Breaking into UX Design

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about careers, progression, opportunities, and what sets people apart from one another. After participating in an online event at AskBadger.com, focused on new UX grads getting their foot in the door, I was reminded of my own journey into the design world.

Fresh out of Full Sail University, with aspirations of working at a flashy design agency in a big city, I found myself designing product catalogs for a mainframe software company in my tiny hometown. Not exactly the glamorous start I'd envisioned. But that mundane first job? It was the initial step towards building the design career I have today.

Let's be honest. Getting a job in tech right now is brutal. The market is flooded with talent, and competition is absolutely fierce. Open roles are receiving up to 1,000 submissions in the first week. But don't let all of that discourage you. In this article, I’ll lay out several strategies to help you stand out in the crowded UX field. I’ll go over why I think a formal education isn't always necessary, how to build a compelling portfolio, the importance of showcasing your unique perspective, and ways to expand your professional network. I’ll also cover crucial communication skills and the mindset needed to seize opportunities, even when they're not exactly what you imagined.

So whether you're a recent graduate or considering a career switch, these insights will hopefully help you navigate the challenging but rewarding path into UX design. And who knows? Your first "boring" job might just be the catalyst to an exciting career in UX design!

Skills over degrees

People look at my path into design and ask me about the value of my degree (Associates of Science: Multimedia at Fullsail University) and whether it was worth the expense. Back then, it was affordable. I took out $25K in loans and graduated in 14 months. Nowadays, I would strongly question any design school that wants to put you deeply in debt. I'm not saying formal education is bad, but for intro-level jobs, people are more concerned with actual experience and design skills, not the school you graduated from.

With the amount of free resources on the net, you can self-teach yourself a whole lot these days. If you want to level up a little faster, join an online course or two. I recommend taking a look at Shift Nudge run by Matt D. Smith. Courses like this give you some hands-on class work and the ability to build your network.

Nowadays, it's unrealistic to come out of school with a 4+ year degree and think you’ll be fighting off the offers as people swoon over your freshly minted design mind. Instead you’re going to be looking at job postings and see "Needs 2-years of experience, or more."

So how do I get an intro job when it wants experience and I have no experience?

Building your portfolio

Employment requirements are often not as rigid as they seem. While it’s ideal to meet all the listed qualifications, the reality is that strengths in certain areas can often compensate for gaps in others. With this in mind, you can address most employment requirements through other means—primarily by showcasing a strong portfolio.

Here are three effective ways to build your portfolio:

Take UX classes. These design courses are mainly structured for you to come out of those lessons with one or more case studies for a portfolio. But honestly, that will not be enough.
Side projects. Nothing gets a future employer's attention better than seeing a concept or project you created because you wanted to. Case in point: I got my foot in the door at Google as a contract designer (TVC) because the hiring manager saw my work on Dribbble.com redesigning Ocearch's iOS shark tracker app. I took on this project because I wanted to try designing cutting-edge data visualizations on a topic I'm passionate about—sharks.
Freelancing. There are freelance market sites that allow people to post projects and you bid for them. This is hard because you need to be careful and don't do work for free or get taken advantage of, but you need the work to put in a portfolio. Just don't sell yourself short. It can be a predatory landscape.

Showcase your uniqueness

Remember the shark tracker redesign I mentioned? Not only was it unique in that no one else on Dribbble was posting such content, but most designers aren't out there professing their love of sharks and making sea creatures part of their identity. Uniqueness is an opportunity to show others what makes you you. When presenting unique work, it catches people's attention. It stands out like a shining sea star in a sea of mediocrity.

Think about it like this: You're competing with people who have little to no experience. Most people will show their templated school project or reimagine a popular brand/experience. You're going to dig deep and show the things you're truly passionate about in a space you're interested in getting a career in.

Let's try an example. Say you're passionate about shoes and environmental conservation. Consider a 'Sustainable Footprint' app that tracks the lifecycle and environmental impact of your footwear. The app could scan shoe barcodes to input details, estimate wear and lifespan, provide care tips, locate recycling centers, and calculate each pair's carbon footprint. It could gamify sustainable choices, offering points for repairing shoes or choosing eco-friendly brands, and connect users with local cobblers and upcycling workshops. This app would help shoe enthusiasts make informed, environmentally conscious decisions while encouraging the industry to adopt more sustainable practices. Or, just make a dating app for shoe lovers…that includes all the details from the previous idea.

This approach shows people an area you're passionate about and how you'd tackle a problem space by identifying it and proposing solutions.

Expand your network

Remember those earlier stats on hundreds of applicants? When small teams with little to no HR support get overwhelmed, they lean on connections to trim the pool. It’s not always the first few people who apply that get looked at; it’s those with internal referrals or connections. Having a referral is like having someone vouch for you, significantly increasing your chances.

