Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The UX Jobs Handbook v1.01
The UX Jobs Handbook v1.01
The UX Jobs Handbook v1.01
This book will receive updates periodically. You’ll be able to receive these updates for free if
you own this book.
6 47
Design job requirements How to prepare for a UX interview
Agencies 37
Client-side companies 38
Table of Contents 3
1
About the author
Hi there!
Looking for a job can be difficult. Especially if you’re just starting out. Lots of companies require
junior designers to have over 3 years of working experience. That’s a problem! This ebook is
about solving that problem. I’m going to be talking about overcoming problems in the job
market and getting you a job in design.
This book follows the same steps as you would take when applying for a job. We’re going to
start at the beginning where you find out what type of job you want. After that, we go from
creating your resume and portfolio all the way to the actual job interview. We will take a look
at the following points.
I will provide you with context, examples, and actionable tips and tricks you can apply right
away every step of the way. You can use this book as a guide along the way to a job in UX.
For example, you could have some prior experience in another field, which might mean that you
already have a resume, working experience, and proficiency with design tools. So that’s good,
obviously.
We’re going to look at each category and talk about the requirements and what you can do to
check each category.
Design skills
First up is design skills. There are several essential skills in UX design. We’re going to divide
them into hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are skills that you can improve through repetition and experience. They mainly
focus on the use of specific tools or abilities. In UX design, examples of hard skills are your
ability to use tools like Sketch or Figma, your knowledge of design thinking, and the ability to
facilitate workshops.
Soft skills are less tangible than hard skills. You can learn Sketch by practicing a lot, but it is far
more challenging to learn stakeholder management, for example. In addition to stakeholder
management, other soft skills you need in UX include communicating, providing advice,
collaborating with clients, and more. Soft skills are also known as ‘people skills.
It might sound a bit cliché, but you can improve your skills by practicing. There are many
tutorials available online to improve your skills in Sketch, for example. Once you know the
basics of a particular tool, you will get to a point where things start to click. From that point
forward, you’ll gain a sense of familiarity with the tool.
Over at The Designer’s Toolbox, I have created a Slack community, a Daily UI generator, and a
monthly challenge where you can practice your design skills and get feedback at the same time.
Go check that out. It’s free!
Developing your soft skills is difficult. That’s because you do so by experience. Soft skills get
trained on the job. Luckily, junior UX designers do not need to have a lot of experience in this
regard. However, if you want to develop your soft skills, try and find freelance work.
Go and ask around your network. There’s always someone willing to give you a shot. In
addition, you’ll learn how to interact with clients, which is one of the most critical soft skills.
Tools
Every UX designer needs tools. Your complete set of design tools is what we call a ‘stack.’ This
originates from the world of development but works for design as well. Take a look at some of
the different design tools you will find in job openings.
As a UX designer, your primary design tool will either be Figma or Sketch. Unfortunately, which
one it should be has been an ongoing discussion for far too long now.
In fact, even in 2021, the discussion is more relevant than ever, with both Figma and Sketch
introducing feature after feature to get ahead of its competitor. Yet, designers are left with the
same question. Should you go for Figma or Sketch?
I believe that the answer should be both. Some companies require you to use Sketch and other
companies want you to use Figma. If you learn both, you’ll be able to apply for both sets of
companies, thus increasing your chances of landing a UX job by 100%.
As for learning these tools, I’d like to point to the design skills category I’ve mentioned earlier.
Key takeaway - Make sure you’re proficient with Sketch or Figma. If you have the time,
learn both tools. This way, you’ll double the number of job openings that are relevant to
you.
Sketch Figma
Pricing $99 if billed annually $144 if billed annually
Performance Native macOS support Web-based
Availability Mac only Every device with a browser
Features Strong plugin community Real-time collaboration
Let’s say you can choose yourself. Take a look at the comparison table above. As you can see,
Sketch is cheaper in most cases, has been around longer, and has better performance because
of its native MacOS support. However, Figma’s collaboration feature is a killer. In addition, you
can do most of your design work in Figma without any other tools (unlike Sketch), which is
another big plus for Figma.
If Sketch can implement a similar solution, I believe Sketch to be the clear winner. Until then,
I’m starting to move more and more towards Figma.
