How I got creative with job applications, Notion new features

Hi friends ✿

Let’s talk about creativity.

Creativity in a sense that you have to kind of be resourceful and clever to get what you want.

Because that’s exactly how I landed a job at TikTok. 🥳 And no - what I did wasn’t groundbreaking or anything — you can totally do it too. More on that later!

On this creativity topic…I’ve been spotting some amazing tools lately that can make life so much easier:

〰️ Notion mail, forms, layout, automations
〰️ AI-powered photo cleaner
〰️ AI mental health friend

Using these is like being creative, with being creative. Isn’t that where the design world’s headed? Nowadays, it’s like you have to use AI to think outside the box.

And why not? Try doing things differently. Or maybe even try a different reading spot this time. Creativity starts with the simplest things.

You settled in a new spot? Now, let’s jump right in.

☁️ news & trends

Notion feels like my second brain, and attending their conference on Thursday reminded me why. Here are my top takeaways:

Notion Mail — Finally, an inbox that feels as flexible as Notion itself! Imagine an email system where you can customize your inbox with views, layouts, and actions tailored to your unique needs. It’s like giving your inbox a long-overdue upgrade.

Layout builder — This feature opens up so many possibilities for customization! With Notion’s layout builder, I can see even more people moving their websites to Notion. Fun fact: I once hosted my portfolio on Notion, so seeing it become more flexible is super exciting.

Forms — Notion now has a native form builder — type /form and you’re good to go! You can create public forms, and responses are automatically saved to a database, making data collection super easy.

What really made the conference memorable was the vibes. Notion designed an intimate, light-filled space that mirrored the product’s clean, airy aesthetic. It felt less like a typical conference and more like a gathering of ideas.

🪐 launches & tools

For when app’s icon hunting takes hours
I cannot stress enough how this process eats up my time. With this Figma plugin, you can find and import app icons in seconds. Just type the name of the app on the search bar, click it onto the shape - done.

Learn how to design for the neurodivergent
Ever thought how your design is understood by people with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia? In her blog, Stephanie Walter provides super insightful tools, guidelines and design strategies for improving cognitive accessibility in UX design. Check it out!

An all-in-one screenshot editor
Instantly capture, edit, annotate, or quickly redact sensitive info on screenshots with SavvyShot. It makes polishing presentations, social media posts, or giving visual feedback waaay easier. One less thing to worry about!

Photoshop has an Al-powered distraction removal tool
This sounds super cool! You get to remove unwanted elements and clean up designs in seconds. You even get to choose what kind of Al tech (if generative - which was improved btw - or non-generative) you want running. Definitely worth a

Headspace is giving you a mental health buddy
Okay - not really related to design but anyone will find this helpful. Meet Ebb, Headspace’s AI powered chatbot that can give you personalized mental health support so you can reflect on your feelings and find ways to cope. It's like having a supportive friend always there to listen and offer guidance.

🌼 getting creative with job application

I hope everyone is staying warm wherever you all are.

A lot of companies are picking up hiring again! It makes me think back to that time after graduation (during the peak of Covid) when I was getting rejected left and right.

I’ve always wanted to work at TikTok or any consumer product companies, and I knew that trying my luck was not enough because the job field was really competitive (it still is). Back then, I didn’t really have a fancy resume so I knew I had to get creative.

Here’s what I did: I wrote a story on Notion about why I wanted to work at TikTok, including all my learnings as a creator, and what I’d do differently if I was on their team. (I talk more about my experience in the YouTube video below 👇 skip to 3:26) Happy to say that I got in! 🥰

For my other job applications before TikTok, even though I didn’t land all the offers at my dream companies, a lot of hiring managers responded. One at Shopify (my dream company at the time) even mentioned that my creative application really showed how I could think beyond the traditional approach, and it showed my willingness to try new things.

So take the chance! 💪

👩‍💻 How I landed a project design role at TikTok with less than 1 year of experience:

🤓 A short reel on how I got creative with my product design application:

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See you on the internet 🌐,

Marisa | @meshtimes