How do I restart my design job search after a layoff?
Take one week to update the portfolio and one sentence to explain the layoff, then run the search like a project: a target list of twenty companies, two conversations a week with people who work there, and applications only where you have a name. Volume applying to job boards is the slowest path there is.
Layoffs are common enough now that nobody reads one as a red flag. What reads badly is a portfolio that stopped in 2023. Add the last thing you shipped, even if the product was cancelled: the work is still yours.
The designers on Hop who came through a layoff fastest all did the same thing: they talked to a senior designer within the first two weeks, got a blunt read on the portfolio, and fixed the top problem before applying anywhere.
From Hop mentors who've been there
“Laid off and got a job less than 4 months! I can share my journey if you need a help from layoff!”
Chuck Shin · Senior Product Designer at Microsoft AI · on their Hop profile
“At an early stage healthtech startup, I coached a visual designer to transition into product design. She already had strong craft and visual instincts, so our work focused on building product judgment. The shift was not just about learning new UX methods. It was about helping her move beyond visual polish into product thinking: understanding user problems, mapping flows, considering constraints, and explaining the “why” behind her decisions. The result was a more confident designer who could own the problem, not just the pixels. She's now the lead product designer at the company.”
Kasey Randall · Product Design Lead at Posh AI · on their Hop profile
“Imposter syndrome used to kick my butt (spoiler it still pops up!) and I had to battle to gain confidence presenting to execs, speaking my mind and putting myself out there. It's a practice of believing in yourself and trying on different modes so your message can be received well. I got you!”
Alison Gretz · Co-Founder & Coach at The Glimmer Network · on their Hop profile
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