On March 21 & 22, 2023 I attended Geekle’s UX/UI Design Summit 2023 webinar along with my coworker and Front End Developer Erin Flegg.

Here are some highlights from Yan’s presentation. Thanks to all the presenters for sharing their knowledge and resources.

Yan Grinshtein

Hiring is always a challenge, regardless if you are a big and desirable brand or a small start-up, each comes with its own challenges, so naturally companies go for the easy route of hiring people who can practically hit the ground running with minimal training, hand holding, mentoring, etc. However, the biggest thing that companies miss with such hiring practices is invaluable other experiences, knowledge, and expertise that Juniors and new immigrants bring to the table.

In Yan's words:

If you are an Immigrant…

You picked up your life and started over, which shows:

• Strength
• Commitment
• Resilience
• Courage
• Flexibility

English is probably NOT your first language, which means you are at least bilingual. Your brain is wired to quickly learn new things, adopt your thing, and pivot.

You were born/raised in a different country, which means you’re:

• Multicultural
• Open-minded
• Accepting of others
• Empathetic
• Diversified

If you are a Junior Designer...

You are just starting in the workforce, which shows:

• Hunger to create
• Young, energetic and tech-savvy
• Different world view

OR

You are changing your career later in life, and probably have:

• Rich life experience
• Other knowhow
• Commitment
• An ability to be decisive



Let's face it, Junior and immigrant designers are looking for opportunities. Why not give it to them?