Passion is the fuel that drives change, but without a strategy, it’s easy to get lost in emotion and miss key opportunities.
In this TechTalk Tuesdays episode, host Hanita Chalabi sits down with Omid Jesmi, who explains the delicate balance between passion and strategy in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) efforts. Passion is a critical starting point, but Omid emphasizes that without a clear game plan, your efforts could lose direction and struggle to deliver measurable results.
In this video, you’ll discover:
• Why passion alone isn’t enough to create lasting D&I change
• How to develop a clear strategy to measure success and ROI
• The importance of prioritizing your efforts in a strategic manner
• How to pivot and reassess when things aren’t working as planned
⸻
Timestamps:
00:09 – Passion is essential, but strategy is needed
00:29 – Why D&I requires more than just passion
00:45 – Creating strategic plans to drive change
01:18 – How to assess and pivot when D&I efforts aren’t working
⸻
Subscribe for more expert insights on D&I and actionable strategies from TechTalk Tuesdays—where we provide practical tools to drive meaningful change in the tech industry.
[00:08]
Question: “When it comes to hiring designers, what are some of the things you look for?”
Response: That’s a great question—and honestly, it deserves a full conversation on its own.
As a hiring manager, the first thing I always look at is the portfolio. But I don’t focus on just the polished deliverables—like wireframes, mockups, or final designs. What really matters to me is understanding the process: how you got from point A to point B to point C.
Can you connect the dots? Can you articulate your thought process? That includes how you defined the problem, how you conducted research, how you engaged with users, how you collaborated with the product and engineering teams—basically, your entire approach to solving the design challenge.
I want to see a solid case study in your portfolio—something I can digest in about five minutes and still get a clear picture of how you think as a designer.
Here’s the trick: Treat your portfolio like a product.
You’re a UX designer, right? Then apply UX principles to your own portfolio. Think of hiring managers as your users. They’re busy. They’re probably reviewing your work on their phones. So make it quick, clear, and delightful to browse.
And the same applies to your resume. In big organizations, we get thousands of resumes a day. Someone has to go through all of them quickly—often spending no more than a minute per resume.
So your resume needs to be laser-focused, ideally one to two pages max, and clearly highlight your most relevant skills and experience. Give the hiring manager exactly what they need to make a decision—fast.
