u/aaronc032

Hey, hoping someone here can give me some real talk because I’ve been spiraling a bit lately lol.
I’m a designer trying to figure out my next move and I keep getting stuck on the same questions. Maybe some of you who’ve been in the trenches (or are hiring) can help me out:

1. What are top companies actually looking for right now? Like beyond the polished case studies and Dribbble shots, what’s the stuff that genuinely makes someone stand out in a portfolio review or interview? I feel like the goalposts keep moving and I can’t tell if it’s me or the industry.
2. What if you have a gap in your career? I stepped away for a bit (life stuff, burnout, you know how it goes) and now I’m second-guessing whether to even mention it or how to frame it. Has anyone been through this and come out the other side? Did recruiters actually care or was it more in my head?
3. And honestly… how are people thinking about career strategy with AI changing everything so fast? Half the stuff I learned feels like it might be irrelevant in two years. Should I lean into AI tools and become “that person” on my team, double down on the human/strategic side, or something else entirely? Curious what’s actually working for people right now, not just hot takes on Twitter.

Any honest insight would mean a lot. Thanks in advance 🙏