Why UX Coaching is the Shortcut Your Design Career Needs
In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick figure out the hard truth about why so many UX and product designers struggle to get hired.
Hint: it is not your (lack of) Figma skills.
They discuss best practices and advice from their experience as UX coaches. From confidence gaps to portfolios that all look the same to the finding out that design careers are built through stakeholders and users instead of pixels, they share the mindset and strategy that actually moves you forward in your product design career.
Tyler brings his ROI-focused product design experience while Nick shares the wins and failures that shaped his coaching style. Together, they talk through what stops designers from leveling up and how the right support can accelerate your career growth.
Here is what is on the table in this episode:
🔸 Why most designers get stuck in the middle and how to break out
🔸 The career advice we wish someone gave us before our first job
🔸 Why coaching works better than another bootcamp
🔸 The confidence unlock that helps you interview like you belong
🔸 Common portfolio traps that keep you getting ghosted
🔸 Networking moves that actually lead to job offers
🔸 Why paying for help finally makes you take your career seriously
🔸 Senior designer skills you can start using right now
🔸 How to stop presenting like an order taker
🔸 The difference between showing screens and selling outcomes
🔗 Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the chaos
02:00 The real blockers in most design careers
05:40 Tyler almost gets fired straight out of school
11:20 Nick survives the fastest rejection ever
14:30 Why goals come before portfolios
20:50 The storytelling gap holding designers back
26:10 The networking strategy that makes life easier
36:40 Agency vs in house growth paths
48:10 Coaching is not therapy but it feels close
56:00 Our shameless plug to get help if you need it
📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast
👉 https://www.designtablepodcast.com/subscribe
👋 More about Tyler and Nick:
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld
Hosts
Tyler White
Tyler White is a Senior Product Designer with over a decade of experience in UX, strategy, and business-driven design. He’s worked across startups, fintech, and SaaS, helping teams create products that convert and retain users.
Nick Groeneveld
Nick Groeneveld is a freelance UX and product designers from the Netherlands. He started his design career in 2015 and has since then worked for startups, government agencies, and corporations.
