass, thank you so much, people who post this in here. Uh, yeah, I'll find it really quick.
326. 45:03The Ira Glass talk is truly, like, you should watch this every year, uh, for inspo.
327. 45:09It's called the gap.
328. 45:11Amazing. Uh, Johanna, what about you? What's the one thing you wish designers knew?
329. 45:17Yeah, I mean, so when I started out. In my career as, like, a self-taught brand designer in college, um, I think what.
330. 45:26really fueled me was, um, my curiosity and then my, like, drive to be a part of the community, and I think that that then led me down.
331. 45:49probably do hear that a lot, but because it's true. Um, and then also, I would just be really eager to be a part of the community, whether it's online communities, whether it's design meetups at your school. I think if you're following those two things, you'll land up… you'll end up in a really, really good spot. Um, and I think your career will start to work itself out if you're prioritizing, um, the community and your curiosity.
332. 46:12Yeah, I put in the chat, but… Design is High School 2.0. It's a very small community.
333. 46:19Um, and be a part of it as much as you can.
334. 46:22Um, because that's how, like. you know, yes, you can apply to jobs, for sure, like, keep applying to jobs. I've hired.
335. 46:30like, gin applied to Notion, and he got the job. Like, you can get a job by applying to a company.
336. 46:36Um, but, uh, knowing people will always help, and you meet someone, maybe, like, hey, I really like your work, like, you DM them on Twitter, or whatever it is.
337. 46:47I notice we're both in New York. Um, can I buy you a coffee, or whatever it is? Like, they might ignore you, that's okay, but you should try.
338. 46:54Um, and… Um, I… I remember my days in Tokyo when I basically just graduated.
339. 47:02Um, and I just really wanted to be a part of, like, the community there, and… I just literally would reach out to people and, um, say, hey, can I just buy you, like, a drink or coffee? Um, would love to, like, hear more, because I was really trying to put myself in, like, the…
340. 47:17The… the agency, um, space at the time. Um, and then also, I guess one thing that, um.
341. 47:23I wish people would know. Get a little weird.
342. 47:26get a little… get a little crazy, like… Show us your personality. Um, like, not too weird, you know, but, like, be playful, and… Um, and be… you can, like, please be fun with, like, have fun doing this.
343. 47:41Um, and… and so, like, I think… Uh, you know… Like, I, for one, really enjoy it when I see a portfolio that's kind of like, what is going on here? But, like, it kind of works, and it kind of makes sense, and it, like, draws me in.
344. 47:56Um, so show us your personality. Yep.
345. 48:02Amazing. Thanks, y'all so much. Um, Joanna, I might tag you back in.
346. 48:09Just to maybe take us home and see if.
347. 48:12We want to pick… One of these questions for the Q&A.
348. 48:16Yeah, for sure. Let me… okay, let me add myself back here. Hello, everyone. We have a few questions that we have submitted from everyone.
349. 48:26One of the questions that's been popped around multiple times is, how do you showcase work that is proprietary slash NDA?
350. 48:33Um, what are the workarounds?
351. 48:37Um, so… Sometimes there are no workarounds, to be honest, and, like, there are companies that are incredibly.
352. 48:46uh, diligent about. If you move files off of, you know, if you copy Figma links over, if you email picture, like… it's just the reality. Big corporations, they're very tight around security. There's a reason why.
353. 48:59these things exist. So, if you can get away with sharing the work.
354. 49:03password protected, fine. I think everyone, like, myself included, most people are pretty chill about, like, okay, you can't show the work.
355. 49:10What you can do is replicate. the work to, like, a specific level of fidelity. It's a lot of work outside of your piece, but if you don't have a lot of projects in your portfolio.
356. 49:19You absolutely could, like, recreate what you've done on the side. It sounds awful, it's a pain in the butt, I realize that, but that is, like, one key workaround.
357. 49:28Uh, is to do that. You could also try to get permission from your managers. I've done that before for people, like, we've talked to legal and figured out, like, the work's not live yet, but it's close enough, can they share this? Like, especially for junior designers who are looking to move up, or are interns and stuff, like.
358. 49:43We try to be cool about it, but one way is, unfortunately, like, recreate the work, not pixel perfect, like, don't exactly copy it.
359. 49:51But get the intent, and then kind of tell that story.
360. 49:55Yeah, plus one. I would also add, um… if you have work that maybe, you know, your past employer's like, oh, you can't put it on your website, but I'm okay if you use it.