As a designer, it is crucial to have a complete profile, and your portfolio is a big part of that. I
consider it to be one of the ‘big three’ when looking for a job, along with your resume and cover
letter. But more on that later.
To help you out, this book has a chapter that is dedicated to providing you with everything you
need to know when creating your UX portfolio. The chapter includes examples, a step-by-step
approach to building your portfolio, portfolio structure, and frequently asked questions, like
how you can create a portfolio if you don’t have any experience.
You can find everything you need to know about building your UX portfolio in chapter 5 of the
UX Jobs Handbook.
Then there’s also your resume. There’s a lot to be said about what should be on your resume. I
firmly believe that you should keep it as simple as possible.
Recruiters only take a brief look at your resume, so you need to make sure they see what
you’re all about right away. Making your resume too complex is one of 3 common mistakes you
should really try to avoid when you create your UX resume.
This book has a chapter on creating your resume. That’s where you’ll find the 3 common
resume mistakes I just mentioned as well as resume structures and examples you can use as
inspiration for your resume.
Experience
Sadly, there’s this trend of companies that require junior designers to have 2-3 years of
experience. That’s not how it should work!
Getting that experience as a UX designer is as easy as it is difficult. That’s because any work
you do can count as experience, but it is hard to get a client without some prior experience. To
make it even more complicated, not every company accepts your client work as experience.
You need work to get experience, but to gain working experience, you need work. It is a
problematic loop to get out of. Don’t worry. You can get out of it. Here’s how.
Do an internship
There are loads of companies that are looking for extra help. Of course, it will not pay much or
even pay at all, but it will get you loads of valuable real-life experience (and soft skill training).
You can find internships on popular job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, or certain Facebook
groups.
Therefore I know a thing or two about how recruiters and potential employers skim through
resumes just as quickly as we all scroll through social media news feeds.
That’s a very short amount of time. If you want to stand out (and survive the initial round of
skimming resumes), you need to make a great first impression. Make every second count!
The interaction cost is the sum of efforts — mental and physical — that the users must deploy in
interacting with an object to reach their goals.
In other words, the harder it is to read and understand your resume, the longer it is going to
take a recruiter to read your resume. Is it too much of an effort? Your resume will not even be
read. Time’s up. You’re out.
In UX, our aim is to keep the interaction cost as low as possible. By doing so, we improve the
ease of use of the products we design. So, for example, you could see your resume as such a
product, with the recruiter being your user.
Here’s how you can improve your chances of landing your next job by avoiding these common
UX mistakes.
1 Using a multi-column layout for content on your resume. A well-structured resume will
make sure that skimming through your resume isn’t a bad thing at all. By using a single-
column layout, you enable the recruiter to read your resume top-to-bottom without
having to figure out where to start and where he should read next. When your resume has
multiple columns, your reader first has to determine if he should read top-to-bottom or
left-to-right. This takes time and effort.
2 Using a skill scale. The use of a skill scale is somewhat of a resume trend of late. You see
this everywhere. Yet, it makes no sense. There are several reasons not to use a skill scale.
For one, when you plot your skills on a 1–10 scale, you assume that every skill is equal in
difficulty. That’s not the case, of course. You cannot plot ‘Microsoft Word’ and ‘Building a
colony on Mars’ on the same scale. Besides, if you say you’re 10/10 in something, does
that mean you’re the best in the world, or do you think you cannot grow that skill any
further? It leaves your resume open for interpretation, which is never a good thing.
3 Using a default resume template you found online. When you apply for a job, you’re not
going to be the only one. When the window for submitting your application closes, a big
pile of resumes lands on the manager’s desk. You want to stand out. Because of that, a lot
of people look online for a great resume template. The problem is that you’re not the only
one that does it that way. Your attempt to stand out will result in your resume being the
same as many other resumes. Using a fancy template makes your resume more difficult to
read and understand, thus lowering your chances of landing your next job.
What to do instead
Since your resume will only be looked at for a short time, it is important to make every second
count. You can do this by keeping your resume very simple. Use a single-column layout for your
content. Do not use a skill scale. Use your own design.
Good resumes consist of several clear sections. These include the following.
About you. This is where you share who you are, your (current) role, and other
information like address and contact info. Also, add some highlights like the current
project you’re working on or something you’re proud of.
