A Guide to Getting into User Research
In this hands-on guide, I will go beyond the cliched advice like "do your own projects for a case study" to help you understand how to get started as a user researcher.
How can I do this? Well, I was once trying to break into the field of research too. And it was nothing short of a nightmare. I spent weeks and months scouring the internet to find resources to teach me. I took part in the General Assembly UX Bootcamp (where we only had a few hours dedicated toward user research) for my certificate. I misunderstood terms and concepts. I begged people for interviews. Finally, I landed an internship that only paid for a fraction of my New York City rent. But, hey, I was finally a user researcher. I've been there. I've questioned whether or not this is the job for me. I sucked at one point, at all of the methods. But, here I am now. And I'm telling you, if I can do it, you can too.
I will tell you the exact ways I got into user research and how I teach others to get into the field. I have mentored and guided many beginners around the globe and helped them break into the field of user research. I will share these techniques.
In this in-depth guide, you'll learn:
What the role of user research is and what it means to be a user researcher
How to know if user research is a good fit for you, including what skills you need and whether or not you need a specific background or advanced degree
The career path of user researchers
Steps to get a job as a user researcher (without experience) and how to prep for your interview
How to present a case study and how to get the first (or two) one done
Red flags to look out for
Next steps
If you're considering a transition into user research, you'll love this guide
What is the role of a user researcher?
User researchers are the bridge between organizations and customers. We help bring customers' experiences alive to support teams with their decision-making. We help guide teams to an answer that aligns with people's mental models.
However, we do not provide concrete answers. This is the part that people misunderstand most about our role. We can't say "this is 100% the right design," "people will 100% buy this," or "this is 100% the next best step for us." Instead, we guide our teams toward creative and user-centric ideas that will likely succeed with our audience.
Imagine you are bowling. You may hit a few pins, bowl a strike, or your ball goes into the gutter. When you're playing with a kid, you can have bumpers. These are the mechanisms that prevent the ball from going into the gutter, raising the chances of hitting pins or even getting a strike.
User research is the bumper. We help teams create ideas that don't go into the gutter and have a more significant likelihood of getting a strike! We provide these guardrails to help our teams make better decisions through our research.
And a big part of the role as a user researcher is to keep in mind that our stakeholders (our colleagues) are our users too. They use our research to make decisions, so we need to ensure that experience is as good as possible.
What does a UXR do?
Now that we understand the general role of a user researcher, what does a user researcher actually do? Famous last words: "it depends." What does it depend on?
The organization (ex: b2c - business to customer, b2b - business to business)
Your level (ex: associate, junior, mid-level, senior)
The maturity of the organization (ex: how well they know and describe the role of a researcher)
In general, user researchers plan, design, and carry out research activities with users that help teams get a deep understanding of people, including customers, potential customers, churned customers, or people who have never heard of the product.
General responsibilities of a user researcher include:
Be the expert on the users within your topic/team or area of influence
Collaborate with other researchers, designers, product managers, and developers on research projects by helping them design and answer research questions
Conduct all stages of UX research, including fielding requests, planning, recruiting, conducting, analyzing, and reporting insights
Communicate out statuses and updates of project work to stakeholders
Pick the best qualitative and quantitative research methods to answer the team's research questions
Share research insights in creative ways to increase empathy
Produce research insights that result in impact
As your level changes, these responsibilities change from more tactical (doing research) to more strategic (leading an area of influence or a team). We will cover the different skills in each level below.
How to know if user research is a good fit for you
The skills you need
You will need the following skills for this role, although the level of expertise for each will vary, depending on the role level.
User research personality traits
Perceptiveness. We need to take in everything around us, especially during research sessions. By being perceptive, we can filter out the noise and hone in on the most critical pieces of what participants are telling us. This trait allows us to ask crucial questions on the spot instead of realizing we missed the opportunity later on
Open-mindedness and calmness. Looking for patterns in data to deliver insights is critical in making a successful user researcher, but it is essential not to jump to conclusions when synthesizing research. We need to remain calm and open to all possibilities to see grey areas others may miss. This also applies to realizing we can't understand or do everything perfectly
Neutrality. Frankly, we aren't meant to have opinions but, instead, our colleagues expect us to share all the facts with others in the most unbiased way. During the research, we don't respond to what participants are saying. There have been times I have wanted to laugh, cry and hang up the call, but we must listen dispassionately to what others are saying, although this doesn't mean you act like a robot
People management (not necessarily being a manager). As a researcher, I interact with many people from product owners to designers, developers to marketing, finance/legal to branding. Sometimes there can be a good amount of chasing and babysitting to ensure research gets done correctly (and isn't pulled in too late to a project). I create bi-weekly meetings with product owners and designers so that research isn't left behind. I also made a one-pager on how to work with a user researcher
A whole lotta patience. Similar to above, with chasing and educating, there is a need for a degree of patience. User research isn't concrete enough as a field to simply be known (or understood correctly). In addition, it can get boring sitting through hours of interviews with people who are telling you similar stories or taking the same actions on tasks. However, we need the patience to look through each interview with a lens of fascination and potential. Also, be patient with last-minute cancellations!
Mental juggling. Specifically, during research sessions, we do many things simultaneously: observing, listening, understanding, forming questions, time-keeping, empathizing, knowing when to dig deeper, managing observers, etc. We do a lot at once, so having the mental capacity to juggle all of this competing information is crucial. I use meditation to help with focus and clear my mind. That, and lots of practice!
Be compelling. Often, we need to help others see the value of user research and evangelize the user's voice. To do this, we need persuasion, but without the negative connotation, that word usually entails. It is essential to understand the fears or misconceptions of user research and then present research projects and findings in a way that quells those fears.
A touch of romanticism. Researchers generally want to make the world a better place and improve people's lives. A degree of romanticism is necessary to forge forward through common obstacles and struggles. We want to help others, both companies and users.
