Why companies will struggle hiring the best designers today

The irony of trying to pick the best resulting in not-so-ideal outcomes

Source: Steve Johnson

There has been something I’ve noticed for a while now that has irritated me a little bit whenever I was job-hunting the last few years.

The number of rejections I’ve been getting when I apply to a different industry has sharply risen. It’s nearly a 100% rejection rate now if I were to apply to a non-fintech role despite my overall holistic experience as a senior designing non-fintech things.

Now, let me tell you why it irritates me: It usually confirms and continues doom in the employment economy.

The story goes like this:

Companies are more weary because economy is bad, so they hire safest choices. They do so because they think they don’t really need to train or onboard much since it’s a relevant industry.

The same companies don’t invest in career development, and their safe choices usually perform safe margins, a few more blah blah blah blahs later… the entire economy is affected because there is no fluid movement of professionals, stagnation happens, and nobody is happy.

No, really, this is the beginning of a very big problem.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that these hiring managers think a senior-level designer who has been designing complex fintech products is incapable of designing for e-commerce or education or literally anything else.

I felt stupid getting those rejection letters, then anger came pretty quick because I thought these people were the stupid ones (they might not be, but grrr angry).

“I should be given a chance!”, thought I, haughtily with an air of entitlement breezing through the room. Stinky.

But that’s not my point. My point isn’t that I’m good enough for everything and anything because: I’m not. My point is that there is no such thing as hiring the best designers based on industry profile.

The best designers simply don’t exist that way. We don’t just appear like Pokémon with an elemental type.