The UX writing interview — ins&outs
UX writing is a relatively new profession as far as titles go, there can be some confusion due to the fact that both parties are unfamiliar with the title of UX writing when it comes to job interviews. It’s not quite a copywriter, nor a technical writer, but it is not quite a UX designer either as well. UX writer finds themselves floating somewhere between those roles.
I’ve been through enough UX writing interview loops now (which can also be called a UX content strategist, or UX copywriter, depending on the company), to know what to expect.
Like most interviews, especially for a tech company, the interview loops are long, tiring, and often challenge your mental stamina as much as your aptitude.
Why is UX writing still a fairly new discipline?
The industry is finally circling back and correcting errors the early design teams made by omitting copy from the overall design process. In Yuval Keshtcher’s podcast “Writers in Tech” Ep 3, Jared Spool states that in the early days when user guides and products went from analog to digital, technical writers were forgotten, lost in the shuffle along the way.
In other words, companies are starting to see the real value of copy, whether it be a well-thought-out CTA, or a series of introductory screens to increase user engagement, the copy is just as important as the design.
How is UX writing interviews different from copywriting or content writing interviews?
Most of us in the UX writing field have come from some sort of writing background, whether it’s from copywriting, content writing, or technical writing.
The biggest difference that I’ve seen between UX writing interview loops as opposed to copywriting, is being able to explain your decisions through your design process.
To put it another way, it’s best to think of UX writing as a design position, instead of a writing position.
For example, in a recent copywriting interview I had, the company asked me to explain how I came up with my copy for a brochure I wrote. My answer (in a nutshell) was that I looked at some competitors to see how they phrased it, thought about the right words to use considering our brand, and kept editing it until it just “felt right”.
That answer would not play out well in a UX writing gig (trust me, I know from first-hand experience). Designers will want to know not only how, but why you arrived at the copy you did. Intuition isn’t as coveted in UX, as much as user research, data, and testing is.
Figure out how and why you arrived at your decisions and you’ll already be ahead of the pack.
What does the typical UX writing interview loop look like?
It’s pretty standard as far as the format. You’ll be asked to do at least one initial phone interview, a writing test, and then usually a half day of interview loops with various members of the company, as well as an on-site presentation of your work. These interview loops will typically consist of:
- A product designer
- A UX designer
- Another UX writer or copywriter
- An HR rep or recruiter
Product and UX designers will typically want to know about your experience working with other designers in previous roles, as well as your take on UX research and design thinking. Other writers will want to know more about your process, your previous writing experience, and how well you might fit with the team.
What’s the UX writing presentation process look like?
Just when you thought you could escape into an introverted, writing-focused role, the industry says “Ha! I got you!” and decides to throw you for an all-day interview loop that includes a slide presentation on your work. It’s tough, it’s nerve-racking, and most of all, it requires a lot of work.
In almost every case, they ask you to showcase 2–3 examples of your favorite portfolio pieces, as well as the take-home writing project they gave you before the interview.
As mentioned in the previous section, you’ll be asked to not only go over your work but explain how you arrived at certain copy decisions, as well as some other random questions like:
- Did you work with a designer or developer?
- What did you learn during this process?
- What parts did you struggle with? How could you make it better?
UX writers are held to a higher standard of visual presentation (almost as much as UX designers), so using Powerpoint templates may not be the best of choice unless you can create outstanding design and insert it in the slides correctly.
If designing isn’t your strong suit, go with a simple, clear white and black presentation and leave plenty of white space.
Do they care about our design skills?
Not in theory, but in reality, yes.
Not only will you likely be interviewing UX/UI designers, but your design decisions will be crucial in helping the company find out if you’re the right fit. After all, I strongly believe UX writing is a form of UX design.
As a UX writer, you’ll be working on UI’s that will be seen by a lot of people, and you’ll only have seconds of their attention at a time. So understanding some basic design skills is necessary for my opinion, and exactly why I wrote this article about transitioning to more of a design-centric content approach.
The good news is that if I can do it, anyone can. Learn Sketch, Adobe XD, or Figma if for nothing else, to show that you can work with the same tools as a UX designer. It will help your career and boost your visual design chops in the process.
Is a writing assignment required?
Yes, and to be clear, you should be prepared to do some work for free. This means working on take-home writing projects that will test your design and writing skills, and are designed to see how well (and how fast) you can come up with a copy.
It typically consists of a project spec that asks you to provide a copy on some mock-up UIs. This might sound easy on the surface, but is usually anything but. The mock-ups are typically bland on purpose, so you’ll need to use some creative firepower to give it some life, meaning you’ll likely have to spend many hours working on the design, as well as the copy.
Oh, and every employer will say something like “Oh, but don’t spend more than 10 hours working on this”.
Yeah, right.
10 hours is nothing in writing…it takes me almost 10 hours to load up my laptop some days, which is only a slight exaggeration.
Writing professionals know that words don’t just come to mind that easily, and we often spend many hours, sometimes days, just trying to get the copy to sound correct. So I say spend as much time as you need to get it right.
What kind of questions should you ask?
I can only speak to my personal experience, but I think it’s always a good idea to know and ask how much a company values your position and copy/content in general. Too often, writers are still thought of as an afterthought in the design process, even though the research proves its impact, and it’s our job to change that perception. A company that already values copy is one you probably will find a lot of success in.
It’s a good time to be a writer, if you’re prepared and are up for the task, the opportunities are right there for the taking.