Working experience. For every job or project you’ve worked at, state the name, duration,
a short description, and your role within the company or project.
Education. You can list every form of formal education you’ve followed here. Keep this
part short. In general, recruiters are more interested in your working experience and
skills. If you just came out of school, give more attention to your education.
Skills. Arguably the most critical part of your resume. It is far more important to show
that you have a specific skill set that you can apply to any project than to show that you
did a particular project once.
Senior UX designer
And this is what I’ve been up to these past years.
Tools and skills UX research, UX design, visual & UI design, usability, interaction,
marketing, branding, prototyping, agile/scrum, design thinking,
design systems, WCAG, accessibility.
With that being said, back to the example! This resume is simple, clean, and very clear. It is
scan-able as well. By applying a one-column layout, your resume can be read from top to
bottom. The lack of a template might make the resume look a bit boring, but that’s not the
point of a resume. It has to be clear, which it is. Due to the clear headers, readers can skip to the
part that is relevant to them.
This way, the 7.4 seconds a recruiter reads your resume are spent in the most efficient way
possible.
Key takeaway - Creating a great, well-crafted resume can be tricky. You have control
over how your resume looks. Don’t make the common mistakes as discussed here. You’ll
stand out and will be more likely to get that job you’ve been dreaming of. Good luck!
For UX in particular, your portfolio consists of several projects (or case studies) you’ve taken
part in.
However, your portfolio is more than just about case studies. Another vital part of your
portfolio is the ‘about you’ section. Over here, you tell your readers something about yourself.
This can either be something about your working history, a backstory on how you got into
design, or something else entirely. That’s up to you. Add some highlights as well, just as with
your resume.
It is important to make this part personal since this section enables you to set yourself apart
from your competition. This might sound strange, but it really is the case. When you apply for a
job, there will be other applicants with a multitude of the number of projects you have. Your
secret weapon is who you are as a person and the unique skill set you have. That’s where you
can make a difference.
I’m going to divide the portfolio into several sections. For each, I’ll discuss what the section is
about and what it should contain. There’s something on structuring these sections as well.
Front page
Great UX portfolios have a very clear front page (or landing page, if you have an online
portfolio). This front page is the first thing your readers will see. In some cases, it is the only
thing recruiters and companies take the time to see. Therefore, this page is your most
significant chance to leave a great first impression.
Once again, in a way, this page has a role that is very similar to your resume. You can reuse a lot
of it here. Include at least the following on your landing page and front page.
Senior UX designer
And this is what I’ve been up to these past years.
1 Who you are and what your role is. Companies and recruiters are looking for a candidate
to fill a specific position. For example, if you’re a UX designer, you need to show this right
away. One way to do this is to have a nice header on top of your page where you introduce
yourself and your role.
Pro tip - You can slightly change your job title depending on the role you’ve applied
for. Are you a UX designer, but the client you’re talking to is looking for a user
experience designer? Change your title to match the required job title.
2 What your design skills are. After you’ve introduced yourself, you have to state what it is
you can do. Are you a great UX designer, an expert in facilitating design sprints, or a visual
designer with a unique style? Let your readers know!
3 How you can be reached. Imagine that someone has visited your portfolio. This person
now knows who you are and what you do. Because of that, they are interested in hiring
you. There has to be a way for them to contact you. Include your contact information like
an email address, LinkedIn page, or phone number.
Key takeaway - Keep it short and simple. The whole point of the front page is to
summarize who you are. Your readers can dive deeper into the details later.
About you
This is where you go more into detail about who you are. You can share a short bio about
yourself. It is crucial to make this part unique and personal.
For example, in my portfolio bio, I talk about how my father inspired me to become a designer
when I was only six years old. It has always been an excellent ice breaker during interviews.
Clients and employers always seem to remember that personal story better than that one
extra case study I might have added to my portfolio.
Another thing to add here is your way of working. What do you do to go from a design
challenge to a solution? Provide examples and terms you might find in job requirements. Add
relevant business terms you see in job openings. Talk about the tools you use and the
methodologies you bring into practice. For recruiters without a background in design, this is a
straightforward search-and-compare exercise. Make sure you add what they’re looking for.
Case studies
Case studies are front and center in every UX portfolio. In a case study, you show how you
worked on a project. For this project, you explain the challenges you’ve faced, how you’ve
tackled these challenges, and your way of working during the project.
It will show potential clients and employers how you do your work. Because of that, it is
important to present end results and your process and way of working as well.
In addition, it makes your work scannable and easy to digest. In that way, creating a detailed
case study is the perfect task for any UX designer. I mean, isn’t that what UX is all about?
First up is the situation. Others call this part the challenge or problem statement. In this
part of the case study, you discuss the current situation. In most cases, there is a business
goal that needs to be achieved. You’re hired or assigned to get to this goal. State your role
and responsibilities in this part of the case study.
Second, you have your tasks. What tasks did you have, or what tasks were you assigned to
complete? This is the place to name them. As a UX designer, these could be anything from
conducting user research to delivering a state-of-the-art visual design concept.
Activities show what you have done to complete the tasks mentioned above. If we stick to
the user research example, activities might include recruiting participants, conducting the
actual research, and presenting your findings to your stakeholders.
Finally, results. Link your results to the ‘situation’ part of your case study. What was the
original problem or goal, and what was the result of your work? Make this as concrete as
possible. Focus on the impact you have made as a UX designer.
If you put this all together, you will get a nice block of text consisting of about 4 paragraphs.
Keep in mind that you do not have to name every section after the ‘STAR’ method. Instead, you
can name it after something that fits your personal style or branding.
To make your UX case study stronger, I recommend adding pictures to your text that are
relevant to the specific paragraph you’re working on. These could be images of your progress,
photos or workshops, or pixel-perfect visual designs.
There’s no good or bad in this case as long as the pictures are relevant to your case study.
Pro tip - Always write from your perspective. Do a find & replace on your case study to
replace every ‘we’ with ‘I’.
Key takeaway - If you’re just starting out, aim for a portfolio consisting of around three
case studies. First, provide a very clear situation, the outcome, and what you did to get
there. Then, use the tool below to create an outline.
Situation
When I started the project, the problem the client was facing was…
Example - The problem the client was facing was an online sign-up flow that didn’t convert well
enough. Only 8% of users were able to sign-up.
Tasks
To solve this problem, I was tasked with doing…
Example - To increase the conversion rate of the sign-up flow, I have completed a design thinking
project for this client.
Activities
I’ve done … to perform the tasks required for this challenge.
Example - I’ve done user interviews to determine what the problem with the sign-up flow was. Because of
this, I’ve been able to develop a problem analysis. During workshops I’ve facilitated, we’ve been able to
come up with a solution. Finally, I’ve created a UI design to visualize this solution.
Results
As a result, I’ve managed to solve … problem. The (client name) has since then been able to do …
instead of (starting situation.)
Example - Since I’ve finished working for this client, the conversion rate has gone up from 8% to well
over 14%. Because of this, the client has seen an increased number of sign-ups resulting in better user
retention and an increase in (potential) revenue.
Some designers like to keep a printed version of their portfolio. This is a terrific old-school way
of presenting your portfolio. If you go to an interview, you can leave behind a copy of your
portfolio. You’ll make a great impression if you do that, believe me. I’ve done that a few times,
and it made the interview easier every time. You can literally browse through your portfolio.
One way of figuring out portfolio structure is by using the ‘STAR’ method. I spoke about this
method within the case study section of this book. So here’s a short reminder. STAR stands for
Situation, Tasks, Activities, and Results.
However, for the bigger picture of your portfolio, you’ll need to aim your portfolio to go in a
certain direction. For example, if your goal is to be an expert in facilitating design thinking
workshops, you have to build your case studies around this topic.
To help you out, this book includes a free checklist for you. You can use it for auditing your UX
portfolio and using it for guidance while creating your portfolio. Take a look below.
Cover page
About you
Case study #1 See the next page for a case study checklist
Case study #2 See the next page for a case study checklist
Case study #3 See the next page for a case study checklist
Summary
This is a very short and to-the-point summary that includes the challenge and your results in a
maximum of just a few sentences.
Create this section as an infographic with nice headers and a list of what you did.
