How do you actually go about breaking into the world of UX?
Job searching (in any field) in this day and age is wild and it’s okay to feel lost and uncertain at times. But I’d not advise you to focus on factors that are outside of your control (the market).
Instead, let’s address the things that you can change in your job search journey:
Be specific with your job search. Go into detail about your desired role, the industry, and the level of your seniority and expertise.
Tap into your network and pick companies with a higher success rate, upcoming or stealth startups. Or try to find those who desperately need design help (there’s A LOT).
Here are 4 lessons I've learned to turn rejection into success:
Never. Take. Things. Personally. Remember the rule. 99% of the time, it’s not about you. 100% of the time, it's whatever you can’t control.
Redirect your thoughts. Perhaps the job is not the right fit for you or there are better opportunities ahead of you.
The best way to learn from rejection? Ask the companies/clients for insight on how to do better moving forward.
Become comfortable with rejection. Rejection is a part of life (which you can't avoid) but you can become invincible when you do.
I know one copywriter who used to handle multi-million euro campaigns when she was still working for an ad agency in Amsterdam. The pandemic happened and she had to move back to her home country, Indonesia.
She got rejected by 12 local companies while she was there and refused 3 offers because they were expecting her to accept entry-level salaries (she had 6 years of experience).
3 months later, she was offered a position at a multinational tech company in Bangkok with salaries higher than her last job in Europe and a role that covers the whole Asia-Pacific region.
She accepted, packed her bags, and moved to Bangkok. The last time I checked, she was thriving.
To improve your chances of landing a UX job try networking regularly (online and offline), ask for references (from previous people you’ve worked with), be active on social media (get into design communities), and continue working on your portfolio.
Keep at it, and you’ll find something. Best of luck! 🍀
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Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:
