FAQ -Job Hunting

I’m seeing job postings with 100s of applications already. Should I still apply?

Ideally, you should prioritize searching for and prioritizing jobs with fewer applications first because you will have higher visibility and, therefore chances of getting the interview. That being said, you should still apply, especially if you have a strong interest in the particular position.

I have been applying to hundreds of jobs and have had no responses. What I should I do?

If you are new to UX and searching for your first job, you may be experiencing the cycle of applying to hundreds of jobs and ending up with rejections or not getting a response at all. While your on-paper experience is certainly a crucial factor influencing your chances of landing a job interview, it is important to recognize that other variables may also impact the outcome of your job hunt. Experimenting with other factors of your job searching routine can potentially improve your chances of securing that sought-after interview opportunity.

What steps can I take to improve my UX design portfolio?

There are many ways to improve your UX design portfolio. Everyone’s portfolio is different, and the opportunity for improvement is also different. That being said, below are some general areas of improvement you can look into:

How can I find a real-life project without any UX experience

A real-life project refers to working on a project with a real company (whether that is paid or non-paid) and implies that you worked with other stakeholders. A real-life project is considered to be a lot more valuable than a personal or academic project, mainly because of the collaboration experience and the challenges that come with it. When building your portfolio while you are learning UX, it is better to be able to secure and work on a real-life project so your portfolio can ultimately be more valuable in the eyes of hiring managers.

How can I stand out as a junior-level designer when job hunting?

As a junior-level designer, you are competing against hundreds, if not thousands of designers for the same jobs. To increase your visibility, you need to consider how to stand out against the competition. Below are some tips to help you get started:

What are some effective networking strategies for growing and building a UX network?

Having a strong network can be hugely beneficial to your career growth. From gaining visibility to other people’s work to the ability to ask for direct feedback or job referrals, it is a great idea to start networking as early on in your career as possible. I started intentionally building my network about seven years ago, and there were countless times when I was able to leverage people within my network for support and insights. Below are some of the approaches I took to develop my professional network.

What if I don’t see a job posting for my experience level?

When searching for UX jobs you may come across different titles and requirements. Unfortunately, the job postings and requirements are not standardized in this field and you may see the same job title with drastically different requirements, such as an entry-level Product Designer title role asking for anywhere between 0 to 5 years of industry experience.

What's the best way to prepare for a UX job interview?

There is a whole Job Hunting Playbook that covers the ins and outs of job interview preparation, so this post will cover the high-level strategy.

frequently asked UX Job Hunting Questions

Answered by Senior Designers