I know many eyebrows must have risen at this statement. But, a surveyed number may surprise you even more; almost 47% of the employers prefer their potential candidates to be currently employed. And, as a UX Recruiter that has spoken to several UX Designers, I can confidently say that starting to build a network with recruiters and keeping a good awareness about what is in the job market, while still employed, works in your advantage in making a better career move in several ways!

Keeping you abreast of the market rate & trends! It is safe to say that the two most important factors that play into making a decision for a new career move are ‘the job role’ & ‘compensation’. And, connecting/speaking with recruiters gives you intimate knowledge on what kind of roles are currently in demand! Not just the job role, you will also get a fair idea about which industry sector; mobile, enterprise software, ecommerce, financial, etc, is hiring the most. This information is so crucial for you especially if you are looking to make a shift into a different industry. Especially if you are working as a UX Design Consultant, it is a great time for you to know which industry is coming forth with groundbreaking design vision/approach and have a ramp in hiring. This way you can plan and decide in which industry sector you want your next design project to be in well ahead in time. 

And, even if you are a full time UX Designer, knowing that the industry you are working in is currently hiring or not will definitely help you decide whether it’s the right time for you to think about your career move. You are currently working, so you have the time and the option to be more decisive about your next job role.  This is the time to be picky!  You know where your design passion lies and the ideal role that will drive you to push the envelope a little further. So, talking to UX Recruiters you can gather solid information on the type of UX job roles that are in the market and see for yourself if there is one that has your design expertise, experience and personality written all over it!

Also, you get a very sound idea about the current compensation rate & range for a given UX job role. This definitely helps you to build a good estimation and expectation of the compensation range that justifies your area of expertise and years of experience. Beside the job role and compensation, there is one more key factor to be considered while looking and deciding on a new role; the company culture! And, an online job description doesn’t provide insight on what the company culture and work environment is like.  But having a one-on-one conversation with a UX recruiter, you can find out in more detail if the company culture, vision and work atmosphere matches your design personality or not. In several of my conversations with UX Design professionals, company culture has definitely come out as one of the top factors for designers to decide on a new UX job.

We UX recruiters not only have a good knowledge of the company but at times we also work exclusively for these clients to find top design talents for roles that aren’t posted online. So, you could be in for luck and find out about a UX job, while talking to a UX recruiter, which hits every requirement in the list of your next ideal UX job! And, even if you are not moved by a certain UX job role, maybe you know someone in your network who would be interested and a good fit for the given job, hence helping a current or an old colleague out. So, it’s always good to build up your career network. You never know when and where it can come in handy.

So, don’t shy away from connecting with recruiters. Take up this opportunity to enrich your knowledge about the UX job market; the right role you are looking for, the company that welcomes and respects your design philosophy and approach, and the compensation that you would be comfortable in. Arm yourself with this information well ahead of time and it will ease you into making your career move, instead of scrambling at the final moment of urgency!

We would love to hear how connecting with a UX Recruiter ahead in time has helped you, or someone you know, in making a career move.