I recently went through a multi-step interview process. The general interview covered expectations and a self-introduction. The second step was a technical interview, where I answered questions about my design process, methodologies, and workflows. Although I don’t recall all the specific questions, I’ll share the ones I remember. Overall, I appreciated that the interview was thorough and allowed us to discuss interesting topics. The interviewers seemed welcoming, which made for a positive experience. However, I was surprised by the reason given for my rejection, which was a lack of technical skills. This feedback felt subjective, as the interview focused on methodologies and best practices I follow and are widely used in startups and larger companies, without assessing specific technical skills (Screensharing and showing Figma files, showcasing micro-animations, prototypes, design system elements, etc). I suspect the decision may have been related to salary expectations since their offer was significantly below my current project rates. It would have been helpful to address this directly in the process.

Initially approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn and agreed to a phone interview. The woman who called me wasn't the one I had spoken to. The first 10 minutes she explained what the company was about and it sounded great. I was then asked to talk about my experience ( 15 years and several BIG companies ). I don't even call it an interview for the role per say but felt more like a recruiter screening process. It felt like she was reading a basic script with generic questions that a Sr designer knows about... After answering question 2 ( see my response ) she had totally turned off I could tell. I don't know if it's because I told her about my age or what... Anyway, I got an email 2 days later telling me the generic no thanks... It's the first time in years I don't even make it to a real first interview with the hiring manager...