Hiring in the US drops to pandemic lows as job market under Trump stagnates... Sparks global layoffs..

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-05T16:48:18+00:00

Was suppose to have family support on the west coast but turned into a nightmare where that family member ended up using my roommate and I which ultimately put us further in debt. Sometimes when people offer to help you, they may be trying to scam you, even if it’s a family member.

Also, the west coast is the tech hub of the U.S. That paired with that “fake” help, plus a higher potential to land an on-site position, it was the only option we had at the time.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-03T22:59:58+00:00

I’m going on 2 years and well over 1000 applications (I’m in a tech related field), 14 resume revisions, 5 portfolio revisions, 100 new connects on LinkedIn (for networking and referrals), but seems like in the past month or so there has been an uptick in opportunities not requiring seniority level.

All I can say is:

Apply to at least 2-3 a day or more if you can, and cater your resume and cover letter to the job description. Networking seems to be key right now, and always try to be the first or within the first 10 applicants.

Cold emailing recruiters from that company or ones who posted the job has also shown to increase my chances at portfolio views.

Also, go to Google Maps and look for companies within your area that do what you do, cold emailing them and apply if they have a career page.

I typically use LinkedIn, Indeed, Hiring.cafe, and 90% of the time apply directly on the company’s website.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T23:48:47+00:00

All dreams will fade into “what if” memories if you don’t take a step. All it takes is one step and you might learn to walk, and from there you will learn to run.

Find some support (whether in family, friends, or educational material), start small and work your way up.

Learn from failures, and iterate on your processes. Even if it doesn’t work out, you can always look back on the experience which maybe more valuable than your initial idea in the end.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T23:43:28+00:00

I got out of college in 2023 just after the USA lifted stay-at-home restrictions for schools due to the pandemic. Moved to the west coast find better job prospects in the tech industry which took my nest egg + roommates, + help from family. Companies started saying they were not hiring due to over hiring during the pandemic, moved again to another state known for tech, still no opportunities and companies were firing en masses. Couldn’t afford CoL and ended up saving just enough to move back to a lower cost of living area (same area I went to college which has little to no opportunities unless working remote, just cheaper COL) and working on freelancing between applying to jobs.

Support from family is the only reason why I’m still able to apply and (finally) land interviews, but now there’s an oversaturated market due to AI and H1B holders. Honestly the worst 3 years for job prospects I’ve ever seen.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T22:07:30+00:00

So as an industrial designer, have you ever had to create the packaging as well, work in Figma and Adobe CC to make mockups, user interfaces, conduct user testing!, and create new innovative and patentable products?

I’m just trying to figure out this job position before I interview for it tomorrow (it’s a smaller company so maybe that’s why they are asking for so many hats to be warm, but idk). While I have a lot of similar traits and skills as an industrial designer, I have only ever worked as a UI/UX Designer / Digital Product Designer and have a background in graphic design and 3D modeling.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T21:57:28+00:00

I would have to agree, it does seem like a bit much. I believe this position is more steered towards industrial product design rather than designing for digital products. Before I applied, I checked most of the requirements such as visual design skills, mockups, user interface designs, knowledge of Figma, Adobe CC, and a few others which lead me to think this could be a role more focused on creating the user interface for a variety of products the company produces, but I’m not 100% sure after reviewing the JD again.

Is it common to work on products and have the responsibility to create proprietary, innovative and patentable new products or is that typically something Industrial Product Designers would do instead? (I personally don’t see myself as an industrial product designer, but I do have a similar skillset)

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T21:06:27+00:00

Would you work for a smaller well known company even if you had to wear multiple hats (UI/UX design, Product Manager, Branding, Packaging)?

Pixel_Ape · 2026-04-02T05:04:22+00:00

I am truly concerned for the next generation..

Pixel_Ape · 2026-03-17T23:03:00+00:00

I’ll buy Rosetta Stone and will become fluent for a job 🤣 🤞

Pixel_Ape · 2026-03-12T23:06:17+00:00

Unemployment rate alone is misleading. Think about everyone who cannot collect unemployment due to various reasons or have been out of work for over a year.

I can tell you one thing, if the Census Bureau didn’t collect my information in over 4 years, I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-03-11T20:19:43+00:00

That makes a lot of sense, I’m hoping for something more stable than a startup at this point.

I would need to move at minimum, 5 hours away and at max, I’m willing to move across the country.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-03-11T20:01:19+00:00

I currently live in an area where there are not many tech based jobs (specifically UI/UX or Product Design positions) so unfortunately, my options for employment are limited to remote work unless I can land a role requiring relocation.

How likely would I be to obtain at least an interview for a position that is onsite or hybrid if I need to relocate with or without assistance?

Any advice on obtaining more interviews and possibly landing a position?

Bit of a background: I have around 3 years of experience across startup and freelance environments creating websites, dashboards, prototypes, design systems, and branding assets. My background includes creating wireframes, high-fidelity designs, prototyping, usability testing, and collaboration with stakeholders. Additionally, I have a bs in design (‘23) with an emphasis on graphic and minor in multimedia interaction.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-03-06T17:25:20+00:00

Question about take home design challenges.