361. 50:05In interviews, um, I definitely like a lot of treatment I see of just like, hey, I have this work, it's under NDA, please reach out.
362. 50:13Uh, we will always reach out, uh, literally 10 times out of 10, if you say, like, I did this work for this company, reach out to me, we will.
363. 50:21Uh, so make sure if you have that work to let us… to let us know.
364. 50:29Perfect, and I'll jump to our next question. This one is about a graphic designer who really wants to break into UI UX, or even just any student designer who has kind of multiple disciplines that they're juggling.
365. 50:40Should they have separate portfolios for, let's say, graphic design and UI UX, or just one portfolio?
366. 50:47I think one. Um… I think one. Uh, but, like.
367. 50:52Some people do, like… Here's, like, my brand work.
368. 50:56Here's my product work. Or, um… Like, honestly, gins, I know I keep talking about gin, like, I'm, like, embarrassed. Um… But, uh, like, I remember it was brand and product design work all on the same page, and like, I think.
369. 51:12Although the brand design work is not what you're going to get paid to do, um, I guess it depends on the company, like, it could be a really small startup, and you might do it all, um… But, uh…
370. 51:22I think, you know, taste is a buzzword right now.
371. 51:26Um, it comes up a lot, uh, and I think… Um, the brand work is an opportunity to show that off a little bit.
372. 51:34Um, and, uh, yeah, yeah, Chris, like, I totally agree with you. Um, it's, it's like, it's gone over multiple iterations, like taste, crafts.
373. 51:44Like, anyway, it's all the same stuff. Um… And, uh… And so, I would definitely share both. Don't make it complicated, um, but… Uh, do it in a way that's… That's, like, appealing, and not too busy.
374. 52:04Yeah, if you're… if you're applying for a product role, to me, like, move your work up. I think one thing I saw that's been really effective is someone, if you're using, like, Framer or Webflow.
375. 52:15Um, you can create separate pages specifically for, like, subdomains for the company you're.
376. 52:20Alright, so if you're applying to Figma, you could have a Figma subdomain, like, you know, Figma.dockerspucket.com.
377. 52:25And it's specific to the role that I'm going for. And to me, I love that because you tailored the story to, like, what the role is. You've done a lot of research, you've thought through it, um, you're highlighting other work.
378. 52:35that's, like, one way to do it, but if you are trying to break in, and you're… you want to apply for.
379. 52:41Products, design, UI, UX roles, whatever, showcase that work first, to be honest, um, because if you're just showing your brand work, I'm assuming you just want branding, and it's not the right fit.
380. 52:52Yeah, I have… I have one more thing to add here, and this was helpful.
381. 52:56I was a product designer for a really long time, and then I wanted to do ops at Figma, and… some advice I got from someone was to just own your narrative. So, like, for instance, you don't have to necessarily say, like.
382. 53:07I am a formal graphic designer wanting to break into product design. You can be like, I'm a creative designer, I'm a creative wanderer, you know, I'm just a general creative, sort of dabbling and doing all these different things.
383. 53:18you know, just… I guess what I'm trying to say is, like, make sure you're not sort of boxing yourself into this, like, definition of a designer, especially now. I think we're at this really wild time now, where just, like.
384. 53:29creative roles are overlapping so much, so I don't think you have to be super precious about.
385. 53:33some of those labels.
386. 53:36Perfect. And I'm gonna go ahead and start sharing our feedback forms, so you all can start.
387. 53:42filling that out. In the meantime, we might stay around for one to two more questions, because we started a little bit late, given our technical difficulties.
388. 53:50Um, so I'm gonna share this screen real quick and wrap us up in case you need to head out. So we want to say a huge thank you all for joining us today. It's been so incredible to sit around with these speakers. We had a little 15-minute intro.
389. 54:01Um, we got to chat with them, and you all were such amazing speakers. I was taking notes the entire time. Um, we're really grateful you could spend this hour with us.
390. 54:10And for our attendees, before you head out, we'd love to hear what you thought of this session.
391. 54:14Please take a moment to fill out our quick feedback form. It allows us to keep improving as well as figure out what topics we should do next time.
392. 54:25So that's our Figma conference that happens in, I believe it's June of next year.
393. 54:30So, um, I will drop that link again in the chat.
394. 54:34Um, so be sure to access that. And again, the recordings will be posted on YouTube, as well as emailed out to you all, so if you signed up.
