Seven tips for getting a job after a UX Bootcamp

Two months ago, when I started my second capstone project, getting my first full-time role as a UX Designer seemed so far away. It didn’t feel any closer when I worked on my third project and completed it in about a week. Sure, the process was getting easier, but the end goal seemed no closer. I was just tired.

The world of UX Design can be intimidating and tough to navigate, and imposter syndrome was dominating my psyche. Dominating.

However, all of the hard work eventually paid off, and I landed a job in London, less than one month after graduating from UX Academy.

I also want to say a big thank you to the Designlab team and my mentor, who was incredible throughout the entire process. Thanks go out to the budding, supportive community also.

For anyone coming to the end of their journey with UX Academy, or anyone looking to enter the world of UX after completing a bootcamp, here are seven tips to help you land your first role.

One- Make sure your portfolio and CV are on point

It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to make mistakes when putting together a portfolio in such a short amount of time. Even more so if you aren’t using Squarespace or an equivalent.

Get as many people to look at your portfolio as possible. It’s always nice if you can find a UX Designer or a recruiter to take a look, but even showing your other colleagues or friends might help. They might uncover a typo, a mistake or a problem with the links.

As an example, two weeks into my job search Ash Montes (thank you) found some social media icon links which weren’t working properly. I know they were working at some point, and I’m not sure what happened. Mistakes, like this, can make or break the experience when someone looks at your site.
You are a UX Designer, remember.

I would also add ‘improving your LinkedIn’ here. I had a quite a few people reach out to me there, as well as using it to apply for many jobs. Make sure everything is up-to-date, set your status to ‘Open to Offers’, your profile to ‘Looking for a UX Design role in <insert city name>’ and trial Linkedin premium for a month. As you know, LinkedIn is a virtual CV of sorts, so update your connections and make sure everything is well written and presented. If you have anyone who can give you a testimonial from past jobs: get one.

Two- Be prepared to hustle

I hate to be the one to tell you, but the real work starts now.

I know, you are tired. You’ve created two or three capstones and then crafted a well-thought-out portfolio showcasing your work. It’s undeniably a lot of work.

However, you are entering the real world. This world, particularly in a city like London, has a lot of competition. A lot. You are going to have to work hard to breakthrough.

Three- Cast your net wide. Really wide.

Explore all possible channels for connections and jobs. Become involved in your local design community, see what old classmates and colleagues are doing, they may be able to help you.

To-do list
- Attend meet-ups, hackathons and join all local organisations
- Reach out to industry recruiters with your CV, portfolio, and a brief introduction. I applied to jobs independently, as well as with recruiters. Although it seems the majority are more focused on hiring mid-level or seniors, some recruiters definitely opened up doors for me.
- Look on all different types of job boards (UX specific, design, start-up and general job boards). People advertise in all different places. Don’t rule anything out.
- I also attended a UX career convention. Whilst nothing came of it directly, I did have the opportunity to meet different companies and talk to designers. It definitely gave me a better idea of what was in the market and the type of work I wanted to do. Find out what is going on in your city.

The jobs aren't likely to hunt you down, you have to find them.

Four- Be prepared to fail

The job hunt is a test of character. It isn’t fun when you apply to jobs, some of which are listed as ‘Junior UX Designer’ and not only do you get turned down because of a lack of experience but sometimes, you don’t even get a reply. It sucks.

If you don’t get a reply, its probably because the HR department is very busy and there are many applicants for the position. If its a start up, the team may be even busier, and probably doesn’t even have a HR department. It’s also possible that they consciously chose not to reply reply. If this is the case, you probably don’t want to work for them anyway.

Fear not. Karma is on your side.

I also think that sometimes companies advertise jobs as ‘Junior Level’ when really, they may be looking for something else entirely. Hiring a mid level on junior wages perhaps?

Conversely, don’t be afraid to apply for jobs which you don’t have enough experience for on paper. From my experience, many companies are more focused on what you can do (your portfolio and process) and who you are.

Five- Stick to your plan

In light of the aforementioned rejections, sometimes you will not feel like applying for jobs or have another screening call.

My first screening call was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Luckily, it wasn’t a role which suited me, but it was an opportunity to learn. Be prepared to make some mistakes in your interviews and screening calls. You will get better. By the time of the third or fourth screening call, I was fully in the swing of things.

Whatever target you set yourself: stick to it. My weekly target was 10 applications, but sometimes I applied to many more. Some applications require a full cover letter and interview style questions, which takes a lot of time. However, others, simply want personal information, a CV and link to your new, shiny portfolio. These applications do not take more than ten minutes. There really is no excuse to not apply to jobs.

This is another reason why you need to make sure your portfolio is up to scratch. You don’t have long to impress.

Six- Trust your gut

You need to be open minded in your search, but that doesn’t mean you should take a job which you don’t want, or doesn’t suit you. Don’t be afraid to go for what you want, and lay a marker down for how you want to work. The interview process is an opportunity to feel each other out and see if its a good match.

The day I received my job offer, I also had other a lot of other interest. Six companies to be exact. Jobs seem to be like buses; you wait and wait…and then two come along at once.

I ended up taking the offer I had received after a good nights sleep. I had a good impression about the people who work there, the environment, the projects, and they had a strong desire to hire me and offer me a platform to help me grow. It’s everything I was looking for.

I could have gone on more interviews, looked for more money, or more ‘something’, but the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If somebody shows the desire to have you join their team, it’s definitely something which shouldn’t be dismissed. I’m really excited, and grateful for the amazing opportunity I have been offered.

In fact, I will start my new job a just few days after being offered the role.

Seven- Keep working

I had been planning my move into design for over a year. I took many short courses and did a lot of volunteer work. This volunteer work, which I still do, gave me a lot of experience in working from briefs and trying to solve problems. It also showed a long-standing interest and commitment to design.

For my third capstone, I worked on a project which I was able to do from a personal contact. It was a different challenge to apply UX to real problems, with real clients, but it was very fulfilling. This experience helped me a lot during interviews and helped me deal with real life constraints.

Towards the end of UX Academy, I also got the opportunity to do a remote internship with a start-up. I actually applied for another role entirely with the company a few months earlier when I was planning on moving to London. This contact, whilst not showing any interest in hiring me for the other role, ultimately helped me out a lot and gave me more UX and UI experience.

When you finish UX Academy, keep looking for opportunities to learn, to grow and to work.

I’ve been working like crazy. You should be prepared to do the same.

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Feel free to ask any questions or make any comments below. Good luck :)