Your tasks
Results
It is a common misconception that you either You can do a lot. The only thing you have to
can have no experience or cannot build a UX understand is that building your portfolio will
portfolio without having any experience. You take a bit longer. This is because you still have
can create your portfolio at any time. Here’s to do the projects that fill your portfolio.
how! However, once you’ve got things going, it is
only a matter of keeping your portfolio up to
The thing is, you always have experience in date.
something. If you are a designer or want to
become a designer, you might have your Here’s what you can do right now.
education and the work you did concerning
your education. If you’re new to the field of 1 Take a look at what you already have
design, it could be that you don’t have any
2 Do freelance design work
educational history, but that doesn’t mean
you don’t have experience. 3 Create something yourself
Your portfolio doesn’t have to consist of projects you did for paying customers. It is about what
you do as a designer. That can be anything. Everybody started somewhere. So do you.
Not to worry. What you can do instead is go and contact local shops in your city. Call them and
offer them your design services. You’re going to be surprised how often you’re going to get a
‘yes’ from your phone calls.
Another option would be to go the remote route. You can offer your design services to the
world by joining platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
When I started, I managed to get two small projects this way. These two projects became an
important part of my UX portfolio back in the day. Moreover, it helped me land my first UX job
about 6 months later.
In most cases, your clients will feel honored and are happy to support you in this. If
you’re lucky, you can get a lovely testimonial as well. You can also apply this to some of
your older projects. I’ve once asked a client for feedback well over a year after
completing a project for him.
It doesn’t matter that some of your work is something you did for yourself. It is where you start.
Once you do, you can use that work to get your first client, and you can use the work you did
for those clients to get you your first job. You just have to start.
There are a few well-known social platforms you can use, like Dribbble and Behance. You can
also build your portfolio website via a content management system (CMS) like WordPress.
Keep in mind that these do not necessarily exclude each other. You can use a combination or
even all of the platforms mentioned above. For example, I host my own portfolio website via
WordPress, but I also write on Medium, LinkedIn, and Dribbble.
It is better for you to be on more platforms. You’ll reach more people that way. Keep two things
in mind, though. First, make sure you’re only on relevant platforms. I’m talking about platforms
where you might find potential clients and companies. I can imagine that LinkedIn is more
suitable for you than TikTok. Maybe TikTok would be great for you. You have to think about
that very carefully as your time for maintaining social media accounts is limited.
Which brings me to my second point. The second thing I want to stress is to keep a lookout for
your energy level. You have to find a balance between being on as many platforms as possible
versus burning yourself out. I don’t want that to happen to you!
With that out of the way, it is time to take a closer look at some of the platforms.
The fun thing about Dribbble is that you have to get invited to join. When you create an
account, you become a prospect first. Then, you have to be drafted by another designer who’s
already on the platform. Once you’re drafted, Dribbble offers many features like design jobs,
sharing your work, showing yourself as an available-for-work designer, and more.
The rules have become less strict in 2021, with registrations being more open, but the invite
system still works.
Behance
Behance is part of Adobe’s suite of design tools and services. They are a platform that is similar
to Dribbble, where you can showcase your design work. According to Adobe, Behance is the
leading online platform to showcase and discover creative work. Behance is free to join.
Unlike Dribbble, Behance has no invite-only system for new designers. Instead, you can signup
right away.
If you compare the two platforms, you’ll see that both platforms have different goals.
Because of the invite-only (or what’s left of it) system of Dribbble, there’s a high social standard
to being a Dribbble designer. As a result, designs on Dribbble are generally more detailed-
focussed and a way to show off your design skills. You’ll find mockups and design inspiration on
Dribbble.
Compared to Dribbble, Behance is more about creating your entire portfolio. You will find
extensive case studies instead of slick animations and gradients.
Don’t get me wrong. Both platforms are great. They just have different goals. Do you want to
show your design skills? Go for Dribbble. Are you looking to create a portfolio for a job
interview? Create one on Behance!
The big plus for hosting your portfolio is that it is yours. Social platforms like Dribbble and
Behance could disappear tomorrow. Your entire online portfolio could be gone if that happens.
This will not happen when you create your own UX portfolio website.
An additional bonus is that you can do other stuff on your website like growing your audience,
mailing list, and personal branding. That’s great if you want to go the freelancing route.
WordPress themes
Next to all upsides, WordPress has a downside as well. WordPress itself is free, but many of the
great portfolios you see online are built using several paid plugins. This isn’t that big of a
problem, of course, but having a UX portfolio that was free of charge would have been ideal.
