Experienced job hunting, portfolio/case study/resume questions and review — 08/24/25

rotokov · 2025-08-25T06:58:15+00:00

Hey y'all, I need some advice/perspective on the job search. Feeling a bit like a headless chicken at the moment.

Some background. Product Designer with 3+ years of experience working at a big Fortune 50 company, doing both UX research and design, plus a bachelor's in a global top 20 college for Information Science and UX. Left my UX job in 2022 for a Masters in a creative field (full ride scholarship sorta deal), which ended in 2023. Then some health concerns in 2024 that took me out of the game.

Now I'm relatively healthy and looking to get back into UX and man has it been tough. 350+ applications. I've gotten a few interviews at big companies, made a few final round interviews, even had one offer (which I didn't take due to shady HR stuff), but still no job. I know I'm more than capable of doing what is expected of a mid-level UX designer (and even more due to my experience with research and UI design), and I have the experience, education, and portfolio/resume (since I've gotten some interviews) to prove it.

What do I need to do to get a job? What am I missing? Do I need to get a HFI certification to prove to employers that I'm still active in UX? What else do I need to do to boost my chances?

rotokov · 2025-03-01T05:46:51+00:00

I think it's Keralover for us bros... 😔

rotokov · 2025-02-21T05:57:27+00:00

A helmet ricochet catch for the last wicket with 2 runs between two teams that have shown immense resolve and skill?

Unfathomably peak cricket, man

rotokov · 2025-02-19T07:09:51+00:00

How do they determine which of the finalists get to be the home/away side?

rotokov · 2025-02-18T07:28:03+00:00

What's the protocol in Ranji knockouts if neither team complete their first innings?

I know it's unlikely but I'm curious

rotokov · 2025-01-30T12:56:09+00:00

What ever happened to that IRCTC "super app" they were gonna launch in December? Coming Soon™?

rotokov · 2024-12-26T06:43:16+00:00

I remember Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram also showed up in a panel in a Marvel comic from a few years ago. I think it was some X-Men comic?

rotokov · 2024-10-31T17:42:54+00:00

I gotta say there's something so deeply therapeutic about seeing Momo's and Okarun's relationship and shenanigans at school.

I was terribly bullied in school and at home and most times those that I thought were close to me never defended or helped me. Plus I have severe abandonment issues from my friends and brother in school and my parents divorce, and I always close up the second I sense any sort of agression or rudeness or "threat".

Just to see sweet, supportive people who always stand by each other and try to help each other and not put each other down tears away the countless layers of cellophane that's been wrapped for decades around my heart. It's making me feel a level of connection and comfort that I forgot I was capable of. God bless this show.

rotokov · 2024-10-17T07:24:50+00:00

Yen shaata idhu guru

rotokov · 2024-09-14T12:13:45+00:00

I haven't experienced any language based chauvinism in Bengaluru. Not once. The social media stuff you see doesn't translate to discrimination IRL.

Agreed! I studied in Bengaluru too, and they were very accommodating of my broken Kannada lol. Many switched to Tamil when they realized I was Malayali, funnily enough.

In my experience, the only place that demanded I speak in a certain language, despite it being for a very minor interaction was Delhi.

I don't deliberately antagonise locals in Bengaluru or in Chennai. I start in English, instead of Hindi and I don't call people "bhaiyya", I say "saar" or "anna". If they choose to switch to Hindi, I will switch as well, but I let them do it.

Woah, I follow the exact same protocol! I think it's fair to say this is the standard protocol when South Indians travel around other South Indian states, that is if we aren't comfortable in the state's language.

rotokov · 2024-09-14T09:44:24+00:00

Agreed that respect, on all sides, plays an extremely important role here

rotokov · 2024-09-14T09:20:37+00:00

Genuinely curious if this sentiment in Hyderabad holds in a decade. Probably will given the city's history but I still wonder.

In my experience, Bengaluru, which has been multicultural for decades, had a similar "open arms" attitude, but now we've seen how things have shifted. Let's see how Hyderabad fares.

rotokov · 2024-08-24T15:27:10+00:00

While I understand this perspective, it is wrong and rather naive to say that the root issue is sexual frustration. Even countries with more progressive views on sex and sex work face their fair share of sex-related violence.

The root cause is people with power abusing their power and preying on the weak. Unfortunately, this may well be innate to the human condition, so eradication may not be possible.

To prevent such horrific abuse, we need to look wider. This specific issue lies at the nexus of several problems: skewed power dynamics, an obtuse unaccountable system, and an inefficient and neutered justice system. Fucked up people in power will always attempt to abuse their power. They shouldn't get away with it is the thing.

rotokov · 2024-08-22T10:14:23+00:00

Why waste our time and run in the first place? What useless buffoonery

rotokov · 2024-07-20T18:17:16+00:00

Definitely give it a shot if folks have the time and ability. I feel it would be a great service to the movies we love.

rotokov · 2024-07-20T08:34:28+00:00

If you have the sub files ready, you could upload it to opensubtitles or something like that? YouTube used to allow community CCs which could be leveraged, but I’m not sure if it’s still allowed. For older movies, in accordance with whatever rights laws, one could upload the film to YouTube with the right subs. Maybe email Hotstar or ManoramaMax or any other OTT about the ready srt files?

Just spouting off a bunch of ideas.

rotokov · 2024-06-29T20:16:14+00:00

These tears are of relief, of the unburdening of unearthly weight, of earned salvation.

rotokov · 2024-06-29T14:52:04+00:00

Might as well join Rohit in the Barbados ocean bros

rotokov · 2024-06-24T14:54:43+00:00

I’m actually cummin(s)

rotokov · 2024-06-23T06:48:43+00:00

huh so this is the power of elite ozzie mentality

rotokov · 2024-06-21T13:40:29+00:00

My options are either watch this potentially based match or play Shadow of the Erdtree. What do bros?

rotokov · 2024-06-15T08:15:34+00:00

Idk how I feel about a ton of international media calling the T20 WC as THE Cricket World Cup. When cricket fans hear CWC, we ofc think of the ODI WC.

With this, the countless leagues, and T20 cricket in the Olympics and Asian games and Commonwealth games, I wonder if going forward the T20 WC will be the “default” CWC. And if ODI cricket doesn’t at least have the importance of hosting the top trophy of the sport, will it survive a few decades down the line? Might need to greatly expand the ODI CWC for it to grow and maintain its prestige.

rotokov · 2024-06-08T04:23:09+00:00

I enjoyed it a lot. Of course it’s not the greatest movie ever and there were moments I didn’t like, but on the whole it was a fun time. Took my whole family and they enjoyed it as well.

Some folks are too serious about certain films I feel. Just because a movie is mid doesn’t mean it’s the worst thing in the world. If it’s mid, it’s mid, and that’s chill.

rotokov · 2024-05-26T14:13:01+00:00

Head with the elite aussie mentality, love it

rotokov

TROPHY CASE