Most candidates apply for jobs and overlook the power of networking. However, building genuine connections can set you apart and make a lasting impression beyond your resume. When networking, think of it like getting to know someone—don’t start by asking for a job right away. Instead, seek advice or share a common interest to build rapport, making it more likely they’ll think of you when opportunities arise.

If you've just graduated and haven't landed your first job yet, tap into your classmates who have—use them as your network. Engage with the local tech scene by attending UX conferences or meetups, even if they push you out of your comfort zone. If you're an introvert, consider posting your work in online communities like Behance or Dribbble. Don’t just upload your portfolio—engage with others, comment thoughtfully, and build real connections. Transition from being invisible to being visible.

Don’t forget the importance of following up and expressing gratitude. A simple thank you can leave a lasting positive impression and strengthen your relationships.

As an introvert myself, I understand how daunting networking can be. Crowds and strangers are my worst nightmare. I’m terrible at conventions, and meetups fill me with dread. So, I leaned on what I do best: putting my work out front and building a network of designers on Dribbble. Some of those connections are still active today, providing me with insights, advice, and opportunities.

Mastering communication

There are three places at this stage in your career where communication is key: your portfolio, your networking, and your interviewing.

For your portfolio, understand the pressure hiring managers and recruiters are under. If you get the opportunity to have someone look at your portfolio, they'll spend seconds, not minutes, reviewing your case studies. Get the actual designs as close to the top of the page as possible. Keep the design process talk to a bare minimum. All of the process and methodology comes out in the interview stages.

When networking, you need to be able to communicate who you are, what you're passionate about, and what you're looking for. You'll find this skill comes up again and again as you progress through your career. It's going to become even more important that you develop a strong point of view on topics related to design and user experience. At the end of the day, you're being paid to have an opinion, and you need to be able to communicate that effectively.

Finally, interviewing is a skill you'll need to call upon repeatedly. As a designer, you'll need to present your work. This means building a presentation of your case studies and presenting it to a panel of your peers. You have to be able to talk about the work and respond to questions about it. You'll be judged not so much on the quality of the work, but more on how you talk about it and respond to feedback or criticism. You'll be probed about your decisions and need to develop the skills to navigate this exchange positively.

One additional thing to consider, courses like toastmasters to help you with your public speaking and presentation skills. And online speech improvement services from Yoodli help you improve your communication skills with interviewing, presenting, and having crucial communications.

Feedback is a gift

The goal of networking and mastering communication isn’t just about landing a job. When you make connections, you should be actively seeking feedback on your portfolio and resume.

Suzanne Pellican, our VP of UX at Google Ads, recently gave a talk where she highlighted the value of feedback and how it has shaped her career. She also discussed how she uses feedback to help her team grow. The takeaway is this: without feedback, how do we know how we’re showing up? Who’s going to give you this kind of feedback without being prompted? You need to actively seek it out so you can learn and grow. Sometimes, the feedback you receive during a review cycle or unsolicited can be tough, especially when it’s not positive. Suzanne’s insights resonated with me because I always strive to have candid conversations about how I’m showing up and the quality of my work to ensure I’m meeting everyone’s expectations.

Think about it like this: every new person you meet brings a new relationship that you need to navigate and nurture. The feedback you get from one person can be entirely different from another. Make the effort to gather feedback and differing perspectives from as many people as possible. This will help you identify the changes you need to make to raise the bar. Multiple sources of feedback also allow you to filter out advice that might not be helpful. However, sometimes only one person will give you the hard feedback you really need to hear.

Critical feedback is the greatest gift of all, but giving it is an art form. The next time someone gives you critical feedback that makes you question yourself and your work, take the time to understand where it’s coming from and what you can do to address it.

Get professional help

I think of this as the next level after soliciting feedback. When you want to go deeper than just feedback on your output, seek opportunities for mentorship and coaching. Nothing beats talking directly with someone who has the experience and insight you need.

There are a few ways to approach this. ADPList.org is a fantastic resource for finding a mentor for free. The mentors here are vetted, so you have a good chance of getting solid advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about. The challenge is that you’re competing with others in the same position, hoping to find a mentor. Keep in mind that many of the best mentors have pretty full schedules.

Another free option is to reach out to someone who might be open to mentoring. Try searching on LinkedIn for people who have expressed a willingness and passion for mentoring. Send them a connection request with a sincere note about what you’re looking for help with. Chances are, they might be open to an initial chat or could point you in the right direction. The key is to put in the effort and include a personalized note with your request. Cold-connecting with people on LinkedIn has a very low success rate.

