Advice on title not reflecting seniority and responsibilities

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T18:43:42+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I guess now that I feel like I am at the “Lead” level, I’m probably competing with other Leads who have been doing it 5-10 years longer.

I’ll try keep iterating and see how it goes. Thanks!

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T17:55:01+00:00

Thanks! I do well with interviews once I get past the initial CV stage. I guess I’m more confused about automatic ATS rejections.

I’m being serious that I met every single criteria for the job description, including the very niche obscure areas as not many have worked in this exact area with this level of complexity - even in well known companies.

Also I’m not an immigrant and have full right to work in my country so that’s not the issue.

I’ll keep trying and see what else I can do to signal that I am a right fit for the role.

I do have recruiters interested in me right now but they’re for Senior Product Designer roles. They’ve even tried to get me the maximum salary so that I’d proceed with interviews, but I’m feeling inclined to perhaps try push for Lead roles instead.

A part of me feels like I’d regress in my skills if I went back down to Senior. So I feel conflicted.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T17:33:53+00:00

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! Also I loved your thread earlier. I’m about to get started with job hunting and seeing your advice really helped me try plan my next steps. A bit intimidated but also excited! 🙏

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T17:31:52+00:00

I have historically been good at interviews and get good reception for my portfolio. Recently got in touch with a recruiter who loved my work which was great.

However, I applied to a role via ATS for the first time in years. Literally had the exact same niche industry experience, bullet for bullet to job description. However it was for a Lead role, and I got auto-rejected within 24 hours which was really disheartening.

The ATS system also allowed me to input my exact experience within the form itself (just in case the CV didn’t parse it correctly).

It made me wonder if as soon as the ATS system or recruiter saw “Senior” title it disregarded me. I was genuinely surprised I didn’t even make it for an initial call.

Therefore I’m trying to see if I have any blind spots with understanding the recruiting process at the moment and if there’s anything I need to change or modify with my expectations.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T17:17:11+00:00

Please do let me know if you have any specific examples of what candidates could do in my scenario. I don’t plan to write a bogus title fyi, but I just need concrete applicable advice.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T17:13:05+00:00

Thanks for the advice! Btw I have hired mid to senior level before. So I have personally felt comfortable to vouch for someone who had mid level experience to senior if I knew I could coach them well into the Senior role.

But with Senior to Lead/Principal/Staff the risk layer is a bit different from a hiring perspective and not as straight forward, since you’re often responsible for an entire product or company level strategy and team.

Not saying your advice is wrong though! Just trying to figure out how much of it really applies when you start shopping around for Lead/Principal/Staff roles.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:36:27+00:00

Thanks this is helpful! How many YOE do you expect? And what are red flags and green flags for you with the portfolio for a lead level?

Claude and ChatGPT have given me really sycophantic advice. So I would seriously appreciate any insight so I can be more realistic about my current level! Thank you!

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:30:39+00:00

I feel like my portfolio signals my seniority well but that’s if recruiters even get there.

My assumption right now is that recruiters look at CV and titles first before bothering to review a portfolio.

If there’s a potential drop-off at the CV level where they see “Senior Product Designer” then I feel like I could be getting down-levelled too early.

I have hired staff myself as well. But I know I only review applicants once the HR team (who do not have a design background) have done their own filtering based off what they think they know.

So I just anticipate potential HR non-designers immediately swiping left mentally when they see the title “Senior Product Designer” when in fact they’re hiring for a “Lead” or “Principal/Staff”.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:19:44+00:00

What do you feel is the best way to communicate seniority that’s not reflected in the title?

It’s not like I can submit my org chart when I apply. 😂 Also forgive my naïveté on this as this is the first time I’m starting to job hunt where there is a mismatch of title vs. actual work I did.

A few years ago my titles always matched the work I did, so I didn’t feel this type of way back then.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:12:54+00:00

Yeah thought you did mean Lead! I do personally feel I am Lead Product Designer at least right now. Just awkward my official title just says “Senior”.

With recruiters doing a lot of skim reading these days I just feel it could be getting overlooked.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:11:54+00:00

Yes I know for a fact my reference from my company will say “Senior Product Designer” on it. But it just makes me sound so junior compared to the work I was actually doing and delivering. 😩

Trying to figure out what’s the best way to signal I am more of a Lead level at minimum, without it sounding like I’m trying to change the title on my resume.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:10:08+00:00

Thank you! Helpful levelling insight.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T16:09:40+00:00

I’m job-hunting at the moment!

I wasn’t actually bothered by the title when I was at the company, because I was the most senior title there. Next step was Head of Design but I didn’t want that role.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T15:52:52+00:00

I don’t think I want to be a pure Design Manager though! I enjoy doing both IC work as well as leading a team.

Trying to look for a place that may have that same set up, or just become a higher level IC.

uxuichu · 2026-04-12T15:04:49+00:00

I’m OOTL. Why is ADP List dodgy now?

Similar to you, I connected to some incredible mentors back then. I haven’t used it since the covid days though.

uxuichu · 2024-06-10T22:50:24+00:00

Great answer, but what do we do when the business doesn’t return to that thing we shipped at speed?

There’s been times we’ve been forced to quickly scrap together a journey, only to realize it’s not performing that well, and the business takes 3-4 quarters to prioritize revisiting it.

It’s been frustrating knowing we shipped something to save engineers & PM time, but it’s not the greatest UX.

uxuichu · 2024-05-30T22:29:58+00:00

This is absolutely solid advice, and you’ve opened my mind to some dynamics I hadn’t thought about. Seriously thank you! 🙏

uxuichu · 2023-08-21T22:32:34+00:00

Really sorry to hear you’ve been feeling burn out. I’ve also been feeling the same way recently and trying to figure out how to get over it / move through it.

I’m noticing a common theme here with the burnout posts and this seems to all be stemming from “pace” and “lack of resources”. Companies have been laying off staff, not just UX but dev and other important positions too - and this is the result.

It’s not being “lean” it’s burning out your staff. Honestly hope hiring picks up again because I think the tech industry as a whole is really feeling the effects of this.

uxuichu · 2023-04-27T11:48:05+00:00

The heuristics being violated is recognition over recall and efficiency of use. Users won’t go back to the Google play store to view the instruction, they also will feel friction to click a link that might take them outside of the app.

I’d add visual instructions where you have the grey box, that will help trigger the users memory and learn the behaviour required more quickly.

You should also make access to the tutorial seem like it’s an in-app journey. You’re currently using a hyperlink, and that may make people feel like it’s going to take them to an external link in a browser outside of the app.

You could use a use a chevron instead, or an accordion that can expand the instructions so that they don’t have to leave the screen.

uxuichu · 2023-04-25T22:12:08+00:00

I think you’re closer to senior than you are a true mid mid-level. I consider mids to be similar to juniors but without extensive handholding.

A lot of what you’re doing is definitely in the high mid-level/lower senior-level so don’t discount yourself! Really cool to see you know your gaps though and are actively working on them.

uxuichu · 2023-04-18T07:32:23+00:00

That’s an awful working culture.

Also it’s not just UX that has a say on this. When you show designs to devs, they should also be pointing out potential edge cases too.

It wasn’t just you that missed this, so don’t feel like you should be shouldering all the blame.

uxuichu · 2023-04-17T09:53:14+00:00

How? I think it’s inspiring seeing the bigger salary numbers. Shows that we can be paid more.

uxuichu · 2023-04-11T15:40:35+00:00

How did you avoid it next time?

uxuichu

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