UX is one of the most renowned out-of-the-box career alternatives with increasing demand. They are required by businesses and companies to enhance their customers’ digital experience in the form of a website or mobile apps.
However, landing a UX job is not a piece of cake. This can be due to two factors. Firstly, several people change their career paths and opt for UX in their mid-20s. This robs them of years of experience. Secondly, you will hardly find a job that will not have “four-five years of relevant UX experience” as a requirement.
While these reasons go hand-in-hand, you need not give up on your UX journey. In the following article, we shall explain a few easy steps to get you your dream UX job, even without any prior experience.
Steps to Land a UX Job Without Any Prior Experience
The following steps are not a part of some easy magic formula. You will have to rub some elbow grease in getting yourself educated and making up for the lack of experience.
1. Understand your Interests and Strengths
Specialization is always better than getting general education. It helps you get a better-paying job. The same principle applies to UX design. There are mainly four types of specializations:
- UX Researcher
- UI/UX Developer
- Information Architect
- UX Writer
We shall give you a brief explanation of all the major specializations to help you get a clear idea.
A UX researcher studies the target users to collect the relevant data for the process of product design. This step is necessary to design something that fulfils the user’s intent and needs.
A UI/UX developer uses their technical skills like CSS and HTML to make interactive and vidual designs for websites. Their task is to make the designs as responsive as possible for a better user experience.
An information architect is responsible for organizing and labelling the content effectively. This is basically to help the users find their desired information.
The task of writing microcopies for websites, apps, and digital products is assigned to a UX writer. Prior writing experience will help in this specialization.
2. Invest in a UX Course
Time to go back to school.
Completing at least one UX course is necessary because such certifications can strengthen your portfolio and resume.
Taking a UX course will help you understand its technical aspects. Moreover, the hands-on experience provided by such courses will give you a headstart in your professional career.
Apart from taking a course, we’d also suggest reading books or blogs about UX. They’d help you understand the latest trends in the field of UX.
3. Learn Atleast One Prototyping Tool
Knowledge about at least one prototyping tool is necessary for a budding UX designer. It helps to showcase a better representation in any website or app.
Some of the most valuable prototyping tools are:
- Figma
- Adobe XD
- InVision Studio
- Origami Studio
- Sketch
- Webflow
- Axure
- Principle
- UXPin
- Flinto
4. Build your Portfolio
Once you have gained the necessary knowledge, it is time to showcase what you’ve learned in the form of a portfolio.
Try to keep it as diverse as possible. For example, you can build different UX case studies, varying in terms of desktop applications, websites, mobile applications, etc.
Use sketches, prototypes, and other visuals to showcase your work. But do not include everything; only your best projects need to be highlighted.
Along with that, include your soft and hard skills in your portfolio.
Lastly, before you make your portfolio online, it is best to get it reviewed by a professional UX designer. You can improvise it based on their suggestions.
5. Connect with Other UX Designers
Networking can take your UX career to a whole different level. Meeting like-minded people from the same field can effectively help you land a future job.
Apart from physically meeting other UX designers, you can connect with them through social media. This will help you stay updated on the latest trends, which you can inculcate in your future work.
Now It’s Your Turn
While the aforementioned steps might sound like an easy shortcut, it is nothing shy of an excruciating challenge. But taking the right steps will undoubtedly land you a phenomenal UX job, even without any prior experience.
You can kickstart this journey by enrolling yourself in the Felix-ITs’ UX design course. This comprehensive course will get you ready to face the challenges of the UX field under the mentorships of the best UX designers.
Wait no further; contact us today!