Technical skills
Ability to collaborate. As mentioned above, researchers can touch many different departments and are often considered a "service" for teams to use. In this sense, we need to collaborate with all other areas of a company, whether product, tech, marketing, finance, legal, etc. Making yourself as approachable as possible and taking the time to understand someone's previous experience with user research enables you the opportunity to collaborate even more
Adaptability and admittance. User research can be unexpected — you could lose a connection, a participant could be hard to handle, a method may not be working well, someone could question and dissolve your research findings through something you didn't know. We have to be flexible in changing plans and working with what is directly in front of us at any given moment. I now expect the unexpected and am happy to admit I did something wrong or that I simply don't know
Teaching. One of the best things I have done at every company or consultant position I held was to teach others how to perform basic user research (primarily usability tests). Explaining concepts to people in a way that enables them to understand helps you educate people and also comes in handy for facilitating brainstorming sessions or fielding the many questions a user researcher gets asked when presenting findings
Learning quickly. Especially in the freelance/consultancy world, we need to learn quickly: learn about the people we are working with, how teams are structured, the processes we need research to fit into, the domain we are a part of, different types of technology, new research methods. We don't need to become experts in everything, but it is vital to be able to recognize commonalities between what you know and things you are trying to learn, as well as put in the time to absorb information necessary to your performance properly
A good memory. A good memory is key when moderating interviews, as you can memorize the script you need, making the session much more natural for you and the participant. There is a lot of information to be stored, and you are bound to forget some details, but having a good memory enables you to make connections between research participants (and even projects) that others might miss
Writing. I write a lot in my day-to-day activities, such as recruitment emails, scheduling emails, presentations, research summaries, personas, scenarios, one-pagers, budgets, research plans, screeners, surveys, the list goes on. Sometimes, I even help with UX copywriting for my designers (we don't have that role filled yet). Being a structured, concise, yet friendly writer can aid you and save you time with editing
Analysis and synthesis. You can turn research data into clear findings that inform decisions. You know how to involve colleagues in analysis and synthesis to increase the adoption of knowledge and induce action
Storytelling. I care about people's stories because they are integral to understanding someone and communicating research to others. To effectively get others to understand our users and our product's impact on them, I need to string together the stories users tell me to convey meaning
Research skills. You understand and have experience with a range of user research methods. You can choose appropriate methods for particular product life cycle stages and research questions. You know how to apply different methods to get the best results for teams
Don't have all these skills or traits?
That is okay - it doesn't mean you can't be a user researcher. This list is not exhaustive or exclusive, but some beneficial qualities and skills. If you fall short on some of these, they can be learned and sharpened over time. We all have our strengths and areas of improvement. As with anything in user research, it just takes practice!
Do I need an advanced degree or certificate?
Most of the time, I would, quite honestly, say no, you don't need to go back to school and get an advanced degree or even go to a Bootcamp to get a certificate. And I say this as someone with an M.A. in Psychology AND a certificate from General Assembly's UX Bootcamp. But unfortunately, my M.A. and certificate did not get me my first internship in user research.
I will mention two exceptions for this:
You already planned on going back to school and want to, and your degree encompasses multiple career paths and other interests
If you want to work at a company with a more "rigorous" application process, such as Facebook or Google
I mention that you likely do not need an advanced degree or certificate because user research is less about theory and more about practical experience. Yes, you can learn the theory of user research, methodology, recruitment, stakeholder management, and analysis, but the most important part is applying this learning. Unfortunately, most educational environments won't give you that opportunity.
For this reason, I suggest shorter and more affordable options instead of going through a University or Bootcamp. What will matter most in your education is learning and then taking that knowledge and applying it "in the real world."
Are you interested in going beyond the theory? Then, check out this bundle of my Introduction of User Research Course to teach you the theory + my User Research: From Planning to Execution to give you the practice and application. Get the bundle here.
Things to get used to as a user researcher
Learning how to communicate differently. I am a written/verbal person. I could fill a whole PowerPoint presentation with so many words, you would be reading for hours, but teams don't have time to read all that text. Instead of writing a research report, I use charts (rainbow charts are great), bar graphs, video/audio clips, and photos from the app/website to convey what I need to get across.
Tech/design language and concepts. Agile, Scrum, sprints, waterfall, lean, user stories, requirements, prototypes, generative, usability testing. A new world means learning a new vocabulary, and there is a lot to learn. Read as much as possible about product and tech environments to learn how they talk. This was the easiest for me to start with and gave me confidence when sitting in meetings or talking to teams. I've been in the field for over five years and still struggle with technical jargon, but getting the basics is essential!
Many, many meetings. This took me some time to balance. Since I am the bridge between the user and the different areas of the company, I am often in meetings with many teams, including marketing, sales, account management, customer support, etc.
Working with many different roles. Not only do you learn about user research, tech, and product when you start in a UXR position, but you also have to familiarize yourself with many different departments. User research doesn't (and shouldn't) work in a vacuum. You will be able to work with marketing, sales, account management, customer success, and even more. With this, however, comes learning about what these other departments do and how you could best help them.
Learning about business. The cool thing about user research is that it can work on many levels—from more tactical to operational to strategic. With this, however, it is vital to understand how businesses operate (read: they exist to make money) and how user research fits into that larger business world.
Career paths of user researchers
The career path of user researchers is still a work-in-progress. There isn't one perfect path as user research is still a relatively new field. Here are the overall levels as a user researcher:
Research coordinator: Supports the product team throughout the research life cycle, including scheduling, recruiting efforts, participant communication, streamlining research operations, and team communications.
Junior user researcher: Embedded in a team to conduct user research activities. They have some practical experience but need regular guidance and training to produce their best work and develop their skills. They generally work in combination with a more senior user researcher.
Mid-level user researcher: Embedded in a team and responsible for planning and carrying out user research activities. They can work independently in a group without too much guidance.
Senior user researcher: Able to plan and lead user research activities in larger teams and for more complex services. They build user-centered practices in new teams and align user research activities with broader plans to inform service propositions. They may supervise and develop other user researchers to assure and improve research practice.
Lead/Principal user researcher: Leading and aligning user research activities across several teams. They ensure that teams take a user-centered, evidence-based approach to product design and development. They develop and assure good user research practices.
