February 25, 2021 ā€” 2 minute read

Questions to kickstart a design career conversation

Itā€™s a privilege learning someoneā€™s hopes and aspirations. Itā€™s a special responsibility supporting someone in reaching them. Seven years into management, I havenā€™t found a silver bullet that replaces the time, trust, and vulnerability needed to deeply understand someoneā€™s career.

Learning from four companies and 32 direct reports from intern to senior manager, I come back to a few same questions that pave ways for a new designer on a team to get to where they want to go in their career.

I made a template for the team I support at Instagram. If youā€™re a manager looking for ways to better support a designer, or a designer looking to better engage with your manager, try bringing these questions to your 1:1s!

Career Conversation: Designer & Manager

What projects in your careerā€”Instagram or elsewhereā€”drained you?

 

What projects in your careerā€”Instagram or elsewhereā€”energized you?

 

How would you personally rank these in order of importance in your career?

1 is most important, 7 is least

  • Challenging projects
  • Company exposure (e.g. awards, shout outs, presenting work)
  • Compensation
  • Industry recognition (e.g. awards, spotlights, speaking, writing)
  • Job title
  • Leadership I work with
  • Scope of my responsibilities and influence

  1. ā€¦
  2. ā€¦
  3. ā€¦
  4. ā€¦
  5. ā€¦
  6. ā€¦
  7. ā€¦

Beyond the above areas of importance, what else matters to you in your career?

 

Whatā€™s one of your proudest career milestones, so far?

 

What might your next best role look like to you?

 

Whatā€™s a moment where you felt within yourself you leveled up?

 

Who is someone that has inspired your career journey? Do you model yourself after anyone?

 

When you felt a strong link between your career progression and someoneā€™s support, what did that look like?

 

What do you hope people say about you when youā€™re not in the room?

 

Hopefully these are a fun start for us. Over time, Iā€™d love to have our career chats feel light, casual, and regular, versus momentous meetings or occasions. Excited to support you in where youā€™re trying to get to next.

šŸ™Œ

ā€” Mig