Companies are actively paying more attention to their products’ UX these days — and this trend is going to rise even higher in the coming years, everyone expects an individual experience online.

That said, UX positions are in burning demand, but still, no one wants to hire a rookie with no experience at all. However, with the right tips and techniques, you can land your first job with ease.

Figure out your area of interest

While UX design is, indeed, a niche subject — there are subcategories in it, too. For instance, you can either get into writing UX-based content and be a UX writer, test UX designs and be a UX tester, perform research on UX and be a UX researcher — and so on.  

But the most prominent subcategory, of course, is designing the UX itself.

Narrow down your interests and figure out what exactly you want to do. Doing this will let you clearly understand and demonstrate your hard and soft skills to land the first job.

Expand your skills

After you’ve chosen a subcategory, it’s time to learn all the associated skills.

Many novices think they can’t get into UX because they don’t have a degree — that’s not true! You don’t need a degree to get into this field. Most companies, including tech giants like Google, Apple, and Tesla, have stopped paying attention to degrees and certificates. Instead, they focus more on dedicated talent that provides value.

That doesn’t mean you should skip formal education, though. If you have the time and resources to go to a university for a UX degree, do it. If not, there are plenty of online methods you can use to learn the necessary skills.

Look for a mentor

A mentor is not a teacher or a trainer. Instead, it’s a person who’s actually working in the design field. This could be a friend, a relative, a family member, a neighbour, or anyone else who excels in the field. This could also be your recruiter, they know the field from a employers perspective which is very valuable.

A mentor can give you the years-of-experience worth of advice in just a few hours. Their input may essentially help you find and land the right job much quicker.

Prepare a portfolio

We get it, you don’t have designs that you can add to your portfolio. But no one’s stopping you from creating some.

Invest some time in creating some beautiful designs that showcase your knowledge. Then, put them in your portfolio and showcase them to potential employers.

Know how to prepare for a UX interview

If your portfolio and resume look great, which they should if you follow the previous tip, you will be able to land an interview in no time.  

When you do, make sure you’ve done enough research before going in. Apart from the usual preparations you do for getting ready for an interview, like researching the employer company and coming up with interesting questions, make sure you’re preparing for a “UX” interview.

For instance, an employer will pay close attention to how well you’re able to present information in a calculated way because that’s one of the jobs of a UX designer. Make sure you’re prepared for that.

Again, don’t let the lack of a formal degree stop you from getting into this field. Employers value your skills much more than the number of certificates you have. So, learn some skills and use the tips mentioned above.  

If you’re looking for a new role in UX, get in touch with one of our consultants today. Click here for more.