How to land your first junior UX, UI job in 2023
Interested in pivoting into user experience in 2023? Use our guide with resources, tips, and methods to pivot into UX . UX is a growing, evolving field with lots of disciplines including art, finance, technology, psychology. But how do I get a foot in the door? How do I get hired as an UX designer? Let’s discuss.
What is UX?
UX is the User Experience, and it's the sum of all of your interactions with a product or service. It's an umbrella term that encompasses design, research, development, testing and more--all aimed at creating products that are easy to use and delightful for customers.
UX designers are responsible for making sure that users have an enjoyable experience when interacting with a product or service.
The first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother. Next comes simplicity and elegance that produce products that are a joy to own, a joy to use. True user experience goes far beyond giving customers what they say they want, or providing checklist features. In order to achieve high-quality user experience in a company's offerings there must be a seamless merging of the services of multiple disciplines, including engineering, marketing, graphical and industrial design, and interface design.
They work closely with other members of their team (like developers) to ensure that every step of their journey is seamless and intuitive; this can include everything from defining user personas (who exactly will be using this product?) to creating wireframes showing how each screen should look and feel in order to meet those needs effectively.
What Skills Does a UX Designer Need?
As a UX designer, you'll need to be able to communicate with the team. You'll also need to have an understanding of user experience design and technical knowledge.
You may be asked to conduct research and analysis, which will help you understand how users interact with your product or service. You can then use this information to create prototypes that are more likely to succeed in getting people interested in using them.
Skills will vary depending on company, industry, and subset of UX you’d like to work in but generally you’ll need to understand:
wireframing and prototyping (this leans more UI)
user research
information architecture
usability testing
accessibility
analytics
business acumen
storytelling and public speaking
How to Get Experience in UX Design and What Education is Needed To Become a UX Designer?
To gain a better understanding of the various requirements, take a look at job descriptions to understand the expectations. Many companies expect you to have at least a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. If you're already working as a web developer or graphic designer, then this may be enough for your current job and future career growth.
To get experience in UX design, you can start by doing freelance projects or internships. You can also volunteer to help out with an organization that needs your skillset. Traditionally there are 3 big ways to get into UX Design:
Self study : You figure out the curriculum by yourself, but it’s a much less expensive alternative to other options. You take on projects (whether freelancing, mock, or with startups) to help you build out experience and understanding of the design thinking process.
Bootcamp: There are dozens of programs available for students with various goals. Bootcamps are usually a short program, tightly focused on giving you skills that will propel you into your UX role. Bootcamps vary in price, and can be Check out Ideate Labs Courses to learn about our offerings.
Master’s Degree (or Bachelor’s): You can enroll into a university program, that will give you a curriculum and an accredited education. The challenge with getting a Master’s is that you need a portfolio by the time you’re applying to a program, and you will have to go through various lengths (1-2 years) of education.
What Tools are Used in UX Design?
UX design is a broad field, and there are many tools that can be used in the process. Here's a quick overview of some of the most common:
Wireframing Tools - These allow you to create wireframes (low-fidelity sketches) for your product or app. Some popular examples include Sketch, Adobe XD and UXPin.
Prototyping Tools - These allow you to create clickable prototypes that simulate how users will interact with your product or app. Some popular examples include InVision Studio and Marvel App (which is owned by Google).
User Research Tools - These provide data on how people use products or services today so that UX designers can better understand what needs improving when creating new designs for them in the future. Some popular examples include Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey Audience!
How to Find UX Design Jobs?
Finding a job in UX design can be challenging. There are many different ways to go about it, but no one method is guaranteed to work for everyone.
One of the most effective ways to find UX jobs is networking with other people in the field and getting them on your side. If you know someone who works at a company that does UX design, ask them if they know anyone else who might be hiring or if there's any way they could put in a good word for you when it comes time for reviews or raises (if applicable).