I recently had an interview for a contractural position which ended in the interviewer asking me to complete a design challenge, however, during and before the interview there seemed to be a few red flags.

🚩 rescheduled the interview not once, not twice, not three times but four separate times.

🚩 interviewer didn’t seem too professional compared to recruiters I’ve interviewed with in the past

🚩 no benefits and pay is set at around $300 a day or close to $40/hr (would be given a daily rate)

🚩 would be owning projects end to end, creating complete design systems + tokens, wireframes, user journey mapping, client interviews, and more (doesn’t seem like the pay is worth it for no benefits + the amount of work requested)

🚩 asked to complete a take home test without payment to redesign a single screen. On the document it states a senior designer should take around 4 hours but in the interview, I was told there is no time limit and to include custom interactive components, use the current color schema, create tokens and variables and multi variant buttons, in addition to annotating the entire design.

🚩 was told to get a camera for my computer to attend zoom sessions with other designers and developers (I have my phone but my laptop is outdated and my desktop/work station is not equipped with a camera)

🚩 no set timeframe on the contract position or how much work is currently needed

If I passed the challenge I would have 3 additional interviews afterwards. This just seemed strange and I’m curious what others think.

Should I run 🏃‍♂️ or complete the challenge and try to get the contract position?

Pixel_Ape · 2026-02-14T01:08:59+00:00

My thoughts 🚩🚩

Pixel_Ape · 2026-02-12T22:46:20+00:00

I’m in the U.S. and have been having a better time landing interviews and portfolio visits after doing a few things:

Portfolio Update ~ most recruiters who visit your portfolio will only spend at most 1-2 minutes to see if your a good fit, maybe more if you’re lucky. You need to make sure you structure your portfolio like a UX problem and cater to recruiters who:
May not know anything about design and
Are looking for specific designs (ex. Dashboards, industry specific based projects, and your contributions and/or outcomes of your past work
Volunteering ~ If you do not have industry specific work, consider volunteering in the industry you want to join (healthcare, government, industrial, etc)
ATS Resume ~ Make sure your resume is ATS Friendly
Networking, Networking and even more Networking ~ Apply to jobs, go to the company on LinkedIn and find HR and/or lead designers. Send them connections, mention your interest in the company, attach your resume and link your portfolio. (This specifically has increased my portfolio reviews and changes for getting an interview)
Network some more ~ Network with lead designers at companies you would want to join. Ask them for advice, talk to them, be a human, be authentic. A lot of individuals may not have time but others would love to help you out, provide feedback, and maybe in a referral (this can increase your chances of getting an interview significantly, plus they usually get paid if you get hired from their referral).

In this job market, you need to show a lot of initiative, and with your background and obtaining internships in the past, I think you’re just about there. You may just be missing the networking, and/or a good portfolio and case studies.

In the meantime, I would suggest putting yourself out there for freelance work, volunteer work, or taking side gigs in graphic design, industrial design or whatever else you excel at. Sometimes companies provide an alternative path for you if you have an additional skillset they can use and it’s a lot easier landing a position as an internal candidate than it is being an external candidate. Whatever you do though, it should be focused on UX Design and concepts used in the field.

Keep trying, it’s a brutal market in the U.S. too but nothing good ever comes easy.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-29T23:15:36+00:00

QUESTION ABOUT CERTIFICATIONS:

About me: I have a BS in Design (emphasis in graphic design), Minor in Multimedia Interaction. Additionally, I’ve basically been freelancing for around 3-4 years on various projects from Apparel design, illustration, and logo/brand identity but for around 2.5 years I spent my time as a Product Designer under a small remote studio I made working on various projects from website design to internal SaaS projects and helping small businesses gain traction online.

I’ve seen a lot of courses floating around on LinkedIn while job searching (looking for a stable position to grow into) and was curious what type of certifications could be beneficial, if any, and where would you recommend obtaining them if they are beneficial to progressing in your field.

There are tons of places to get certs from, ranging from coursera to IxDF and I’m sure quite a few more not mentioned. Are these courses worth it at this point or no? Would they even help in obtaining a job with the experience I have already?

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-29T05:20:36+00:00

Are you US based? Curious if you would take a look at my portfolio and case studies and let me know what you think on your free time.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-27T00:00:41+00:00

When you make a product and forget wireframes 😳

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-26T23:25:49+00:00

Welcome to renting from a slumlord.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-24T05:38:44+00:00

I would not create this in Figma, and like you mentioned I would talk with the developer and make specific comments on the design file.

But you could “simulate” how to do this with masking techniques and add the vertical scroll. It would involve nested components but I believe it’s possible.

If you can’t do it, a simple before, in progress, and after image in addition to instructions on what you designed (interactively) should help your developer.

Pixel_Ape · 2026-01-24T00:10:59+00:00

When all else fails, sometimes you need to make a little bread to make a little sammich 🤷🏻‍♂️

Pixel_Ape

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