User researcher based in the Greater Seattle Area. I hope to work where people, information, and technology overlap; I believe this combination can empower our communities and raise the bar for accessibility. Feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or via email at JZ.Zhang@outlook.com! Positions: Interaction Research Assistant at Meta (2024 - Present), Research Assistant II at Meta (2021 - 2023), Sales Associate at UNIQLO (2020 - 2021), Undergraduate Researcher at University of Washington (2020 - 2020), Senior Officer at Taiwanese Student Association at the University of Washington (2017 - 2020), Vendor Team Lead at Taiwanese Student Association at the University of Washington (2018 - 2019), Google Student Innovator - Google Cloud Platform (via Vaco) at Vaco (2018 - 2019), Crew Member at Chipotle Mexican Grill (2018 - 2018), Political Intern for State Senator Bob Hasegawa at APAPA - Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (2017 - 2017), Eagle Scout at Boy Scouts of America (2005 - 2015) Skills: Usability Testing, Qualitative Research, Team Leadership, Human Computer Interaction, Study Design, Participant Observation, Survey Design, Data Collection, Data Annotation, Qualitative Coding, Figma (Software), Asana, MATLAB, Data Analysis, Java, R, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Event Planning, Peer Tutoring, Public Speaking, Social Media, Nonprofit Organizations, Project Management, User Experience (UX), UX Research, Cognitive Psychology, Data Visualization, Data Modeling, Quantitative Research, Git, Microsoft Office, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Qualtrics, Google Suite, SPSS, Ethnio, dscout, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Prototyping, Fundraising, Leadership, Teamwork, Customer Service, Communication, Design Thinking, Canvassing, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Word Recent Posts: I don't post to LinkedIn, but I thought this might warrant a first try. When I entered my final undergraduate year, I told myself I wanted to work “where people, information, & tech overlap.” I would then look over my diverse college resume and feel apprehensive, seeing it announce me as a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ under the gaze of a critical employer. The pandemic hit shortly after, and my spirits dropped to an all-time low as I lamented the loss of my last school year. It took me a while to gather myself, seek advice on prepping resume, and narrow my search down to Data Analyst & UX positions. I applied to hundreds of jobs that summer/fall, getting ghosted by most and rejected by the rest (I received acceptances from scammers, but that’s a different story). I ended up finding a part-time job to support my family and autonomy, burying my head in it until I found the courage to apply again starting March 2021. There were more responses this time; I worked on-off until July to find a career position I liked. Reflecting now, I learned some lessons on job seeking, impostor syndrome, etc.: 🗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗. I was hard on myself for experiencing so much failure, despite knowing that many faced a similar struggle. 🚂 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Don’t celebrate too early; continue working on other applications to give yourself options and keep going full steam. 🔎 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀. Take the latter with a grain of salt, but definitely know what you’re getting into. MLMs and scammers were preying upon job seekers during these times. 🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. If recruiters reach out in your field, follow up with them and check their websites for opportunities. These people are in direct contact with hiring managers and can land you an interview. 🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Even better, run through your experiences while someone listens! I don’t know how many times a friend was shocked that I was too modest to list a project or extracurricular. 🗣 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀! They are willing to help you, or they might have heard about openings that aren’t publicly posted yet. ---------- People told me "the first job is the hardest to find" & "applying to a full-time job is a full-time commitment in and of itself." I encourage you to look beyond your immediate failures for the bigger picture; sometimes it takes some good fortune mixed with hard work to find success. Best of luck to all my fellow students, job-seekers, and those looking for work outside their major! #jobsearch #lessons #impostersyndrome S/o to @Tim Pham for the idea