How To Get Hired After A UX Bootcamp
Introduction
UX design is one of the fastest growing fields in tech, with an increasing demand for UX professionals. So if you’re considering getting into this field, it might be a great time to pursue a bootcamp. But what happens after graduation? How do you land a job? Here are some tips that helped me make the transition from bootcamp to being hired as an experienced designer.
Learn what you need to know
If you’re interested in getting hired after a bootcamp, it’s important to understand the basics of UX design. You should learn about the different types of UX designers and what they do on a daily basis. You should also learn about the different tools and methodologies used by UX designers.
If you want to be successful as a UX designer, it’s vital that you understand how complex this field truly is. There are many different career paths for this profession and each one requires specific skillsets and knowledge bases depending on where they lead (e.g., consulting vs product management). It’s important that you do your due diligence before choosing which path will work best for your career goals because once committed there aren’t many options for switching tracks later down the line without starting over from scratch again!
Demonstrate your knowledge
Demonstrate your knowledge.
Your resume is not the only way to demonstrate your UX skills. When you’re applying for jobs, showcase your portfolio and show off the projects you’ve worked on during your bootcamp experience. This may be an individual project or a group project; make sure to include examples of both in your portfolio. You can also use these projects as examples of how you approach problem-solving and design thinking when interviewing for jobs. Demonstrate how much time and effort you put into each project by outlining how long it took, what tools were used, what problems were encountered along the way, who else was involved in completing the project — the more detail that’s included here will show recruiters just how engaged with these projects you are!
Cultivate connections
Once you’ve completed a bootcamp, you’re probably eager to get hired. To make that happen, start by building relationships with people who can help you find your first job. Focus on meeting the right kind of people: those who will be able to connect you with opportunities or give advice about how to get recruited at their company.
You may already know someone who works in UX design and would be willing to meet up with you for coffee or lunch and talk about your experiences in school and what employers are looking for these days. If so, great! Have them read through this guide (and offer them one of these other guides as well) so they can help inform any connections they might make on your behalf.
If not, there are plenty of other ways to build connections — whether over email or in person — that don’t require direct referrals from friends or colleagues:
Be a good person
● Be a good listener.
● Be a good communicator.
● Be a good collaborator.
● Be a good team player.
● Be a good friend to all the people in your life, not just the ones that might hire you someday!
Bootcamps can help you get started in a new field, but they don’t make you an expert.
One of the most immediate benefits of UX bootcamps is that they give you a place to start. When you graduate from a bootcamp, you have a portfolio full of projects and experiences that demonstrate your ability to build products and solve problems.
But here’s the thing: just because someone has completed an online or in-person UX bootcamp doesn’t mean they are an expert in anything. Instead, it should be seen as an opportunity for new designers to get started in their field while also giving them a chance to learn from others who have been doing this longer than they have.
Conclusion
Getting hired after a UX bootcamp is a lot like getting hired in any other industry. You need to do the work, demonstrate your knowledge, and cultivate connections. The difference is that you’re coming from outside of this field so you may be starting from scratch on all three fronts — but don’t let that discourage you! As we’ve seen, with hard work and perseverance there are plenty of opportunities out there for those who want them.
Carl is a Product Design recruiter at Facebook/Meta. Before recruiting, he was a UI/UX designer working with many tech startups to design mobile apps. Carl is also the co-founder of a Meetup called Global UXD where he helps connect designers with each other and create new opportunities. Having completed Bloc and DesignLab bootcamps before becoming a recruiter, he’s an expert at helping designers land their first design roles. Find Carl on designrecruitercarl.com and LinkedIn. Need your Design Portfolio Reviewed?? Check out designrecruitercarl.com