395. 54:42Um, you'll be able to… access it there. Yes, config is essentially design Coachella is how it's been described.
396. 54:49Um, and again, thank you all for being here.
397. 54:52And I will. see if there's any other questions in our Q&A section.
398. 54:59But yeah, feel free to fill out the form, I'm gonna drop it a few more times here.
399. 55:03Okay, another question is, a lot of these students attending are… Graduating, about to graduate, so… When should students have their portfolios ready if they're graduating in 2026?
400. 55:17With the recruitment timeline.
401. 55:30Like, if they're starting to… they want a job after post-grad, when should they have their portfolio ready? If they're graduating in May of 2026.
402. 55:40I guess whenever they're ready to interview, I guess, um… Or, uh… I don't know, like, as soon as possible, like, it goes back to the social media Twitter thing, like.
403. 55:50show off the… show off your work, even if you're still in school, like… There are people that have joined.
404. 55:57Um, these great companies… is because they're just vibing on Twitter and getting attention. Um… And so, uh, I… yeah, I always… Always be designing, um, I guess, like, feel free to, like, design.
405. 56:17That would be my device. I don't know, Johanna, do you have anything to add?
406. 56:29I mean, I got a DM yesterday from an early career portfolio that somebody came across on Twitter. So, I think the time, we're always recruiting, um, and so I think the sooner that you can.
407. 56:41share work, the better, um, especially as these early career recruitment timelines are getting… it feels like they're hiring, um.
408. 56:50share as much as you can online, um, and start as soon as possible. So…
409. 56:56Yeah, I could tell Chris A is thinking, he's like.
410. 57:00share later? Must share right now, as soon as you can. Um, so with that, how do you know what portfolio is ready? I feel like I've always dwindled when I'm making my portfolio and I'm crafting, like, when is it ready to present? How do you… help students decide that kind of, like, it's ready.
411. 57:18It's a great… it's a great question, because you'll never feel that it's ready, and I don't think that that feels any better the more senior you get in your career, um, because you always, like.
412. 57:28We care about the details, we care about the picks, we want it to be perfect, and there is a level of perfectionism that keeps you from just doing the thing.
413. 57:35So you have to kind of gut check, like.
414. 57:37Am I proud enough right now that I can show this out? Um, and if I am, like, it's probably good enough to send. And I can keep working.
415. 57:45Got it. The other thing about this, it's a leading document. Your portfolio is not static. You could change it every day if you wanted, but what you can't do.
416. 57:52is keep saying you're gonna redesign it, and you never get it done, and then you never actually launch it and land it with people and sending it out. That's what you can't do. So, if it's keeping you from shipping.
417. 58:00you're probably ready to go. And if it's not landing you the jobs that you're wanting to, or the interviews, or it's not there, then it's, like, worth retweaking. I think I've seen a question come up a couple of times around, like.
418. 58:11you know, I've got a very specific style, and it's not essentially landing. People don't like it as much, and I guess I'd, you know, start questioning, like, okay, like, is it time to rethink that? Because, like, what is the purpose of your portfolio?
419. 58:21Don't let perfectionism be the enemy of you actually, like, launching it.
420. 58:27I think… I think so. Something else I'll add to that? So, I think.
421. 58:28Amazing.
422. 58:33you know, once you can speak. to your portfolio once you feel like you've nailed that sort of, like, first impression story, I think.
423. 58:40Sure, then you're ready to apply, but something I want to add on is, like.
424. 58:43Your portfolio isn't the only thing in your tool belt, right? Like, once you actually get to the onsite, um, most companies, you know, you'll be able to dive into a slide deck, maybe you'll be able to dive into your Figma files, like.
425. 58:55For our process at Figma, we actually have an initial stage interview where we tell you to just come with some Figma files, and we go into multiplayer, and we dive around, so… The reason I'm saying this is, like, your portfolio doesn't necessarily have to fill every single gap, right? Like.
426. 59:13We are, uh, the tenured professionals. We know that if we have gaps that we want filled, we can ask you for other materials, so… Um, oftentimes, when you get to that onsite, you'll have the opportunity to show some other materials in some other way. This isn't necessarily true for every company, but it's definitely true for.
427. 59:32Perfect, at the very least.
428. 59:34Perfect. Thank you all so much for sharing your insights, and again, everyone in the chat, if you can drop some thank yous as well, we're gonna close out for the evening.