I applied for a job on Friday, May 25th. Not a design job. After months of sending applications into what feels like a void — portfolios reviewed, maybe a screening call here and there, but rarely anything that turns into a real conversation — I made a decision.
After months of sending applications into what feels like a void — portfolios reviewed, maybe a screening call here and there, but rarely anything that turns into a real conversation — I made a decision. I applied for a role that's adjacent to what I do, at a company where I have a trusted connection. My husband works there. I know the culture from the inside. That matters.
And I want to be honest about something: it doesn't feel like giving up. It feels like being strategic.
The Market
The Design Job Market Right Now Is Genuinely Hard
Not "things are slow" hard — actually hard. Fewer openings, more competition, and hiring processes that can drag on for months with no guarantee at the end. At some point you have to ask yourself: what does taking care of myself actually look like right now?
For me, it looks like this. A role that uses transferable skills, in an environment I have real reason to trust, while I keep my design work alive through freelance and this portfolio.
A pivot job isn't a reflection of your worth as a designer. It's not a step backwards on some imaginary linear career path.
The Decision
It's a Considered Choice, Not a Concession
Taking a pivot job is a decision — a real, considered one — to stay financially stable and mentally intact while the market does whatever the market is going to do.
I don't know yet if I'll get it. But I know why I applied. And that's enough for now.
Update
Well, That Was Fast
I wrote the above a few days ago. This morning I got the call — I have an interview scheduled. I'll update this post again once I know more.
Update — Week Two
Three Interviews In
The first interview was a conversation. The second, this past Tuesday at 9am, was something more interesting — a live website analysis using a framework I'd developed for exactly this kind of evaluation. They gave me a mock site and watched me work through it. I took notes as I went, which turned out to be the right call — when they asked what I thought, I had something concrete to point to rather than impressions I was scrambling to organize on the spot.
I did pretty well. I know this because this morning I got the call for a third — and possibly final — interview on Friday.
I'm not going to pretend this isn't nerve-wracking. But it's also the most energized I've felt about a potential role in a long time. More updates to come.
Update — The Pivot, Pivoted
Not That Role. Maybe a Better One.
I didn't get the role I originally interviewed for. Three rounds in, and the answer was no — for that position.
But here's the thing about a company actually paying attention during an interview process: sometimes they notice you're a better fit for something else entirely. I'm now in the running for a different role, one that lines up much more closely with my actual skill set than the original pivot position did.
I won't pretend the initial no didn't sting. Three rounds is an investment — emotionally, not just in time. But getting moved internally rather than just rejected outright is a meaningfully different signal. It means what I brought to the table mattered, even if it wasn't the right shape for that specific seat.
More updates as this develops. The pivot, it turns out, might pivot again.
Update — The Pivot, Pivoted and then the Offer
A verbal yes. Waiting on the call.
Thursday was the interview. The team decided on Friday. I didn't know any of that until Monday morning, when John called me while I was heads down in freelance work. He usually texts. He only calls when something is really important. When I saw his name on my phone I picked up immediately.
He'd just spoken with Ryan Spooner in person — they're all at HQ right now. He asked Ryan if he could call and tell me the good news. I said yes. I squealed with happiness.
The official call from Ryan hasn't come yet — but it's coming. A verbal offer delivered in person by someone who would know is about as close to certain as it gets before the paperwork lands.
So I'm sitting with something that feels a lot like relief, and a little like disbelief, and mostly like the particular quiet that comes right before something changes. The pivot, it turns out, worked. The role that came out of this process is a better fit than the one I originally interviewed for.
More soon. Ryan has my number.
Update — It's Real
Ryan called.
The verbal offer came directly from Ryan Spooner today. The official email is coming — he's working out the logistics. A start date somewhere around July 20th or 27th.
I've been sitting with this for a few hours now and it still feels a little surreal. A year ago I was blindsided by a layoff after six and a half years. Today someone called to tell me they want me on their team.
The official offer isn't in writing yet. But this one is real. I can feel the difference.
More soon — but I think the pivot worked.