Head of user research: Leads user researchers in an organization and attracts and builds talent. They are an expert practitioner who can define and assure best practices, influence organizational strategy and priorities, and collaborate with colleagues.
There are usually two tracks at a company, and just because you want to get to the next level doesn't mean you have to become a manager. Instead, you can either become a manager or go down an "individual contributor" track where you further your expertise in the craft of user research.
See more in-depth skills per level here.
How to get a job as a user researcher
Generally speaking, finding a job as a user researcher is very similar to most jobs, with a few caveats. Here are the steps you need to take:
Research jobs and companies
Create a user research resume (informed by your research above)
Write a cover letter (also informed by your research above)
Apply to (many) jobs - having a spreadsheet helps
Prepare for the job interview
Prepare for the case study presentation
Prepare for the whiteboard challenge
Ask for feedback
Rinse & repeat
I have had my fair share of job interviews and have prepared many people for job interviews through the years. There have been interviews I knew I completely bombed before even walking out. I thought I did well in others, only to get rejected. Then, there were those I thought I messed up, only to get to the next stage.
The point is job interviews are hard. But, although they vary, one thing stays consistent: how I prepare for job interviews.
After interviewing for over 70 positions before my first internship in user research, and all the interviews in between, I have learned a few tricks along the way to help me feel more confident and increase my chances of getting to the next step.
Research jobs and companies
You need to get looking at research jobs, especially if you have no previous experience in user research. Looking for positions you are interested in will help you craft a good resume and figure out how to translate your experience to be more user-research-friendly.
LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Slack channels are some of the best places to find updates to jobs. People Nerds, ResearchOps, MixedMethods, and the User Research Academy slack communities regularly post job openings. There are also a variety of job boards to look at:
What if they ask me to have experience for a junior position?
Apply anyway. Just do it. Well, unless it's a senior position and you've never done research before. But if there are associate or junior, or even some "UX Research with no level indicated" roles that require two years of experience, apply if you believe you could do the job. This is your permission.
Creating a user research resume
Your research resume needs to show your skillsets while telling the story of the impact you've had at organizations. It is essential to highlight your capacity in the entire user research lifecycle (ex: planning, conducting, sharing). Also, including skills outside but related to user research (ex: facilitation, leadership, collaboration) can help boost your chances of that first screening call. Showing all of this in a resume is not easy, but it is possible.
Recruiters and hiring managers are looking beyond a simple list of your responsibilities at previous companies. They are looking to understand:
How you approach research projects and problems
Your thought process behind the research lifecycle
Why you choose specific methodologies, participants,
How you would integrate with a team (for example, with product managers, designers, developers, and other departments)
Tangible examples of the impact your work has had on an organization
Modesty and honesty-being transparent about challenges you've faced and times you may have
Whenever I teach people how to create a resume (or think about updating mine), I go through a specific process. In this case, I will pick apart my old resume to reflect on how I would improve it. Get yourself a whiteboard marker and whiteboard or a pen and paper to get started. We are taking this entirely offline!
(The number one reason I suggest people step away from brainstorming digitally is that it is easy to get lost in the design or aesthetics. If you can separate the two, feel free to use a computer and Google Docs.)
Write down your goal. What are you trying to achieve with this exercise? Would you like to redo or update your resume, and which parts would you like to improve?
Write down the goal of the hiring manager/recruiter. As mentioned above, recruiters and hiring managers are scanning your resume to see if you would be a good fit for the company's challenges and structure. If you know the goal and structure of the top 1-3 companies you are applying to, write this down here too.
List all of your skills. In this section, you can list all of the different skills you bring to the table, such as methodologies you are confident in, tools you are comfortable using, and deliverables you are familiar with.
List out all your jobs. List the jobs you had (even if they are internships or assistant positions, especially if you are starting in the field) and the dates associated with them.
For each job, list out all the experience. Write down all the experiences you had during each position and your responsibilities. Write about what you did on a day-to-day basis and what were some of your most notable achievements.
For each job, list out all the challenges. This section is essential for modesty and honesty. You may not include it in your resume, but it will be necessary to touch upon the different challenges you faced in a portfolio piece or during an interview.
List out all specific examples of work/experience. Write about concrete examples of your work experience, including numbers. For instance, how many research sessions did you conduct throughout the time you were at the company? This is where it is crucial to get into the details of your work. I often highlight my most significant accomplishments and pieces of work I am most proud of.
List out everyone you worked with. Being a user researcher is showing your aptitude to collaborate with others. I like listing out all the different roles and departments I worked with, showing this in some of my concrete examples. User researchers can have a more significant impact than just the product and tech teams.
Brainstorm any numbers and business metrics. Business metrics can be difficult to attribute to user research work but are a great way to signify impact on an organization. If you can't tie your work into business metrics, don't worry, but make sure to include numbers in other examples.
Once you have done the above (which will take a few hours), be sure to research the companies you are applying to. You can cater your resume to an organization's specific challenges when you do this. I know this can be time-consuming, but I promise, if you take the time to understand how you could positively impact a team, it will show. Once I research the most coveted companies, I make a star by the experience which would be most relevant.
A quick example
I found my old resume based on my academic research experience. This is what NOT to do:
GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCHER
I conducted several research studies, including an independent study, which is up for publication. As a result, I furthered my expertise in research methods, such as literature reviews, statistical testing, analysis, and interviewing processes.
CO-INVESTIGATOR, MOUNT SINAI BETH ISRAEL
I was the leading co-investigator, working with a medical team. This process allowed me to learn essential team management skills and furthered my research expertise.
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
I experienced firsthand what working in an inpatient unit is like. I had the opportunity to create and administer interviews and psychometric evaluations to the patients. This approach helped us unravel the complexities of delusions and hallucinations through qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
This example showcases:
No specific examples and no concrete impact
Not unique, could be anyone
No translation of how the previous work relates to the field of user research
Let's try to turn this into more relevant points:
Led the end-to-end research process, from recruitment to analysis for three significant studies
Determined the exact recruitment criteria for the study based on stakeholder needs and research goals
Collaborated with a medical team of ten (psychiatrists, nurses, and psychologists) to gather and prioritize their research questions
Held 15 stakeholder interviews to understand the day-to-day life of patients from the perspective of medical staff, resulting in a proto-journey map of patients
Administered psychometric tests to 50 patients and synthesized the results to help us define qualitative research gaps and questions
Interviewed over 20 psychiatric patients, which led to five concrete insights and a published paper on how boredom impacts delusions and hallucinations
See? Much more specific and using more "user-research" jargon.
