ADPList Chicago: Decoding Design Hiring
Description
Hiring for designers can feel opaque—what matters in a portfolio, what gets you screened out, what interview loops are really testing, and how to stand out without overcomplicating your story.
This session brings together multiple perspectives— a hiring manager/design leader, a recruiter, and a recent success story —to help you focus on what moves the needle across the job search, portfolio review, and interview process.
What we'll cover:
What hiring managers look for in portfolios (signals of craft, product thinking, and impact)
How interview loops are structured and what they evaluate (case studies, collaboration, execution)
Recruiter screening: resumes, LinkedIn, compensation ranges, and common pitfalls
Practical job search strategy: outreach, referrals, positioning, and momentum
Mental shift and well-being
Q&A to unblock real challenges
Who should attend
Product Designers / UX Designers actively interviewing (or starting soon)
Designers rebuilding a portfolio or repositioning their narrative
Early-career designers who want clarity on expectations
Anyone curious about how hiring decisions are made behind the scenes
Agenda (time will be adjusted closer to the event)
5:00 PM — Doors open
5:30 PM — Welcome + how tonight will work
5:40 PM — 6:40 PM Panel discussion
6:40 PM — 7:00 PM Audience Q&A
7:00 PM — 8:00 PM Networking
8:00 PM — Doors closing
Speakers:
David Kazaryan - Product Design Lead @ United Airlines
Monica Hermes - Senior Design Recruiter @ PayPal/Venmo
Katherine Captain - Technical Recruiter @ Microsoft
Moderator:
Daniel Santrella User Experience Researcher @ Double Good
About ADPList
ADPList is a global community of mentors and learners— a community that was founded in 2021 with a mission to democratize mentorship for all. It has since grown to 24,000+ mentors who have mentored more than 100 million minutes in 141 countries across the globe. Our meetups are a great opportunity to meet new people, build community, and talk shop.
ADPList Chicago Team 🇺🇸
This event is planned and hosted by Ambassadors representing the ADPList Chicago chapter!
Mila Shumilina, Onur Kocan, Aaron Montanez, Sherry Yu, Daniel Santrella, Hari Pudipeddi, Jantzen Loza, Efe Aykac