An Extensive Job Search…And An Offer
After students graduate from Phase 2 of UX Academy, they can opt into Career Services, where they get additional support and guidance as they work through job search materials, from applications and cover letters to interviewing skills and salary negotiations.
“Job searching was definitely the most challenging and nerve-wrecking part of the entire process, maybe because it was my first time officially looking for a job here in the States,” Eric shares. “I remember applying to over 100 companies and not hearing back from more than half of them. I started feeling really anxious and doubted myself if I was even capable of getting a job.”
Despite the disheartening response (or lack thereof), Eric continued to send out those applications—and leveraged whatever experience he could along the way.
“ I was lucky to have worked on a project as a freelance designer prior to my actual job search which I believed had helped me to some extent at landing my current job.”
Finally, after a month or two into the job search process, Eric received an email from the company he now works at, inviting him for an interview.
“I was super stoked and excited, and started researching and learning as much as I could about the job interview process. After a month of interviewing and waiting, I was offered a position as a UX UI designer at my current company.”
A New Career Begins
“I have been working at my current company for a little over a year now, and everything still feels like a learning process, which I really enjoy,” Eric shares.
Although he struggles with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, Eric is committed to finding ways to open his mind to opportunity and possibility within his role as a new UX/UI designer, whether that takes the form of talking with other team members, reading more articles and blogs, or simply going to the gym for some healthy activities.
“I personally think that working as a UX UI designer in tech, mental pressure is something we all must deal with, so finding the right ways to relax the mind is crucial for work efficiency.”
Words of Wisdom
Reflecting on his own career pivot and experience thus far, Eric has a few words of wisdom to share with others:
- Never give up
- Try to learn more about yourself and your passion (for example: I love art and music, so that really helped me target which companies I really wanted work for)
- Ask questions and learn with your mentors (really try to understand and learn what your mentor teaches you, because lots of these experiences they share with you can be the key to doing well at interviews)
- If you have the chance, always try to learn more skills that could possibly enhance your design skills. For example, I have no coding knowledge, but because I have to work directly with engineers, I try to spend time understanding a little bit about certain frameworks or languages to help our team.
Closing Thoughts
“Another thing I enjoy most about being a designer now is the ability to learn so much from other team members with different backgrounds. It is definitely a rare opportunity that I find myself being lucky to have,” Eric shares.
“UX UI design is really fun, and is definitely a life-long learning process, but can definitely be challenging. So make sure you give your full 100% in order to land a job in this very competitive market.”