Another great way to get started on this path is by using job boards like Ideate Labs, Glassdoor, or LinkedIn Jobs where employers post their openings online so that candidates can apply directly through them without having any direct contact with HR departments first--which means less waiting around! You'll also want keep an eye out for recruiters who specialize in finding talent like yours; these folks tend not only know what companies need but also how much those positions pay so they can help guide applicants towards making informed decisions about which ones would suit their needs best before applying anywhere else
There are many great resources available online to learn UX design for free or for a fee. Here are a few options:
Free UX Course by Ideate Labs. Design your UX learning journey with 6 modules.
Figma 101: 7-Day Free Email Course from Figma is a great way to learn about this industry-standard UX/UI design tool.
Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf is an insightful book that lays out valuable "lean UX" design principles, tactics, and techniques, like how to rapidly experiment with design ideas, validate them with real users, and continually adjust your design based on what you learn.
What is a standard process for a UX interview like?
The UX interview process varies depending on the company, the role, and the interviewer. However, here is a general overview of what you can expect during a UX interview process.
Rounds
There are usually 3-6+ rounds, depending on the role and the company. The rounds consist of a mixture of :
Phone screening: The first step in the process is usually a phone screening. This is a short call with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss your background, skills, and experience. They may also ask some basic questions to gauge your interest in the role and the company.
Portfolio review: During the in-person interview, the interviewers will likely review your portfolio and ask you to walk them through your design process for one or two projects. They will be looking for your ability to problem-solve, your design thinking, and your ability to articulate your design decisions.
Design exercise: Some companies may ask you to complete a design exercise as part of the interview process. This may involve designing a solution to a hypothetical problem or redesigning an existing product. You may be given a few days to complete the exercise and will be expected to present your solution to the interviewers.
Additional rounds: Depending on the company and the role, there may be additional rounds of interviews with other members of the team or with senior leadership.
Types of questions
Throughout your interview, you will be asked a variety of questions that will test your knowledge, your skills, and your problem-solving process for future problems. You might be asked:
Behavioral questions: You will be asked behavioral questions that help the interviewers understand how you work and how you approach design problems. They may ask questions like "Describe a time when you had to make a design decision that you disagreed with your team on. How did you handle it?" or "Talk about a time when you had to pivot your design strategy based on user feedback."
Technical questions. You will be asked about your process, your workflow, the tools you’re comfortable with using, what kind of research and design methods you use, how you would approach solving a problem.
Culture fit: Interviewers will also be looking at how well you fit into the company culture. They may ask questions about your work style, your communication skills, and your ability to work collaboratively.
Remember, the interview process is a two-way street. It's not just about the company evaluating you, but also about you evaluating the company and the role to see if it's a good fit for your career goals and work style. Be prepared to ask your own questions and to get a sense of the company culture and team dynamics.
What are the best job boards to find my first UX job?
There are dozens of job boards for UX designers on the hunt, but we encourage you to be iterative. We teach the “see-saw” method where you have a minimally viable version of your portfolio, where you feel decently satisfied with what you have created, but there is room for improvement. Once you’re comfortable with the first iteration, send it out to recruiters, jobs, and listen to their feedback. Are they asking for extra case studies, extra skills that they don’t see displayed, extra A, B, C, D- now is the time to add more to improve for your next opportunity!
See-saw method = Add a little, send out portfolio to new jobs. Get feedback from recruiters and mentors. Refine the portfolio some more.
Our main job is to get you hired as a designer or researcher. It’s not to get you hired as a portfolio designer so please limit yourself and don’t over-exhaust yourself in the pursuit of perfection.
We suggest that there is no one perfect way to find a job in UX, and instead you should have many “tentacles” to your approach. Some advice:
Have a job-searching routine for yourself, and schedule your applications, no different from any other routine. Set at least several hours per week to apply to jobs, and make it a part of your schedule to exhaust all of your options.
⚡ Create an application tracking document. There are sites like Teal (Chrome extension) that help you, or you can use a simple Google Doc. Note what company you applied to, the date, what title, what was the outcome, what round you made it to, and the source of the job (google, linkedin, etc).
Remember that your portfolio and resume need to be analyzed and updated. Update your resume and portfolio with new terms, new projects, new ways of telling your story, as your job searching process goes on.