Keywords are still a thing in hiring and are vital to keep in mind when creating your resume. I try not to go too crazy with keywords, but they can be necessary if the company you are applying to is using automated software to sift through resumes. Below is not an exhaustive list, but some of the most common concepts I have encountered.
Methodologies: generative research, usability testing, diary studies, card sorting, surveys, analytics, guerrilla research, jobs to be done, prototypes, heuristic evaluation, competitive analysis
Workshops: facilitation, ideation, participatory design, moderator, iteration, affinity diagram
Deliverables: personas, customer journey map, empathy map, mental models, experience maps, scenarios, research reports, mind maps
Tools: Sketch, Invision, HotJar, Google Analytics, Firebase, Zoom, Usertesting.com
Processes & industries: agile, Scrum, lean, kanban, design systems, sprints, standups
Writing a user research cover letter
If you care about the job and genuinely want the employer to consider you, you should write a cover letter. In a sea of similarly qualified candidates, a great cover letter can be what pushes an employer to pull your resume out of the stack and reach out. The cover letter goes beyond skills and experience and shows us personal traits, communication skills, people skills, knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for the job. It is hard to illustrate these concepts in a resume and portfolio, so that's where your cover letter becomes essential.
However, the biggest problem with cover letters is that they aren't compelling or filled with personality. Sometimes they can be tedious and cause the eyes-to-glaze-over response. I've written cover letters I'm sure to have caused hiring managers to want a nap after.
But you can write a fun and stellar cover letter. It will just take a bit of work. There are a few best practices to follow when writing a solid cover letter. Check out a few methods I use when writing and assessing cover letters:
Don't summarize your resume. Your cover letter is an opportunity to say something different about yourself. You get a slight chance to grab attention in your application, and you should use every opportunity! If you repeat the content of your resume, you're doing yourself an enormous disservice.
Include unique information. Your cover letter should talk about things outside work experience that make you especially well-suited for the job. For example, if you're applying for a job that requires organization skills, talk about how you track your finances in a detailed, color-coded spreadsheet. We want to know how you embody traits outside of work because it says something about what you'd bring to the job. Or maybe your last boss told you that you were the best workshop facilitator she'd ever seen or relied on you as her usability testing go-to person. Maybe your co-workers called you a "generative research expert" because of your skill in being able to interview anyone about anything. These stories illustrate what you bring to the job differently from your resume.
Show, don't tell. This phrase is used all the time in storytelling, and it can help strengthen your cover letter. Try to avoid copying and pasting the job requirements. Instead, show you have those skills. For example: "I have exceptional attention to detail and communication skills. I can prioritize and break down complex projects." These sentences don't tell me anything and do not convince me that you are detail-oriented, a good communicator, and skilled at prioritization.
Instead, try, "I am fantastic when it comes to details, especially when it comes to running workshops. In a recent workshop, I coordinated 15 schedules, created an aligned agenda, formatted the resources needed, followed-up with detailed next steps, and planned the workshop down to the minute (with a spreadsheet!). The result? A successful workshop that allowed all parties to understand the purpose and expected outcome. Also, we created three successful innovative products to test. I believe in applying this same attention to detail to tasks as big as cross-functional presentations to making sure my calendar and capacity spreadsheets are up-to-date." Big difference! This demonstration convinces me this person is, in fact, detail-oriented.
Address any question marks. This is why cover letters can be so powerful for those transitioning into user research without any "direct" experience. Your cover letter is your chance to provide context for any question marks that might come up for hiring managers. You can answer any questions about whether you're overqualified or underqualified, if all your experience is from a different field, you have a considerable gap in work experience, or if you were let go from a role. Use the cover letter to explain why something occurred and how your experience will translate.
Customize the letter. Avoid sending the same cover letter to each job you're applying for (that's why we only send cover letters to jobs we care about). You don't have to write a new letter each time, but you should do your research and write about this particular position's specifics. The hiring manager should not doubt that you wrote to them because you're excited about this company and role, not wonder if they've received the same cover letter you sent to other jobs.
Aim for one page. Unfortunately, we have limited time to look over your application as hiring managers. If your cover letter is over one page, you are writing too much and running the hiring manager's risk of not finishing the letter. However, if you are only writing a paragraph, you likely aren't making a compelling case for yourself. Give it about a page!
Include small details, but don't stress. If you can find the hiring manager's name, include it. If not, don't worry. Some small things you can do are renaming the file to have the company's name and your full name, making sure you customize the letter, and always thanking the person reading for their time.
Here is an example:
Dear [hiring manager name],
I am excited to apply for the Junior User Researcher role at your organization. My background includes several research experiences, from the end-to-end research process, reporting to stakeholders, and working with various departments. In addition, I love to dive into my role to empathize with users and understand how I can support and enable product teams to make better decisions.
One of my favorite elements of my previous experiences has been pulling together the correct type and amount of qualitative and quantitative data to create a snapshot that's easy for my audience to understand. I have done this numerous times during academic presentations, especially when my audience was at different levels and with different interests. To do this, I meet with stakeholders beforehand to define and clarify the information they need.
To ensure we are doing the proper research for the user and the organization, I love the opportunity to flex my prioritization and strategic muscles. In my current role, part of this manifests in setting the strategy for our department. I have a $$ budget allocated per year to plan the most impactful projects.
I have worked through the entire end-to-end user research process with and without external tools for help in my previous roles. I have worked closely with stakeholders to recruit hard-to-reach participants, intake research requests, and engage them throughout the process with summaries, updates through our messenger software, and fun shareouts.
I look forward to speaking with you to learn more about your organization, the career opportunities it offers me, and how my skills can help The Organization succeed. I appreciate your consideration.
