#I’m looking for a bit of advice as someone who's still pretty new to the UX/UI field.

2 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

strong ibex
#

I finished a UI/UX design course almost a year ago, but I’m still struggling to land my first job. I’ve applied to a bunch of junior positions, but it’s been mostly rejections. I feel like one of the reasons might be the lack of real-world experience.

Would starting out with freelancing be a better way to go? If so, what platforms would you recommend for beginners to find clients?
Also, what kind of case studies or projects should I have in my portfolio to grab the attention of potential employers?

If you’ve already broken into the field, I’d love to hear how you got your first job or project. Any tips would be super appreciated. 🙏

Thanks a lot in advance! 💛

little stirrup
#

Product design lead at EY here, happy to help answer some of this stuff:

1). As a new designer looking to find some freelance work, I would try upwork. I’ve heard good things about being able to land a client or two, and get reviewed based on your work so you can build up your credibility.

2). The job market is tough now for new designers, so things that will make you stand out in your portfolio are beyond the typical “personas, journey maps, wireframes and high fidelity prototypes” hiring managers care about leadership. Can you facilitate workshops, talk with stakeholders, solve business problems and be more of a people person, not just be a Figma user. They also want to know how you are navigating in this new technology era in AI, so learning the basics on how to prompt and work with ai features would be a big way to stand out in the crowd. I personally would rather see that in a portfolio than a bunch of case studies telling me the same thing that every other designer has.

Last point, using terms like “willing to learn” and being honest that you don’t know everything but have a passion for design, gives you way more leverage. Hiring managers will appreciate that especially if you’re new to the field but eager to learn.

Hope this helps!