7 career lessons every student should know, collected from big tech professionals advice, senior designers, and my favorite Medium digests. ⤵
🐬 | Don't be afraid of cold emailing, instead, learn how to pitch your skills |
Phoebe Yu (prev. Visa) earns her first client project through emailing local businesses pointing out their business problem and how she can solve it. Check out how she did it and more fruitful insights on her YouTube channel. She truly serves.
🐬 | If you don't have the right environment to grow, curate one |
Coming from small towns like Wooster, access to a large design network or vibrant design scene is very limited. But your laptop makes everything possible now! Invite yourself into Design Buddies Discord for info about hackathons, conferences, design challenges. and job boards. Travel to big tech scenes during breaks to shape YOUR network, mindset, and environment.
And, less Insta, more Substack (❗).
🐬 | Document your projects |
You will need concrete evidence to build your portfolio and pitch your design process to recruiters or a potential employer (tip by Carma Baughman). So start a Google doc today!
🐬 | Go the extra mile in relevant class assignments... |
...so you don't waste extra time finding more outside projects. The outcome of any project is what you make out of it, so utilize whatever you have and k*ll 2 birds with 1 stone. My brother Akhmadillo Mamirov (prev. EA) utilizes his first unpaid internship to prove his ability as a self-sufficient SWE, and he made it to EA the next summer 💪
🐬 | Reflect after each project |
Every big-tech UX designer stresses the importance of having a reflection section in your case study because it demonstrates your growth mindset to recruiter. If you are looking for a very thoughtful guide on writing case studies, check out Sharon Yeun Kim's video (link in the end).
🐬 | Practice having uncomfortable conversations |
Be assertive, train your "AQ" - be assertive under pressure. Learn to ask for things you want, decline things you don’t, provide constructive feedback, and engage in direct confrontation and debate. This is especially important for aspiring product managers. I'm linking Daniel Shiner's unconventional self-bootcamp on Medium at the end.
🐬 | Don't feed only on free stuff, actually invest in yourself |
What you will gain: time, saved efforts, personalized guidance, exclusive resources. In this economy, paying also shows support for creative professionals just like ourselves. Pay for job conferences, premium memberships, 1:1. As a struggling designer, I found Mobbin, UXGO, Medium and to be very worth it. Yet, don't stop juicing the free resources around you.
Whatcha think?
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Links:
- Phoebe's channel: youtube.com/@phoebeyutbt
- Design Buddies Discord: https://lnkd.in/g_9qKd2N
- Sharon's video: https://lnkd.in/gJtDWVER
- Daniel Shiner's bootcamp: https://lnkd.in/gNNhbyNy
Managing Director at Skrots
1yHi Carma, Don't give up on your dream of becoming a UX/UI professional! At Skrots, we understand the challenges career changers face and we're here to support you every step of the way. Whether you need freelance projects, part-time work, or guidance to enhance your skills, we've got you covered. We offer top-notch UX/UI services tailored to your needs, helping you gain valuable experience and build a strong portfolio. Don't let the tough job market discourage you, Carma. Embrace the UX principles in your job search and keep pushing forward. Check out our services at skrots.com/services and explore our fabulous website design at skrots.com. Thanks, Skrots.