While many tech influencers promote User Experience (UX) design as an easy route to break into tech without coding and start earning it big 🤑, the selling point for the majority of UX design courses and boot-camps on the other hand are often geared towards building a portfolio to quickly secure jobs, with the expectation that UX designers are in high demand.
Testimonials from people who land jobs in a short period of time are used as bait to entice more people into transitioning to UX design. No doubt, such testimonies are possible, but the reality is that landing a job as a newbie UX designer is actually not easy 😩. Nothing prepares you mentally for the exhaustive process of applying for numerous design roles, the pressure to deliver excellent work on design assignments, the frustration from unsuccessful interviews, rejections, and recruiters’ ghosting.
The Industry doesn’t make it easy either as most job vacancies demand for senior designers with years of experience. There aren’t many internships or junior design positions available and even the ones promoted by companies demand for applicants with experience 🤦♀️.
This has led many designers into lying about their work experiences, claiming work they did not do 🤥. I’m not here to point fingers but to support you in your job search. I can relate to how frustrating it can be because I was once a newbie. You’ve probably heard people tell you time and time again that you should network, post your work, and put yourself out there, but despite your best efforts, nothing seems to be happening. I also felt that way too and from my experience navigating the design space as an introvert, I share you some tips that work for me as a creative 😉.
Stand out with your Portfolio 👩🏽💻
To be honest, most case studies out there seem to look the same. More like everyone is using a template from the same course and bootcamp 😒. You have the creative freedom to discover your own style and personal brand as a designer, let it reflect in your work.
Tell your own unique story in your portfolio. If you didn’t follow a specific design process, no need faking it just to stick to a template step by step. Write what you did, why you did it, how you did it and the outcome of your decisions.
I also want to emphasize that your portfolio should not be a repository for every single thing you design. You can post your designs on your social media but your portfolio should be for the master pieces. It’s more about quality than quantity (my opinion) 💯.
Don’t use the fact that you’re a UX designer as justification for mediocre visual design; instead, skill-up and bring your ‘A game’. Nobody cares about your research processes and strategy if your visuals and storytelling don’t reflect it.
Your portfolio serves as a bait for recruiters and so you want to include your best pieces there to make the best possible first impression. When looking for a job as a designer, you almost never get a second chance to make a good first impression, so make the most of it 😎.
Craft a killer Resume📄
One common mistake I’ve noticed while reviewing multiple portfolios and resumes mentoring designers on ADPlist is that some designers include unnecessary details 🙅♀️.
The key information that ought to be included on your resume are your name, contact information, a link to your online portfolio, past experience, education and certifications if you have any, as well as your tech stack. Remove any irrelevant details like your birth-date, hometown, and those lengthy paragraph outlining your objectives.
Your resume is one document in which you are free to brag and showoff unapologetically 🤭. No humility here, list your qualifications, credentials, and accomplishments. You can draw inspiration from examples of resumes online but I implore you to be original and write experiences you truly have 🙄.
If you transitioned from a different field into UX, you want to highlight those transferable skills you acquired from prior jobs. I won’t go deep into this because I’ll explain in detail in another article how to write a resume that gets you an interview, so keep an eye out for that piece 👀.
Maximize your job search 🔍
Concentrating solely on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter for your job search is limiting your scope 🌍. Although those platforms are great, you need to broaden your horizons and apply to other job boards. e.g.
- Himalayas: https://himalayas.app/jobs/design
- Y combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs/role/designer
- We work remotely: https://weworkremotely.com/categories/remote-design-jobs
- Design Job board: https://www.designjobsboard.com/
- Web3 Careers: https://web3.career/design-jobs
- Work anywhere: https://designfromanywhere.web.app/
- Coroflot: https://www.coroflot.com/design-jobs/UXUI-Designer
- Behance Job board: https://www.behance.net/joblist
- Early Career: https://www.earlystagedesignjobs.com/?s=09
You need to understand that when it comes to job hunting, it’s a game of numbers. Don’t just apply to like three to five jobs and then you begin to daydream about working in those companies 🛌.
No Sleep! No Sleep!! WAKE UP!!! collect your dream job — Buga oh 😂
Even if you’re waiting to sign an offer or in the final stages of an interview with a company, keep applying to as many jobs as you can. I have experienced recruiters who ghost last minute, and even the ones that rescind an offer they already made 😡. Believe me when I say some recruiters won’t bat an eye when they reject you, so brace up cause it’s a battle field out there.
Be a pro at your Interview 😏
Be that designer who can introduce themself and present what’s on their portfolio 🫡. While starting out, it’s normal to feel anxious and nervous about interviews, but the truth is, the only way to get better at interviews is to interview a lot 🗣. For this one, you have to face your fears and also put in some preparation because practice makes improvement.
Under-preparing for an Interview is one mistake you don’t want to make as a designer. Don’t say I’m going to wing it. What is it they want to ask me about design that I can’t answer?
In an interview, effective communication and presentation skills are crucial. Practice presenting your case study in front of friends or family who know nothing about your design and ask them for feedback on your performance. You can as well record yourself presenting your work and watch it to evaluate yourself 🤓.
Don’t let ignorance stop you from practicing. That you are a “certified” designer doesn’t automatically make you an expert in presentation or communication 🤐. Practice your story telling skill in front of a mirror.
Learn and practice white-boarding challenge with friends or fellow designers. Do your research about the company you are interviewing for and the person who is going to interview you. Be prepared, I personally don’t believe in luck (my opinion)😑, I believe in preparation. When opportunity rises and you are prepared, success is bound to happen.
Prepare for rejections 😭
It’s heartbreaking and frustrating but Just like Burna Boy said, “Last Last, Na everybody go chop breakfast, Shayo ooooh.” 🦍
Prepare your mind for the love letters and emails cause they will come 💌. Rejection is something that nobody ever plans for, but I’m here to let you know that recruiters will ghost you and some will outright reject your application as fast as the speed of light, leaving you to wonder if they even looked at your resume or your portfolio. You start to question what you’re doing wrong but know that It’s a normal occurrence when job hunting. It’s typical to hear more “No” than “Yes”.
Rejection is redirection. Don’t take rejections personally because sometimes it’s not because you’re not talented enough but rather because they only need a few designers and had to reject other talents.
People telling me “No” is one thing I have encountered the most in life. Although it still hurts every time, you eventually develop a thick skin. Being African and trying to navigate my way as an immigrant, job hunting is even much more difficult. Language barrier, culture shock, and sometimes being the only person of color in the room is challenging. Nevertheless, that’s a story for another day, the goal here is to let you know that we all face rejections.
Redirect your search every time you encounter rejection. Make a bend at every end and keep pushing until you get your “yes” 💪.
Take away 🎁
Focus on your growth as a designer, you are your only competition. That you and another individual completed the same course or learned design at the same time, does not guarantee that your paths will be the same. Concentrate on honing your skill until you are so proficient that your work opens doors for you 🍀.
Remember that what works for someone may not work for you. I’ve only shared tips that have worked for me and do hope that this helps you in your journey. Thanks for reading to this point and I wish you success 🥳.