Thank you,
(name, contact info)
Depending on your experience, you mold it to fit the organization's needs. I promise you can do this. If I can, you can!
Prep for the interview - the (typical) job interview stages
As a hiring manager, here are the most common interview stages I see when hiring for user research roles:
HR/recruitment call (30 minutes). This step is a very standard get-to-know-you call. In this call, recruiters are looking to understand your general level, skills, and competence for the role. They may ask you to explain more about your resume or talk briefly through a challenging situation. You will also probably talk through the skills you have and what type of research projects you have been working on.
1:1 deep-dive interview (60-90 minutes). During the deep-dive interview, you will be presenting one to three case studies to either one person or multiple people. During this time, you will explain the projects you worked on in the past and answer any questions your audience has.
Panel interview (60 minutes). During this interview, you present (usually the same) case studies to a broader audience. Sometimes, team members may be from different teams, such as product managers, designers, or developers. This step is to assess how you communicate to a larger group and give colleagues from other teams the chance to ask you questions.
Whiteboard challenge (45-60 minutes). This step might be part of the panel interview in the sense that you will have a few interview steps lined up on one day. Companies use the whiteboard challenge to assess how you respond to a problem - either about that company or completely random. This challenge can be live or take-home. If the challenge is live, you will complete the problem during the call and then present it to a group (usually researchers). If the challenge is a take-home, you will have a few days to prepare your presentation and present it to a group.
1:1 interview with another team member or manager (30-60 minutes). If you didn't have the chance to interview with members from other teams, you might have a separate interview where you talk through a project. Otherwise, you might have an individual call with your manager. This call is mostly about culture fit to ensure you work well in the company environment. They might ask you about how you deal with difficult situations, how you are used to being supported, how you handle stress, and how you collaborate with others. You might also get the question about why you want to work there, be in that particular role, and how that role may challenge you.
Final HR/recruitment call (30 minutes). This step can come in a few different ways, such as a general wrap-up to see how everything went, an offer, or a rejection call. I have seen this done a few ways, but usually, the person who first contacted you will ask how things went and talk through whatever next steps, such as finalizing salary, start date, and contract signing, if you are going to receive an offer. If you don't get the job, the person might call you, but I see most rejections happen over email now.
If you’re concerned about the whiteboard challenge, check out my course which gives you a step-by-step guide on how to nail this challenge, including an example challenge to demonstrate each step.
Here is what we, as hiring managers, expect during each step:
HR/recruitment call. During this call, explain the different projects you have been working on at a high level. You can mention you do both generative and evaluative research, work collaboratively, and your role in most of your projects (ex: are you leading them, working with other researchers, in an agency set-up?). Have specific examples to explain these points. For example, if you mention that you recently did a generative project, talk about the method you used and its impact. Keep in mind specific examples of difficult situations or your favorite research projects and why.
1:1 deep-dive interview. The most important piece of advice I can give for the deep-dive is to explain your process. Go step-by-step through what you did and why you did it that way. In this step, we want to see how you approached a problem and why you approached it in that way so we can project how you might address a problem at our organization. We want to understand if your process aligns with the strategy we are currently using. I highly recommend presenting at least two case studies - one for generative research and another for evaluative research. Take a look at my case study outline template to make sure you're hitting all the points.
Panel interview. The same rule applies from above; it is essential to explain your process and why you approached the problem in that way. This step is also great for discussing how you've collaborated with other teams, such as product managers and designers. You can ask who you will be speaking to and their roles to be best prepared. Again, the most important concept to convey is how you think through a problem and effectively communicate that process.
Whiteboard challenge (live or take-home). Again, we assess how you approach a problem but, this time, one that you haven't had much time to think about. Like the deep-dive presentations, we want to understand your process, especially when you don't have much information. It is okay to ask questions or mention that you don't have enough knowledge and make assumptions. For example, you can make an assumption about which people to recruit for the study, but make sure you can justify why you made that assumption. Check out this course on how to tackle whiteboard challenges.
1:1 interview with another team member or manager. My best piece of advice for this call is to be yourself and to answer truthfully. If you end up not being a fit for the company, that doesn't mean anything wrong with you, but it could save you and that company a lot of time and stress. Be honest when answering the questions. This call is also the perfect time to ask many questions you haven't had time to ask, especially specialized questions if you're speaking to your manager. Have a list of questions ready to assess if this opportunity is good for you!
Final HR/recruitment call. During this call, you can negotiate your salary, vacation days, start date, and all those other technical details if you haven't already. If you struggle with negotiation for compensation, check out the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. If you get a rejection call, always ask for feedback and then move past it.
Prep for the interview - before the first interview
Look up the company's mission and values. Once I get to the next stage, I start digging more and researching the company. I look up anything I can find on its mission, what they are trying to accomplish, and why. I look if they have any values or guiding principles that resonate with any experience I have had in the past. I will prioritize those stories and examples over others.
Find any information on the team I would be working with. As much as possible, I look for how the team works. For example, what are the processes of the research team? How do the product teams work? Is there any information on how much teams value (or don't) user research? What are the problems or struggles they might be having, and how can I help?
Review the job listing again. I go over the job description again to remind myself what the company is looking for to develop specific examples of how I have tackled certain problems or successfully navigated particular responsibilities.
Have specific work examples ready. One of my biggest faults when initially interviewing for user research positions was my vague and abstract answers. I didn't provide specific examples of managing stakeholders or choosing a suitable method for a tricky research request. Always have specific examples in mind for the responsibilities listed in the job description.
Come up with a list of questions to ask. I always ask questions at the end of an interview. These questions are usually things I couldn't find on the job description or when I was researching the company, such as how the product teams work (agile, lean, etc.), what the relationship is between product and research (or UX), or what the culture is like.
One final piece of advice is to write a quick thank you note to your interviewers after the interview process. The thank-you can be in the form of a short email that says you appreciate their time and enjoyed your conversation. If you don't have your interviewers' email addresses, ping the HR person or recruiter.