It helps to be niched down. 🔑 A great “trick” to finding impactful descriptions for your resume is to look at job descriptions on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Google Jobs, etc. Scroll to see which keywords the job is requiring and add those to your resume.
Compare contracting rates vs full time as you are approaching your job search.
When it comes to finding a role on job boards, you’ve got many options!
Large, general job boards
Indeed.com General, large job board to find UX internships and jobs.
LinkedIn Jobs. Jobs postings on LinkedIn, the professional social media website.
Glassdoor. Jobs, salary and interview insights on thousands of companies.
Design, research, tech specific job boards
Junior UI/UX Job Board by Ideate Labs. Jobs and internships for folks 0-2 years of experience in UX design.
Who’s still hiring? List of companies that’s hiring despite layoffs.
UI/ UX Job board. Job board for designers and researchers.
UX Jobs Board . One of the best places to find UX Research and UX Design jobs.
ResearchOps Community. Operationalizing research and research design
Dice. Tech jobs for a variety of backgrounds.
Behance. Creative jobs for designers of all different backgrounds.
Dribbble. Creative and design jobs.
UXcel. Uxcel is the best design community for hiring qualified design talent worldwide. We ensure that every applicant passes a skill test before applying.
iXDA Job Board. Internships and jobs for creatives.
Krop. Jobs board by Krop: The Easiest, Most Beautiful Portfolio Website Builder
Authentic Jobs. The leading job board for designers, developers, and creative pros.
Coroflot.The #1 job board for hiring creative professionals
Tech Jobs For Good. Tech Jobs for Good helps mission-driven companies hire the best tech talent in the United States.
Working In Content Job Board. Jobs for content writers.
Startup/ mid-size focused job boards
Y Combinator Jobs. Find roles in startups for UX, UI, Product.
Looppanel UX Job Board. Open research & design job roles gathered by the team at Looppanel.
Otta. The one that's your perfect match. Discover your top recommendations at exciting startups now.
WellFound . Find jobs in startups, remote and in your city.
BuiltIn. Learn. Grow. Build your career.
Employ.Bl Free data on startups, job listings and funding rounds. Employbl harvests data from the public web to help you secure a tech job
Remote job boards
UnderdogIO. We connect job seekers directly with hiring managers, founders, and executives at growing technology companies that are hiring in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C., and for remote roles based anywhere in the U.S.
WeWorkRemotely. We Work Remotely is the largest remote work community in the world. With over 4.5M visitors, WWR is the number one destination to find and list incredible remote jobs.
SkyWorker. Get a better job in tech really fast!
DesignerNews. Jobs for Designers and Developers. Designer News reaches hundreds of thousands of the world's top technology professionals each month.
Cryptocurrency Jobs. The leading job board for blockchain jobs and cryptocurrency jobs
NoDesk. NoDesk informs about remote work and connects the global workforce. Companies of every size, from new startups to the largest distributed companies, use us to grow their remote teams.
Working Nomads. Remote jobs for Digital Working Nomads.Work remotely from your home or places around the world.
Flex Jobs. The #1 job site to find remote jobs - no ads, scams, or junk. Find your next flexible, hybrid, or work from home job.
Short term/ freelance job companies
Toptal. Toptal is a global remote company that provides a freelancing platform, connecting businesses with software engineers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers.
Freelancing Females. Source talent, find your next collaborator or post your own profile to find new clients & gigs in our freelancer directory.
Slack Group / Discord Job Channels
There are hundreds upon hundreds of Slack channels dedicated to sharing jobs in UX.
Mixed Methods. Mixed Methods is a community interested in the hows and whys of user experience research. Through interviews with industry experts and hands-on trial and error, we indulge and celebrate curiosity. Expect to test assumptions, examine methods, and engage in some old fashion experiments.
🧭 Ideate Labs is proud to have a mission to introduce more women, minorities, and POC to UX design and make the field more inclusive and diverse. If you need our help with your career, here are some resources from our team:
Create a career in UI/UX design with our e-book. Over 80 pages of insights on career paths, salaries, UX interviews, portfolio review prep, and a whole lot more