If you’re striking out on finding someone willing to talk to you, and you can afford it, consider paying for mentorship or career coaching. I’ve personally used BetterUp here at Google as part of my career development. I’ll be honest, my first coach wasn’t a great fit, but that wasn’t entirely their fault. I’d never been coached before and didn’t understand how the relationship worked. After a few sessions, I decided to try a different coach, and the experience was wonderful. They guided me through the process and helped me focus on the areas I wanted to grow in. Do I recommend paying for a service like BetterUp? Yes, but with a major caveat: you’ll have better success if you go into it with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it. The same goes for mentoring.

To help clarify the difference between coaching and mentoring: a coach helps you improve specific areas of your life or career through structured, short-term engagements, while a mentor offers ongoing, broad-based guidance and support based on their experience and relationship with you. Both roles are valuable but serve different purposes in personal and professional development.

Embracing opportunities

One final piece of advice: new grads often want to work for specific brands or companies, and they all target these same companies. Looking back through all of this advice, we can distill it down to finding opportunities where there's less competition, hopefully a network effect, and where your uniqueness taps into that brand in a relatable way.

You need to be humble about your expectations. Your first shot at employment likely won't be at one of those fancy places. It's going to be somewhere that isn't flashy and might not resonate with you. But it's an opportunity for you to build on all of these skills I've listed here so that you can take that experience and move on to the next one.

When I first graduated with an associate's in multimedia design from Full Sail University, I sent my demo reel and resume to all the amazing design agencies at the time in Boston, Atlanta, and London. I didn't hear a peep from any of them. So I lowered my expectations and applied to a mainframe software company back in my hometown. I got that job pretty quickly because there were no designers at my skill level applying to a boring mainframe software company.

The job was 100% graphic design, and all my other skills in web design, 3D, VR, and music production were shelved. Instead, it was print design and illustration. It wasn't the flashy agency work I had dreamed of, but it got me in the door. I had a paycheck, got my first apartment, purchased my first decent car, and took my parents out to dinner for the first time in my life because I could finally afford to. This initial opportunity allowed me to start building the life I wanted, and over time, as my skills and network increased, I chased bigger and bigger opportunities that aligned to my values and interests.

Bringing it all home

Breaking into UX design is tough, but it's far from impossible. Armed with a killer portfolio, a unique perspective, solid communication skills, and a growing network, you're already ahead of the game. Don't get discouraged by rejection – it's part of the process. Remember, every UX designer you admire started somewhere, probably facing the same challenges you are right now.

As you embark on this journey, keep in mind that your career is a marathon, not a sprint. It's easy to get caught up in the race for the perfect job, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Each experience, each project, even each rejection, is shaping you into the designer you're meant to be. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the small wins, and keep pushing forward.

Stay persistent, keep refining your skills, and that first opportunity will come. And when it does, grab it with both hands and run with it. The tech world needs fresh perspectives and passionate designers like you. So go out there, make your mark, and redefine what it means to be a UX designer in this ever-changing landscape. Your UX journey is just beginning, and the best is yet to come.

Acknowledgments

I want to extend a special thank you to Greg Denton for his invaluable feedback on this article and for inspiring me to write it after my involvement with his AskBadger platform. Participating in a session on helping new graduates break into UX design sparked the ideas that led to this piece. Your insights were crucial in refining the content and ensuring it resonates with our readers.

I also want to express my gratitude to my connections on LinkedIn who generously shared their recommendations and insights when I sought help compiling these resources. Your contributions have made this article richer and more comprehensive.

Thank you all for your support and for helping to make this a resource that can truly benefit those breaking into the UX field.

Resources

This list of resources is just the beginning, not an exhaustive guide. As you embark on your unique UX journey, you’ll discover additional tools and resources that align more closely with your personal goals and aspirations. Keep exploring, and let these resources serve as a strong foundation for your growth.

Learning Platforms & Online Courses

These platforms provide structured learning paths, practical exercises, and the opportunity to build a strong foundation in UX design. They are essential for both beginners and those looking to deepen their expertise.

Shift Nudge by Matt D. Smith: A hands-on course focused on visual design within UX, offering project-based learning to help you build your portfolio.
LinkedIn Learning - UX Design Courses: A comprehensive collection of courses covering various aspects of UX design, ideal for building foundational knowledge and practical skills.
Bitesize UX: Workshop-style live sessions that offer practical experience in UX design, great for those who prefer interactive learning.
Hexagon UX: A community offering mentorship opportunities, crucial for personalized guidance and career advice.
ADPList.org: A platform to connect with industry mentors, providing one-on-one coaching and advice.