Questions to prepare for (and to ask)
You don't need to know the answers to ALL of these questions, of course, but just keep them in mind!
About your case study:
Why did you choose to tell us about this particular project?
What was the most significant conflict you faced with others?
How did you get buy-in for this project from stakeholders/management?
What impact did your work have on the team and organization? How do you know?
How did you go from the collected data (raw data) to insights?
Where did the idea for this project come from?
Tough questions:
Can you tell me about a time when you committed to a project you were not entirely on board with?
Tell me about a situation where you could not deliver what you promised?
What are the two biggest challenges you have faced? How did you overcome them?
How do you deal with change during the project (ex: timeline, goals, recruitment changes in the middle)?
What makes a research project successful?
What has been a piece of data, project, or insight that the team discarded, but you thought was important?
Can you explain a time when one of your personality traits or biases impaired your judgment in user research?
Process:
What is your general user research process?
What happens when you hear about research needs "too late" in the process?
How do you recruit users? Especially for a tight deadline?
How do you ensure everyone is on the same page for the research project?
How do you prioritize research projects?
How do you determine a timeline for the research project? What happens if you can't honor the timeline?
How do you define research goals, objectives, and discussion guides?
How do you determine the most impactful projects to work on?
Collaboration:
How do you work with product managers and designers?
How do you work with other departments (ex: marketing, sales, account management, customer support)?
Tell me about a problematic stakeholder; what happened?
How do you engage product managers and designers in the research?
How do you integrate your research practice with product development?
How do you convince stakeholders to follow your guidance/recommendations?
How do you convince stakeholders about the value/importance of user research?
Methodologies:
How do you select the right method for a project?
How do you strike a balance between qualitative and quantitative research?
How do you define success metrics for a project?
What are the top three methodologies you use, and why?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of X or Y method?
If you had X goal, which approach would you choose?
What combination of methodologies do you use together?
Which methods are you less comfortable with? Why?
Synthesis & analysis:
Walk me through your process of analyzing qualitative data?
How do you analyze quantitative data?
What analysis do you use by yourself versus with a team?
How do you engage a team in analysis?
How do you turn data into insights?
What is an insight to you? How do you define and create them?
How do you turn insights into actions a team can take?
How do you ensure teams understand and follow up on research findings?
Deliverables:
How do you choose which deliverable(s) is best for a project? When do you choose this?
What are some weaknesses of specific deliverables (ex: personas)?
How do you overcome the weaknesses of certain deliverables?
How do you ensure your deliverables are acted upon?
When are deliverables done?
What are some creative ways you share research?
How do you make deliverables interactive?
How do you visualize a mix of qualitative and quantitative data?
General:
What is the most challenging part of your research process?
How do you know when a project or research is "done?"
How do you determine preference between two designs/features/products?
Why do you want to work at this company?
How would you improve our product?
How do you relate user research to the overall business?
What types of studies get you excited about user research?
Large Tech Company Common Questions (Ex: Google, Facebook, etc.)
Walk me through how you choose methods
What is your favorite method, and why?
What methods are you most comfortable with?
How do you make sure everyone is on the same page?
How do you decide to figure out the number of participants to analyze?
Why X number and not Y or Z number (for example, why 15 instead of 14 or 16?)
If you can only ask one survey question, what question would you ask to evaluate how people feel about the company's entire experience?
Pick an app, let's say you work for that company, a bunch of users signed up for the app and then quickly left. How would you study it to determine why they left and how to get them back? What methods or processes would you use, who would you try to talk to, and in the end, what do you think your insights might be that you'd present to relevant stakeholders. Also, let's say the stakeholders find your insights interesting but have issues with the sample size/makeup; what would you say?
How do you work with others?
How do you know when you've been successful in a project?
How would you design a study if your company has a new product rollout?
How would you evaluate an app for a specific user group?
Questions for you to ask the company
How does work get prioritized?
Where do research projects come from?
How do product managers, designers, developers, the organization feel about user research?
How would you define success in this role?
What would you expect from this person in 6 months?
What would be the biggest challenges for this role?
How does the team/organization deal with people making mistakes?
Who are the big decision-makers? How would they impact research?
When was your last project that made an impact?
What is the user research maturity at your organization?
How do people react to mistakes?
What happens when research doesn't align with what stakeholders want to hear?
How to effectively answer these questions
I've experienced a lot of boring or unhelpful answers to the questions above. For example:
Interviewer: "What's your favorite method?"
Candidate: "Oh, there are so many but probably interviews."
or
Interviewer: "How do you define a research project as 'done?'"
Candidate: "When we've answered all our questions, and the team can make a decision."
These bland answers give no context or specificity. They don't give me an indicator of how you think and work. And, if someone answers questions like this, I typically try to end the conversation early and say no.
However, there is a strategy behind answering questions in the best way to get to the next stage.
The first step in combating this is thinking of projects and writing them down. You want to tell specific stories when you answer questions, and to do that, you need to remember the different projects you've been a part of.
Next, whenever you get a question, answer with the STAR method. STAR is an acronym that stands for:
Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
Action: Explain precisely what steps you took to address it.
Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
So, instead of:
Interviewer: "How do you define a research project as 'done?'"
Candidate: "When we've answered all our questions, and the team can make a decision."
You get:
Candidate:
Situation: For one project, the team didn't have a deep understanding of the most frequent users on our platform
Task: The team came to me with a request to conduct research and create a persona (or two) to help them connect better with users and make more user-centric decisions
Action: I facilitated a workshop with the stakeholders to create a proto-persona as a jumping-off point to begin generative research. After this, I recruited 25 social media managers for 1x1 interviews. We synthesized the data and created two personas.
Result: But the research wasn't really "done" until I properly socialized the personas through workshops and other fun ways (ex: hanging up posters everywhere). The team eventually used the persona names in user stories and prioritized their upcoming roadmap based on our collected data. This was the closest to "done," I could say we got - but personas and all research is living and breathing, and we continue to iterate on it
In this example, the candidate demonstrates the answer to the question rather than just giving a sentence or two. This type of answer is much more powerful than the first. You don't have to use the STAR method for every question (because that can get quite long and requires a lot of contextual answers), but I always recommend having at least five STAR examples ready.
