Lately, many have been writing to me with questions about how to start a career as a UX / UI designer and how to develop correctly. Prototypr had a pretty good article on this topic that week, and I want to share the translation of it today. I will make a reservation right away that I had to omit some points, since they are purely suitable for the American market. In some places I supplement the article with my comments.
Did you know that the average annual salary for a top UX designer in the US was $ 86,071 per year? And that the position took the 14th place in the TOP-100 positions according to CNN? Do you know that in the next ten years, there will be hundreds, if not thousands of UX vacancies on the market?
If you're looking to get a UX job but don't have any experience yet, don't be discouraged. Below are 5 simple steps to help you get a job.
Before you start
To be honest, the road ahead is long and difficult – you need to be ready for this. In order not to leave everything in the middle, ask yourself the following questions:
Why do you want to become a designer?
The answer to this question will not only help you understand what you think about design, but it will also become a strong motivation to overcome difficulties in the future. He can also become an excuse if something goes wrong.
Take this question seriously, sit down and write the answer to it. In the future, if difficulties arise and there is a desire to quit everything, you can return and remember why you need all this.
How much do you know about the profession?
Who are you now: a designer with no work experience, or a newbie who doesn't know anything about UX yet? How deep are you on the topic? The answers to these questions will help you understand your current situation correctly. It will also help you draw up a training plan and correctly approach your job search in the future. The main thing is that the answers are real and as practical as possible.
What field do you want to work in?
In order to plan everything as correctly as possible, you need to immediately understand in which area you want to work and develop in the future. For example, if you want to become a designer of mobile interfaces, then it is better to focus on the knowledge required for this: check platform guides, read blogs, study the best apps in stores. Answering this question will help you even better understand what to study, what to focus on, and what kind of work to look for in the future.
How much do you want to earn?
As I wrote above, the average salary of a leading UX designer in the United States is $ 86,000 per year (in Russia, from $ 120,000 per month, approx. Per.). How much do you want to earn? The answer to this question should be additional motivation for education and finding a better job.
Answer these questions seriously and in as much detail as possible. The answers will really help you to build your future correctly.
How to get a UX job with no experience?
Now that we have figured out everything and put things in order in our thoughts, let's figure out what needs to be done to get our first job in UX.
Step 1. Learn and develop your UX skills.
It doesn't matter if you are a beginner who knows nothing, or just a designer with no experience. The first thing you need to get a job is knowledge and skills in interface design. Before looking for a job, pump it up. There are several ways to do this:
Read books and articles on UX
Reading books and articles on design is a really useful and practical activity that will help you quickly expand your knowledge base.
Browse online UX design courses and websites
In addition to reading books, you can try various online courses. Some of them offer not only online content and videos, but also downloadable content that may be useful in future work. It is also necessary to be always designated in trends of graphic designer of 2021. This method is convenient because it is often available from any device. Here are a couple of good resources for online courses:
Hack Design
Hack Design is a simple and free resource with a variety of design courses as well as design tutorials that you can subscribe to. Each lesson contains links to useful articles, materials, as well as tasks for independent work.
Coursera
Coursera offers over 2,000 courses from renowned universities such as Stanford and Yale. Many courses offer certificates for completion, which can then be put on a resume.
Sign up for an online or offline course
This is a great way to organize your knowledge. Moreover, if your teacher is an experienced practitioner, you will be able to acquire some specialized knowledge and skills that are not in the books. So, if possible, sign up for such courses.
Sign up and learn from famous designers
Do you know of any awesome designers who can provide useful advice and lessons? If suddenly not – it's okay. They can always be found on social networks: Facebook, Dribbble, Behance, etc. Do not be afraid and write to them – they often answer and give good advice. And in general, the most important thing is not to be afraid and look for any ways for self-development.
Step 2. Learn at least one tool for the job
What tools do you know for prototyping and visualizing your ideas? Having a good knowledge of the basic tools for your job will not only help you create great work, but it will also make a great addition to your resume.
Step 3. Build your resume site
An online portfolio site is one of the best ways to showcase your UX design knowledge and skills. It plays an important role in getting the attention of employers. Here are some tips for building and improving your website:
Provide information about yourself correctly. Since employers will come to your site, post all the necessary information on it:
- Tell us about yourself;
- Tell us about your professional skills;
- Upload a nice photo with you;
- Show your best side.
Submit up-to-date contact information. Mail, phone, links to social. networks and all that. Again, so that potential employers and clients can contact you.
Submit your design projects. Since we are making a portfolio site, work should become its main element. Submit your best work here. If you don't have real work yet, don't be discouraged, tutorial projects and prototypes will do.
Step 4. Create a resume.
A resume is an essential element for applying for any good position. Create a high-quality resume specifically for your conditions and tasks.
Step 5. Job search.
You have grasped the basics of design, learned how to use Sketch or some other design gadget, made your own website and wrote a resume. It's time to start looking for work. To do this, you can use specialized sites like hh.ru or moikrug.ru, professional social networks like LinkedIn, or look for clients on Freelansim and UpWork if you want to become a freelancer.
You can also just go to the website of the company you are interested in and write directly. And it doesn't matter if the vacancy is open or not – don't be afraid to be more impudent. By the way, it was in this way that I found my first job in design, and later got into aic.
If you still have questions after reading, write to me in the comments or personally, I will answer everything.