Some plugins I think are essential to having a great website. The most important of which is to
have a premium WordPress theme for your portfolio. It will make your portfolio building life so
much easier and quicker.
By investing a few dollars, you will save yourself hundreds of hours of work. Take a look at a
few of my top choices.
Elementor
To build a portfolio quickly and efficiently, you’re going to need a page builder plugin. With a
page builder, you’re able to create post templates and save global elements (like headers,
footers, and call-to-actions) that you can reuse everywhere on your website.
By doing so, you can create a default way of building your portfolio cases. The only thing you
have to do is set it up once. After that, you can create portfolio case studies in minutes.
You can use the basic version of Elementor for free or get the Elementor Pro version for $49 a
year.
You can get some great portfolio themes for a few dollars. For both my website and The
Designer’s Toolbox, I’m using Astra in combination with Elementor. Astra is an extensive theme
that allows you to customize your website any way you want it. It is a more time-consuming
way of creating your portfolio, but you can customize your website to your personal needs by
doing so.
-10
%
In other words, you are the expert regarding anything design-related. Therefore, clients pay
your company a lot of money to have a design expert find a solution to their problem.
In practice, this means that you’re going to be on the road a lot, providing insights and advice
regarding design issues. In most consulting firms, there’s also the possibility for you to be
loaned to a client. You will still get your salary, and the client pays a hefty hourly fee to your
consultancy firm.
This is a ‘safe’ way of doing freelance work. You get most of the freelancing benefits without
having to be afraid to be without a paying project since you are going to get a salary from your
boss either way. You can be a freelancing consultant as well.
Consulting is something for you if you’re okay with being on the road a lot. You’ll have to be
social and network a lot. During your time as a consultant, you’ll do many short to mid-term
projects for a wide range of clients.
Agencies
Then there are the design agencies. These form the beating heart of the design world.
Agencies are a lot like consultancy firms in the sense that they provide design solutions for
their clients. The difference is that you will be on the road less since most work at agencies is
done as a project at the agency itself.
This is suitable for you if you do not like to travel that much and just want to do great design
work within your project team. The cons of agencies are that the pay is generally just a little bit
less than at a consultancy firm. In addition, there are less often mobility perks like a company
car and cell phone. However, there’s a great sense of pride and a very high level of design
within agencies. You’ll learn a lot.
Companies like these are the companies you can brag about at parties when someone asks you
what you do for a living.
Most of the more prominent client-side companies pay the best salaries. This is a big plus, of
course. Yet, there’s a big con as well. You’re going to work on the same project each and every
day. So you’re going to need to be passionate about that company if you want to make it.
If that’s not the case, I’d instead recommend working at an agency or consultancy firm.
To make a great impression, your cover letter will need to reflect who you are as a person and
what your skills are. It will also have to tell something about your previous working experience
as a professional.
Let’s be honest here. First impressions are important. I’ve mentioned that before. So if you
manage to make a stellar first impression, you will significantly increase your chances of
landing that UX job.
You can make a great impression by being enthusiastic in your approach, being your unique
self, and creating a very clear structure within your cover letter. More on that below!
Did I mention the fact that recruiters and hiring managers only spend about 7 seconds looking
at your resume? The same goes for your UX cover letter. If it doesn’t make sense, your readers
will stop reading. That’s why a clear structure to your letter is important.
The UX cover letter follows the classic ‘beginning, middle part, ending’ pattern you’ll see within
most storytelling. I’ll explain all three of these sections below.
In your case, you are applying for one or more UX jobs. You have to make sure the hiring
manager that is going to read your letter knows this. Take a look at the example below.
Example
I want to apply for the role of (role title as found in job opening) as found on your
website and social media. After reading about your company and the current opening,
I’m more than confident that I’m an excellent fit for this job.
You don’t have to write that much more in your introduction. An introduction should be
short and to the point. Include the role you’re applying for. That’s it.
Make sure you capture the attention of your readers. Otherwise, they will not continue
reading. You can do this by creating a transition into the second section of your letter.
Try and stay away from default or forced openings, as hiring managers have seen that kind
of openings hundreds of times already.
