She’s followed most of the advice in this article. I know another woman in Philadelphia who wants to be a UX designer. Perhaps people can help you make the right connection six months from now or a few years from now. Form relationships now, even if the community can’t help you right now. Take the opportunity to form relationships. You don’t want people to see you as someone who’s using the community to find a job. It’s okay to tell people you’re trying to get into UX, but don’t be the dreaded resume-shover. Introduce yourself to the community members and get to know them. People in the tech and design fields are usually friendly and open to meeting new people. The connections she made helped her land that UX job.ĭon’t be intimidated by members of the community who know more than you. Veronica attended UX events and became a regular member of the UX community. If there isn’t a local UX meetup near you, go to related tech meetups such as JavaScript events or graphic design events. If there’s a local UX meetup nearby, that’s a great start. Become a part of the community.Īttend local tech events in your area. If you don’t have much UX experience, highlight the traits above during the interview process. Keep these traits in mind if you land an interview for a UX position. If you have most or all of these traits, that’s a good sign.
It frustrates me because there are many open UX positions, and not enough experienced people to fill those positions. It’s a classic chicken and egg situation. There are many people like you who decide to pursue UX design as a career. Then, they struggle to get a job without experience. They want designers who can get to work with a team right away. Most UX hiring managers look for designers with experience. It’s often difficult to get an entry-level UX position. Veronica worked very hard to get her first UX job, and she’s not the only one who worked hard to become a UX designer. It’s nice to be in a position to be choosy.” I have my eye on company A, company B, and company C. She told me, “It’s time to learn from others. She’s thinking about moving on to another UX job. Today, Veronica has a great job in Philadelphia as a UX designer.
Veronica’s hard work eventually paid off. I’m trying everything to get a job and it’s just not working. I’m doing everything you suggested I do.”Ī year later, at a UX happy hour event, Veronica pulled me aside and told me, “I’m exhausted. At one Meetup, she told me, “I’m serious about changing my career to UX design. We saw each other regularly at UX Meetups in Philly. But first, I’ll finish my story about Veronica.Īfter we met for coffee, I saw Veronica often. I told Veronica everything I’m about to tell you. Veronica asked me, “How do I become a UX designer?” A few years ago, I met with a woman named Veronica.