And, no, not all of your examples have to be user-research-related. You can demonstrate user research skills (remember above) through other roles or experiences. For example, when interviewing as a first-time user researcher, I used examples from academia and outside-of-work, such as:
Managed, analyzed, and presented large amounts of quantitative survey data in my academic studies
Joined a journalism group to assess and improve my interviewing skills
Catered to different audiences during academic presentations to ensure every person had a takeaway from the talk
Organizational skills from volunteering at animal adoption events, such as coordinating venues and schedules, marketing to get people to come (similar to recruitment), helping to design the flow and experience, surveying attendees on their experience, and analyzing what we could do better next time (similar to a retrospective)
Evaluative usability testing for volunteer or personal projects for family/friends
Helped professors facilitate psychology workshops at my undergrad university
Led the volunteer tour guide association at my college, including recruiting new candidates, coordinating schedules, facilitating training sessions, and managing stakeholders' expectations
Joined an improv group to improve my flexibility, openness, and flow of conversation and interviewing skills
Continuously iterating and gathering feedback on my fiction writing through beta readers and a book coach (in progress)
It doesn't all have to be about user research. Think back to when you demonstrated the skills of a user researcher outside of the field. I even use out-of-context examples as a senior user researcher because it also helps me stand out from the crowd - not only do I demonstrate these skills at work but in my daily life.
Check out my job interview prep sessions if you want help with this process!
What happens if you get rejected?
There are a multitude of reasons a company may have turned you down. Some of these reasons may be legitimate, such as your experience not being a good fit for the role, not displaying the necessary soft or technical skills, or the job/role closed due to budget or the company finding another candidate.
There are also unfair reasons a company might pass, such as not understanding what they want, their culture being too picky, or other team members not understanding your role's scope. If any of these reasons are the case, trust me, you don't want to be working there anyway.
Regardless of the company, don't take it personally. It is 100 times better to be rejected from a bad fit than to work at a company where you would not be successful.
If a great company turned you down, there are three steps to take:
Ask for feedback. Always ask for feedback after your interviews (even if you got the job). You might not receive an answer, but you could get valuable information to help you the next time if you do.
Keep practicing. Keep your head up and continue applying and practicing your interview skills. Again, don't take rejections too personally. Instead, use them as a learning opportunity to continuously improve.
Reapply later. If you still want to work at that company a year or so down the road, and you believe you have gathered more necessary experience, reapply! I love seeing repeat applicants, especially those who took feedback and grew in the time in between.
Case studies & portfolios
Learn how to tell your project's story—all while showing off your skills.
Ah, the dreaded user research case study presentation. But, unfortunately, it's a standard part of the interview process where you show off your excellent skills in an aesthetically pleasing, concrete, concise, and well-rounded manner—and with a smile on your face, no less!
The first time I presented a case study was after my user research internship. I committed some of the most common mistakes:
Not talking through my thought process
Too many photos with no explanation
Too many words crammed into the page
No reflections or next steps
Not reporting on the impact the research had
Since then, I have created (and practiced with) many different case studies. But I also became a hiring manager who's observed many case study presentations. With this experience, I have learned the best practices of presenting case studies in a compelling and thought-provoking manner.
Check out my case study outline template here if you'd like an easy-to-follow jumping-off point and my case study starter kit to see examples of good case studies, bad case studies, and a case study slide template.
A user research case study is a walk-through or reflection of the work you have completed in the past. It is your way to demonstrate the value you provide to an organization. It's a story about a project you have accomplished and gives your audience a step-by-step understanding of how you approached it.
Case studies are at the heart of an interview and an integral piece to making it through to the next step during the interview process. If you tell a compelling and clear story of projects, you will get more interviews and further the interview process. Additionally, you will feel more confident during the interview process and the next steps.
When you write a user research case study, you should include specific areas. However, always use your judgment. If a particular project did not cover one of these topics, you don't have to make something up or force information into it. Instead, use these topics as guidelines.
As a hiring manager, I always look for the following in user research case studies:
Context. Give a small introduction to yourself of something outside of your resume (ex: what has changed about you in the past five years, your favorite hobbies). Also, give a short introduction and context to the organization. Finally, briefly introduce the project topic. Do not use any jargon from the industry that others may not understand.
Your role. What was your role in the research project? Who else did you work with, and how did you work with them? Were you a leader of the project? How did you prioritize this project?
Timeline. What was the overall timeline of the project? Consider breaking down the different parts of the timeline (ex: recruitment X weeks, research Y weeks, analysis Z weeks).
Research statement and goals. What is the research problem/question that you were trying to answer? Where did this problem/question come from (ex: previous research, management)? Did you need to get buy-in for this research? If so, how? What were the goals of the research project?
Research methodology. What methodologies did you use for the project? Why did you choose these methods? Think about combining qualitative and quantitative research methods and how they worked together. Were other stakeholders a part of the research? How long did the interviews last? How many were there?
Recruitment criteria and process. Who did you recruit for the study? Why did you recruit these particular people? How did you recruit them (ex: tools)? Did you incentivize them? Why or why not? What are some examples of screener questions?
Sample questions asked or usability tasks. Show some examples of your questions from a moderation guide or tasks you asked during the usability test. If possible, you can link to the actual moderator's guide.
Analysis and synthesis process. How did you analyze and synthesize all of the data? What types of techniques and processes did you use? Did you debrief after each of the sessions? Why/why not? Who else was a part of the synthesis process? Include examples and screenshots, even if that means you have to blur out sensitive information!
Outputs/Deliverables. What were the outputs of the research? What were the deliverables, and why did you choose those? How did you share the research (ex: reports with videos)? Include examples and screenshots, even if that means you have to blur out sensitive information!
Impact. What was the impact of your research on the team, the organization, and the business? Who used the insights, and how did they use them? What changed because of your research? What were the business implications of your study (ex: impacting business metrics/KPIs)?
Next steps and recommendations. What are the next steps after the research? What recommendations did you make to the team and organization? How did the research insights tie to any design or product changes?
