UX research is moderating quantitative and qualitative studies to evaluate how users interact with a particular product or service. This research will result in actionable insights companies can use for product improvement. It can save them a lot of money by preventing failures and accurately determining the target audience.
A UX researcher is responsible for moderating this research. Some of their responsibilities include conducting surveys, interviews, usability tests, remote research, etc. Yet, you should know that UX research covers a broad spectrum, meaning that your responsibilities might be highly related to your work field. Some UX researchers work on marketing to improve the performance of marketing campaigns, others work on product development, which can include physical and digital products such as software or websites.
If you want to optimize your resume, it is a good idea to demonstrate your area of expertise within the UX research field. Additionally, you should also consider including relevant keywords that help you get past ATS filters.
If you want to know additional tips for improving your resume, take a look below. We’ve included two resume templates based on your level of experience and expert tips that will help you craft the ideal UX resume for your job hunt.
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A UX researcher helps businesses understand their target audience’s behavior to make more informed marketing and product development decisions. They also identify improvement and trending opportunities for product development. If you want to make your resume stand out, consider using metrics to demonstrate your tangible value in previous projects.
You should include on your resume those tools that help you automate and optimize your user experience research. Some of the most popular ones are Google Forms, Useberry, and Sprig. It’ll depend on the ones that you are familiar with and their relevance to your potential employer’s needs.
UX researchers must be able to moderate user experience studies from beginning to end. This includes identifying and sourcing users for surveys, interviewing stakeholders and engineers, developing research plans, etc. You should demonstrate that you are prepared for this challenge by mentioning your research techniques.
An entry-level UX researcher assists the user experience team by implementing analysis techniques to discover interesting insights. As an entry-level UX researcher, you might be under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. That’s why it is essential to indicate your reporting skills. You must illustrate your discoveries through data visualization techniques or reports.
If you don’t have extensive experience as a UX researcher, you can also include projects that you’ve developed independently or even volunteering experience. This will help you demonstrate your technical skills and experience in the field.
This job requires excellent organizational skills to coordinate research efficiently and in a timely manner. Even though UX research might be a long process, you may have to adapt to a particular schedule, so it’s also important to prioritize and have excellent time management skills.
As a hiring manager who has worked with recruiters at top companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, I've seen countless UX Researcher resumes. In this article, I'll share insider tips on what makes a strong resume stand out based on real examples that have caught my attention. These tips will help you showcase your skills and experience in a way that will impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.
Employers want to see that you have a deep understanding of various research methods and when to apply them. Don't just list the methods you've used; provide specific examples that demonstrate your expertise:
Avoid vague statements that don't showcase the depth of your knowledge, like:
A resume summary, also known as a professional summary or summary statement, is an optional section that goes at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. It's a brief paragraph, typically 3-5 sentences long, that summarizes your most relevant qualifications, experiences, and skills for the job you're applying to.
While a summary is not required, it can be a valuable addition to your resume if you're a career changer, have a diverse background, or want to provide additional context about your career goals and how you can contribute to the company. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer the employer.
When writing your UX researcher resume summary, focus on your key strengths, relevant experiences, and the specific value you can bring to the role. Tailor it to the job description and company, and avoid repeating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you highlight your relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments. When writing the work experience section for a UX researcher resume, focus on showcasing your research, analysis, and problem-solving skills. Use specific examples and metrics to demonstrate your impact and value.
As a UX researcher, you may be familiar with the term “user journey,” which refers to the user’s path to finding a solution in a website or product. User researchers need to implement a logical structure to help users achieve their goals with the products, and this is exactly what you’ll do in your resume.
You should guide recruiters through your resume by using a concise and precise structure that demonstrates your value. That’s why it is worth using several bullet points in combination with strong action verbs. These bullet points will summarize your work experience and improve readability, helping recruiters easily scan your resume.
Now, you should know that this structure leaves you with limited space. That’s why the bullet points + action verbs combination is so powerful; you can summarize your responsibilities and accomplishments with just one word. Consider using our selection of action verbs for UX researcher resumes for more accuracy.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your UX research resume should demonstrate your research techniques and your familiarity with data analysis tools. You should include skills like A/B testing, usability testing, journey mapping, and card sorting. Your potential employer wants to know that you are prepared for orchestrating qualitative and quantitative research.
Keep in mind that your duties will be related to your area of expertise in UX. That’s why it is important to include relevant skills in that field. If you’re still hesitant about which skills to include, consider checking our selection of skills for UX research resumes.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on UX Researcher job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
