The UX design job sector has been growing at a very fast clip and is ranked as among the top jobs to hanker for in various surveys. The sector will witness a demand for hundreds of thousands of jobs in the next few years as more and more organizations and businesses scramble harder to deliver a superior user experience in a bid to get a larger share of eyeballs and more loyalty. If you have been thinking about getting a job as a UX designer but have absolutely no experience, here are some vital tips that can help you to build a career in this sunshine niche.
Some Essential Soul-Searching before Trying to Land a UX Job
Since finding a UX job and building your career around it can be the commitment of a lifetime, it is necessary for you to first do some introspection so that you can find out if you are well prepared for the long and tough haul ahead. The very first thing that you should ask yourself is why you want to become a UX designer because that will let you know what your real motivations are and act as a reminder when the going is tough. The second question to ask is what do you really know about UX? Do you know what it really entails or you have some vague idea that it is pretty exciting and lucrative? If you are not clear, it is a good time to learn about it and find out whether you want to take it up as a career.
You should also find out if there is some business sector that you are especially interested in because you need to then develop expertise and accordingly, you should direct your energies towards developing a better understanding of it and acquire the relevant technical skills that a job in that sector will typically demand of you. Finally, you should also define your earnings expectations as a UX designer. The current salary of a senior UX designer is above $86,000but you need to think hard if this is good enough a motivation for you. If you are more ambitious, you need to find out what skills you need to have that will get you there.
What to Do If You Don’t Have Experience but Want a UX Designer Job
Learn UX design skills and keep on improving them: As a complete newbie without any knowledge of UX design, you cannot hope to get a break. Therefore, it is essential for you to learn the basics of UX design and hone your skills before you start applying for UX jobs. Among the best ways of learning are reading UX design books and articles in journals and websites and undertaking online courses on UX design. Many of the online courses are available free and you can complete them before going on to the professional ones. You can also join an offline course that may give you a better learning experience if it is conducted by a UX design expert. Another good way of learning UX design skills is by following what experts and professionals are doing. You can join social media groups that focus on UX design and follow the best in the business. Your networking skills may open up even job opportunities if you can impress them with your skills and sense of purpose.
Learn at least one UX design prototyping tool: Prototyping tools are essential for translating design ideas into visuals and interactive templates. Mastering these tools can not only permit you to test out your theoretical learning but also hone your design skills. Alongside whichever online or offline courses you are attending, you should also focus on mastering at least one UX design prototyping tool that will make you more industry-ready.
Build your own website to showcase your portfolio online: For a designer attempting to get a job, it is very important to have an online platform to showcase his design skills and impress potential recruiters. Building an online portfolio is the first task that you should attempt after learning UX design principles and getting familiar with a design prototyping tool. Pay a lot of attention to the structuring of the portfolio, which should never be just a random collection of UX designs. You should include a crisp introduction about yourself, and add lists wherever required for displaying more information, upload photographs that display a correct attitude and are high-resolution. Never make the mistake of adopting a casual attitude to display how cool you are as interviewers do not like this. Make sure that you include your contact information so that anyone who is impressed by your portfolio can get in touch with you. If you include an email, ensure that you check it periodically for messages. You can also include your LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook links.
Since your intention is to attract the attention of UX design recruiters, you should ensure that your UX design works form the core part of your portfolio. Needless to say, make sure that you include your best creations in the portfolio; it is important to make a good selection and not include everything you have. Showcase your versatility by adding some samples of mobile UX designs to your portfolio of web applications.
Make a killer resume: Apart from your portfolio, another important component of your application is a good resume that will impress potential recruiters. You can structure a standout resume by yourself or take the help of the many online resources available, however, even if you are using a free template make sure that you adapt it according to your requirements so that it does not resemble that of other people.
Conclusion
Now that you are ready to take up a job, you should scour the various online job sites for UX designer positions with profiles that are of interest to you. Do not be worried if it takes a little while and, in the meantime, keep on honing your skills. Be extra active on the social media networking with UX design professionals who can point you to emerging opportunities.