Reflections. Reflect on the research project. What went well? What didn't go as well? What challenges did you face? What would you change/improve for next time?
I recommend outlining before designing your case study. You can spend hours playing around with fonts, colors, templates, and layouts, but don't let those dictate your project. First, get all of the information down, then you can start putting it into a presentation format.
There are some best practices to keep in mind for the actual case study presentation. I typically look for the following during these interviews:
Explain your process. Likely you will not have written thought or explanation in your case study. With this in mind, please use the case study presentation to explain your process to me. I see many researchers skip from interviewing to insights, with no explanation of how they arrived at the insights. As a hiring manager, I need to know how you approach problems to project how you might tackle similar issues at the organization you're interviewing for.
Report on impact. As much as possible, always return to your research's impact on a team or organizational level. When discussing a research project's success, tie it back to the team or organization's vision or purpose--what were some long-lasting benefits of the research? What did it tell people?
Talk about collaboration and alone time. Researchers are meant to work with others, either on a research team or with stakeholders. However, the truth may be that we do a lot of work in a vacuum. Ensure to demonstrate both sides of being an independent researcher and a collaborator. You want to clarify that you can connect research to other areas of the organization, but you can also work autonomously when necessary.
Include reflections and challenges/improvements. Like all professions, user researchers aren't perfect. I always find it essential for candidates to reflect on the lessons they learned and talk about how they have already made improvements. Have some concrete examples ready for struggles and what you did to overcome them.
Include activities outside of your day-to-day. Maybe you love democratizing research, or you're an excellent workshop facilitator, or you have tips for managing challenging stakeholders; regardless, talk about the activities you do or love that could help benefit the team you'd be joining.
Make your introduction about yourself. I find this part so important! Talk about yourself and your life outside of work briefly during your introduction. For instance, talk about a hobby you love or just started. I always talk about my love for Pokemon and animals. I also chat about writing fiction novels. This portion shows a bit more about your personality outside of work.
How to get that first case study (and, ideally, a second)
What if you have no experience with user research and need a case study? I was there too. I wanted a user research role, and my prior experience was academic research and being an executive assistant for a boss that reminded me of Miranda Priestly. Not much fodder for a user research case study.
What did I do in this situation? Two main things:
I looked for volunteer opportunities. You can find a massive list of volunteer websites here (as well as some other resources) where you can dedicate some time to a project and, in return, have a case study. I didn't use any of these particular websites (it was before their time), but I chose to do some extra work for the animal shelter I was previously volunteering for
I did a few personal projects. Two things I love? World of Warcraft (WoW) and writing fiction novels. I decided to use these two topics to approach as a user researcher.
When I did this, there was a WoW app, which I evaluated with about seven gamers (some were friends, and others were recommended to me by friends). I used everything I knew of usability testing to assess the app and create recommendations
I didn't use an app for the writing project but approached it with generative research. I spoke with about fifteen writers about their writing habits, tracking writing, and keeping organized. Based on this information, I created a case study with insights and recommendations as if I were on a team that would build a project based on the research
How did I recruit?
For the writing and WoW case studies, I took people out for a coffee or lunch as a thank you. For the animal shelter volunteer, I used two options:
I sat in my local Starbucks and did something called guerilla testing - I had a sign on my laptop that said, "recently adopted a dog? Talk to me for 15 minutes for a free coffee." The people who approached me, I asked a few questions and ran a quick usability test on the shelter's app, and then bought them a drink of their choice
I asked the shelter to put me in touch with new pet parents, and I offered them a small voucher (about $10-15) at a local pet store
I believe the total for the volunteer project was about $100
There are a few other ways to recruit now, such as through slack groups (you'll find those on the resource list) and looking into other communities such as Reddit, Facebook, or LinkedIn. For example, when I was doing a project for a niche start-up, I found a wonderful community on Reddit where I asked people for feedback. Since the community cared so much for the cause, we had a lot of people sign-up for free.
When you struggle with finding people, it is okay to ask friends and family to be a part of your project (as long as it's relevant to them). Try to pick a project that you have connections to.
One thing I will mention is to try to find a niche project. There are plenty of people who assess and tear down Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. So instead, find something unique to you. It will stand out. And, try to create two case studies - one of them demonstrating evaluative research, and the other generative research, as I did with my WoW and writing projects.
You can see one of my very first case studies here. Please remember that this is not an example of a great case study as I created this years ago. But I wanted to show you that you can create a case study with no previous research experience.
Check out my case study starter kit to see examples of good case studies and follow an exact template.
Red flags
There are some red flags I've picked up in my years interviewing for a plethora of user research positions. In particular for those breaking in user research, here are some red flags to look out for (and consider running away from) and questions to ask:
The company can't explain what success would be in your position
Ask: What would success look like for you for this role? In three months, six months, one year?
No one else in the company/team knows anything about user research. The only way I would "accept" this is if they have a healthy learning budget for you to get mentorship outside the organization
Ask: Who else does user research? Who else has a deep knowledge of user research? What type of learning budget do you offer employees?
No one can explain what they would use a user researcher for
Ask: What do you expect a user researcher to do daily?
There is already (or concern there might be) pushback for a user researcher to join the team
Ask: How does the team/organization feel about user research? Has research been successful in the past?
The company does not "believe in" qualitative research
Ask: How does the team/organization feel about qualitative research? Has qualitative research been successful in the past?
User research is considered a "check-box" activity. In a sense, the company feels they need to do it.
Ask: Why are you looking for a researcher now?
If the company wants you to just "run surveys" and "validate designs"
Ask: "What are some examples of projects the researcher would be working on?"
If prototyping, wireframing, designing is part of the job description - you aren't a designer :)
Next steps
Are you interested in getting started in user research? My Introduction to User Research Self-Paced Course can teach you the theory and a workbook that encourages you to practice user research through a project. If you want to dive deeper into the application, check out my Getting Started In User Research Bundle, including my Introduction to User Research Self-Paced Course and my User Research: From Planning to Execution Course.
Also, check out the master resource list for breaking into user research - I will update continue to update it!
