Photo taken at Adobe MAX 2023 and edited using Photoshop Generative Expand

I'm thrilled to share the journey that led me to my dream UX job at Adobe.

It took exactly 1 year and 1 month (13 months) filled with networking, proactive outreach, personal creative projects, and undying trust in the process.

Sharing my dream of working at Adobe from the start made the journey even more rewarding. Many people felt included in the story from start to finish.

Here are some key takeaways:

Network relentlessly. Building connections within your desired industry can open doors.
Be proactive. Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Create your own, like my cover letter video.
Spend time on your passions. I'm very blessed to have started my clothing business Exhilo Studio back in 2016, which kept me passionate about design and distracted from a difficult job market.
Embrace the process. Job hunting can be tough, but focus on the connections you make and the skills you develop along the way.

Hosted our 12th Exhilo Creative Meetups in San Francisco

I get it...it's so difficult to get a job nowadays regardless of how much someone does. It took me an entire year, but I would say don't stop just because it's hard!

There's surprisingly many things you can do right now while still job hunting.

Although I did not stop applying to jobs at Adobe, within one year I spent time working on other personal achievements such as hosting local creative meetups every month, successfully finish a Kickstarter campaign (raising $10,000 in only 6 days), start my first neighborhood watch program in my area, and get my entrepreneurial story published by the amazing Content Magazine! Truthfully, I would never be able to achieve these goals if I was already working full-time job. This time is still precious!

Panelist speaking at the Adobe Creative Retreat 2023 – Photo by

The challenge is to enjoy the process amidst constant waves of life's uncertainty.

1-Year Timeline of Adobe Significant Events

(I'd be surprised if you read half this list)

Dec 16, 2022 Vicky Vo tours me around Adobe San Jose Headquarters for the first time
March 15, 2023 Laid off from my prev. UX job
Created Adobe Cover Letter Video
My uncle Walter Wang connected me with Emma Salom who connected me with Danielle Morimoto
Connected with Erick Bautista (thanks to Danielle)
Attended Adobe Firefly Networking Event and heard Brooke Hopper and Paul Trani speak for the first time! (amazing)
Connected with Grace Ling ✨
Rejected from 2 Adobe Jobs
Posted Cover Letter Video on LinkedIn (was scary)
Announced to Facebook and Instagram my dream to work at Adobe (social accountability is powerful)
Call with Vicky Vo again about Adobe
Connected with Eric Snowden
Rejected from 3 Adobe Jobs
Call with Vicky Vo again about Adobe
Attended Config 2023
Attended Adobe Express Workshop
Connected with Elaine Atkin
Rejected from 3 Adobe Jobs
Vicky Vo suggests Adobe Community Experts Program
Connected with Katrina Torrijos
Connected with Sil Cleary
Accepted as a Adobe Community Expert (thanks Sil)
Call with Vicky Vo again about Adobe
Hosted sponsored Adobe Community Expert & Design Buddies event
Attended & volunteered at Adobe MAX
Posted loads of social media content about Adobe MAX
Connected with Dia Zafer-Joyce , Preran Kurnool , and Shanthi Sharma
Attended Coda Summit taking photos for Vicky Vo presenting Adobe products
Connected with Purva Takkar
Co-hosted Freepik x Design Buddies x Exhilo Studio creative meetup
Connected with Nicholas van der Walle
Connected with David Lauder-Walker
Connected with Claire Haines
Connected with Andrew Hochradel
Featured guest for Adobe Live
Connected with Idara Ekpoh , Alanna Flowers , Sachi Shah and Jesús Ramirez
Rejected from 4 Adobe Jobs
Call with Vicky Vo again about Adobe
Connected with Megan Reinhardt (thanks to Grace)
Connected with Shel McConville
Panelist speaker at Adobe Creative Retreat
Connected with Teresa Au
Visit Adobe San Jose Headquarters with Andrea De Luca
Volunteer Adobe Illustrator feedback call with Brenda W.
Attended Adobe Create Now event
Connected with Paul Trani
Connected with Anna McNaught
Connected with Rufus Deuchler
Connected with Kelsey Slay
Connected with Harsha Thakur
Guest speaker for LA Web Professionals hosted by Daniel Kramer and Anissa Barton-Thompson
Rejected from 2 Adobe Jobs
Got first interview request from Verna Swehla (Bhargava)
Connected with Rason Irvin
Call with Adella Guo for interview advice
Interview calls with Tristan Ramberg and Sean K.
Call with Vicky Vo again about Adobe
Feedback Session call for Adobe Express Mobile
All-day Panel interview and calls
Connected with Tal Shoer , Jane Hext , Heidi Meredith , and Sivaranjani Jagadeeswaran
Final call with Tristan and Verna
GOT THE ADOBE JOB!! 🎉🎉🎉

Creative community and family members cheering – it's been a group effort and long journey

My good friend Drae buys me a Champaign by a winery called Adobe Road to symbolize my road to Adobe (this motivated me to document all the steps I took to get here)

Dress to impress! My professional camera equipment put to good use for video calls (Using the Sony A7iii with 24-70gm)

In total, I've applied to Adobe a total of 14 times

Applications for various design roles that included contract and fulltime, and I was rejected 13 times. Sometimes you just need that one chance!

Persistence pays off!

It's not always about the number of applications, but the effort, concentration, and connections you build along the way. Many people told me to apply to more companies, and I often hear people say "it's a numbers game," but I was firm on what I truly wanted. In the entire 2023, I've only applied to 13 other companies, with 8 of them being referrals from my network.

A better mindset

I was determined to live in the future, and believed if I looked back to this difficult season in life, that I would've wished I were more productive with my time and spent less time being anxious.

Now go slay the dragon

With new and old friends who will be rooting for you! Believe in yourself, make new friends, trust the process, and live in the future believing you will eventually get a job and the time you have now is the time you will wish you had back.

Photo generated by Adobe Firefly Image 2

My Photoshop edit as a pictorial representation of the power of networking

Huge thanks to Vicky Vo for the countless calls providing guidance and not holding back on feedback with ways to improve.

Bonus: Eric Snowden VP of Design, Head of Adobe Design, also wrote an incredibly empathetic and insightful article worth reading. Hopefully it also encourages you the way it did for me.

Thanks for reading! I wish you all well on your next job opportunity!

Sincerely, Curtis Ying

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Want to attend Creative Meetups that I host once a month? Follow our group on Instagram

Trusting the process in a difficult job market