Here’s the truth about UX design careers in 2024:

Most designers are doing it wrong.

They’re obsessing over the latest Figma plugins, perfecting their visual designs, and endlessly tweaking their portfolios.

But after 10 years in Silicon Valley’s design trenches and coaching countless designers to land roles at companies like Google, Airbnb, and IDEO, I’ve noticed something different.

The designers who truly succeed follow a counterintuitive path.

Let me show you why.

From Bootcamp to Dream Job: A 6-Month Transformation

A few months ago, a designer (let’s call him Justin) came to me after completing a General Assembly bootcamp.

His situation:

• One mediocre case study
• Mounting debt
• Rapidly depleting savings
• A dream of working in fashion tech

Most coaches would’ve told him to polish his portfolio 24/7.

Instead, I told him to get a part-time job.

Counterintuitive? Yes.Effective? Absolutely.

Here’s why: Financial stress kills creativity. And creativity is what lands dream jobs.

Fast forward a few months:

• Justin landed his dream role at KITH
• He’s financially stable
• He’s doing the work he loves

How?

The 80/20 Framework of Design Career Success

Through my experience leading design teams and coaching designers, I’ve discovered that 20% of actions drive 80% of career success.

Here’s what nobody tells you:

1. Design skills are table stakesMost designers obsess over mastering every feature in Figma. But here’s the truth: Once you hit competency, additional design skills face diminishing returns.

2. The real differentiator?Your ability to sell the business value of your solutions.

In my decade of experience leading design teams and shipping products, I’ve never seen a designer fail because they couldn’t create the perfect gradient.

They fail because they can’t answer one simple question:“How does this design make money, save money, or reduce risk for the business?”

3. The holistic advantageThe best designers I’ve worked with don’t just design screens — they design their lives.

One of my clients insisted she did her best work late at night before bed. Her work suffered until we fixed her sleep schedule. Sometimes the biggest career blocker isn’t your portfolio — it’s your habits.

The Truth About Landing Dream Design Jobs

Here’s what actually matters:

• Not your pixel-perfect designs
• Not your mastery of design systems
• Not even your years of experience

What matters is your story.

Let me share another example.

Last year, a senior designer came to me frustrated. She had 8 years of experience and a beautiful portfolio showcasing work from major brands. Yet she kept getting rejected from leadership roles.

The problem? She was telling the wrong story.

In her interviews, she focused on visual design excellence and pixel-perfect execution. But what design leaders really wanted to hear was how she:

• Influenced product strategy
• Mentored junior designers
• Navigated complex stakeholder relationships
• Turned business constraints into creative opportunities

After we reframed her narrative, she landed a Lead Designer role at a Series B startup within weeks. The job came with a 40% pay increase and equity - all because she learned to tell the right story.

As a hiring manager, I never hired someone because their portfolio was prettier than the rest.

I hired them because they could articulate:

• The unique value they brought
• The business impact of their work
• The transformation they created for users

The Missing Piece Most Designers Overlook

Here's something I've noticed after countless coaching sessions: Technical skills get you in the door, but strategic thinking gets you the offer.

The designers who advance fastest in their careers understand one crucial thing: Design is a business function, not just a creative one.

This means:

• Understanding the company's business model
• Speaking the language of metrics and outcomes
• Connecting design decisions to business goals
• Building relationships across departments

One of my clients tripled their interview success rate simply by reframing their work through this lens. Instead of talking about the UI improvements they made, they talked about the 23% increase in user retention their design drove.

The Framework That Actually Works

Want to land your dream design role? Focus on these:

1. Clarity over polishDocument your process. Show your thinking. Demonstrate business impact.

2. Networks over applicationsEvery major career breakthrough I’ve seen came through relationships, not job boards.

3. Holistic growth over tunnel visionYour health, relationships, and mindset aren’t separate from your career — they’re the foundation of it.

Real Talk: Why Most Design Career Advice Falls Short

I've reviewed hundreds of portfolios and coached designers at every level. Here's what I keep seeing:

Cookie-cutter advice that ignores market reality:

• 'Just keep applying'
• 'Network more'
• 'Add more projects'

But here's what top companies are actually looking for in 2024:

1. Business Acumen in Action: One of my clients recently presented a case study differently. Instead of starting with the UI challenge, she opened with: 'This project increased customer lifetime value by 47%.' She got offers in two weeks.
2. Strategic Problem Selection: Another client was stuck showcasing small feature updates. We pivoted to highlight how he identified and solved core business problems. Result? Two offers in a month.
3. Cross-functional Leadership: Even individual contributor roles want this now. A recent client showed how she aligned engineering, product, and business teams around a shared vision. She landed her dream design role over candidates with more years of experience.

The Common Thread

Notice something? None of these wins came from better visual design skills.

They came from understanding the unwritten rules of career advancement in tech:

• Politics matter more than pixels
• Impact beats aesthetics
• Storytelling trumps showcasing

The Next Step

If you’re tired of:

• Endless portfolio tweaks with no results
• Generic advice that doesn’t move the needle
• Feeling stuck while others advance

And you’re ready to:

• Get clarity on your unique value proposition
• Build a strategic plan for your design career
• Land roles at companies you actually care about

Then let’s talk.

I work with ambitious designers who are ready to take action. In the past my clients have landed roles at Google, Airbnb, IDEO, and leading civic and climate tech companies.

Want to be next?

Book an intro call with me: https://mentorcruise.com/mentor/geronimoramos/

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I’m a Product Design Leader who’s shaped products used by over 50 million Americans, working with companies like Chime, Outdoorsy, and Scale AI. After building and leading design teams in climate tech, and having my journey from working in food tech to being the sous chef of Tiger Woods featured in the Washington Post, I now help ambitious designers land their dream roles through a holistic approach to career development.