2. Books on UX Design Fundamentals

These books are foundational reads that provide essential knowledge on usability, design principles, and UX processes, equipping you with the theoretical background needed to create effective user experiences.

Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug: A classic book on web usability, focusing on intuitive navigation and user-friendly interfaces.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: A deep dive into the principles of design, exploring how and why design works.
The UX Book: Process and Guidelines for Ensuring a Quality User Experience by Rex Hartson & Pardha Pyla: A comprehensive guide to UX design processes and best practices.
The User Experience Team of One by Leah Buley: A practical guide for UX designers working solo or in small teams, covering a wide range of methods and tools.

3. Articles, Blogs & Thought Leaders

These resources offer a wealth of knowledge from industry leaders, providing ongoing learning and insights that keep you updated on the latest trends and best practices in UX design.

Colm Tuite’s Quora Article: A straightforward introduction to UX design, perfect for beginners looking for concise advice.
Luke Wroblewski’s Writings: Insightful articles from a recognized UX designer and author, offering practical tips and thought leadership.
Julie Zhuo on Medium: UX-related writings by Facebook's former design director, providing insights into high-level design thinking and practices.
Smashing Magazine: A well-known resource for web developers and designers, featuring articles on UX best practices and trends.
UX Myths: A collection of common UX misconceptions, debunked with explanations and evidence.
Nielsen Norman Group Articles: Authoritative articles from a leading UX research firm, useful for gaining advanced insights after some practical experience.

4. Design Inspiration & Portfolio Building

These platforms are essential for staying inspired, keeping up with design trends, and learning how to present your work in a way that stands out to potential employers.

Dribbble: A platform for showcasing design work, particularly useful for gaining inspiration and visibility within the design community.
Mobbin: A collection of mobile and web UI patterns, great for visual inspiration and understanding current design trends.
UI Movement: A platform showcasing the latest UI design trends, helpful for sparking creativity and inspiration.
Pttrns: A curated library of mobile UI patterns, useful for finding design inspiration for your projects.
Bestfolios: A gallery of top UX/UI portfolios, providing examples of how to structure and present your work effectively.
Adobe Behance: A platform where designers showcase creative work, including UI/UX designs, providing a rich source of inspiration across various design disciplines.

5. Tools & Software

Mastering these tools is crucial for translating your design ideas into actionable and collaborative work. Understanding the technical side of UX also enables more effective collaboration with developers.

Figma: A leading design tool for creating and collaborating on UX/UI projects, offering powerful features for prototyping and design systems.
Axure: A tool for creating detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes, particularly useful for complex applications.
OmniGraffle: A diagramming and wireframing tool that’s great for creating detailed schematics and flowcharts.
Visio: A Microsoft tool for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and wireframes, useful for both technical and design work.
Keynote / Google Slides: Presentation tools that are also often used for wireframing and creating quick prototypes.
Sketch: A popular design tool focused on UI/UX design, known for its robust plugin ecosystem and vector editing capabilities.
Basic Tech Knowledge (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flutter, etc.): Understanding front-end technologies is essential for effective collaboration with developers and making informed design decisions.

6. Professional Development

Professional development resources, such as coaching and mentoring platforms, are essential for ongoing growth, skill refinement, and career advancement in UX design.

ADPList.org: A global platform that connects designers with mentors for one-on-one coaching, offering personalized advice and guidance.
BetterUp: A coaching platform focused on personal and professional growth, helping you build soft skills like leadership, resilience, and communication.
Hexagon UX: A community offering mentorship opportunities, crucial for personalized guidance and career advice.
Toastmasters: A global organization that helps individuals improve their public speaking and leadership skills through structured practice and feedback.
Yoodli: An AI-powered speech coach that provides real-time feedback on your speaking skills.

7. Podcasts & Additional Media

Podcasts offer an accessible way to keep learning while on the go, providing a steady stream of inspiration and knowledge from industry experts.

Dive Club Podcast by Michael Riddering: A highly recommended podcast covering various aspects of design, including practical advice and industry insights.
Design Better Podcast: Features interviews with industry leaders, discussing topics like design thinking, leadership, and the intersection of design and technology.
UI Breakfast Podcast: Focuses on UI/UX design, product strategy, and user research, featuring interviews with industry experts.
The NN/g UX Podcast: Offers insights from UX research, practical tips for improving user experiences, and discussions on the latest trends.
User Defenders: Features inspiring interviews with UX superheroes, offering advice on career growth and overcoming challenges in UX.
What is Wrong with UX: A humorous and candid podcast that dives into the challenges and realities of working in UX.
The Hacking UI Podcast: Covers topics around design, technology, and the business of products, featuring interviews with top designers and entrepreneurs.