Your story
This is the most significant part of your UX cover letter. Both in the number of words you use as
well as in terms of importance. This is where you tell who you are, what you can do, and why
you are the perfect fit for the job you are applying for.
This is the middle part of your UX cover letter. It can be multiple paragraphs in length
depending on the content you wish to share within your letter. As a general rule of thumb, go
for paragraphs of about 3-5 lines. This makes your letter scannable and enhances your chances
of keeping the hiring manager’s attention.
Always include some basic information about yourself when you start your story. This includes
your full name, your age, and where you currently live.
Within this section of your cover letter, also talk about your personal traits. Are you
enthusiastic, self-taught, or passionate? Write it down here! Talk about why you are the right
fit for the job.
Writing a UX cover letter is about showing the impact you can make if the company decides to
hire you. Your personal traits are at least as important as your degree and years of working
experience.
Example
But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Nick Groeneveld. I’m a 28-year-old
(senior) UX designer with over five years of working experience. At this moment, I’m
doing multiple design thinking projects over at (company name) in (country).
For your company, I’m able to bring something extra to the table. Colleagues and clients
describe me as someone who’s very passionate about design, able to convince
stakeholders, and someone who’s able to carry an entire design thinking project. I see a
lot of carryover between my way of working and the requirements I find in your UI and
UX designer job opening.
And that’s not all. I’m looking for a company where we can grow together—you as a
company and myself as a professional. I believe we’re both able to do this. Together.
Call to action
Finally, the call-to-action part of your UX cover letter. This is the final message you want to tell
the hiring manager. Therefore, the call to action, or CTA, is crucial.
Within this paragraph, you can refer to any attachments that you might have added to your UX
cover letter. This can include attachments like your resume or portfolio from previous
chapters.
Finish your UX cover letter by adding kind regards and your contact information. This way,
you’re sure the hiring manager knows how to contact you for the upcoming interview.
Example
I’m very curious to find out how you see this. Of course, I hope you agree with what
you’ll find in this letter. To help you get a better view of who I am, I’ve attached my
resume and portfolio to this letter. Please take a look!
Kind regards,
Nick Groeneveld
+31 6 12 34 56 78
www.nickgroeneveld.com
nick@nickgroeneveld.com
You write your cover letter once and then use 90% of the cover letter as a base version. After
that, you only have to change the job opening and your relevant skills to fit the job
requirements.
Take a look at another example below to get an even better grip on what a cover letter might
look like.
I want to apply for the role of (role title as found in job opening) as found on your website and
social media. After reading about your company and the current opening, I’m more than
confident that I’m an excellent fit for this job.
But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Nick Groeneveld. I’m a 28-year-old (senior) UX
designer with over five years of working experience. At this moment, I’m doing multiple design
thinking projects over at (company name) in (country).
For your company, I’m able to bring something extra to the table. Colleagues and clients
describe me as someone who’s very passionate about design, able to convince stakeholders, and
someone who’s able to carry an entire design thinking project. I see a lot of carryover between
my way of working and the requirements I find in your UI and UX designer job opening.
And that’s not all. I’m looking for a company where we can grow together—you as a company
and myself as a professional. I believe we’re both able to do this. Together.
I’m very curious to find out how you see this. Of course, I hope you agree with what you’ll find in
this letter. To help you get a better view of who I am, I’ve attached my resume and portfolio to
this letter. Please take a look!
Kind regards,
Nick Groeneveld
+31 6 12 34 56 78
www.nickgroeneveld.com
nick@nickgroeneveld.com
Pro tip - Score bonus points by designing your personal branding style.
This has two benefits. Firstly, it will make you stand out from other applicants. You show
commitment. Every hiring manager likes that! It will also show your skills as a designer. It is like
an additional case study that you can add without extra effort.
Don’t go overboard here, though. Choosing a font, an accent color, and grid will be
more than enough.
First and foremost, use large job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed. You’ll find tons of UX-related
job openings over there. There’s usually a way to apply at the bottom of the page for all of
these job openings. In most cases, you have to send your cover letter to a recruiter.
Another way is to search for agencies and consultancy firms in your area. But, first, check their
website and see if they have job openings. Most websites have a ‘jobs’ or ‘career’ tab
somewhere on their website.
Finally, you can use your professional network. Who do you know that needs a UX designer?
There’s always someone there. However, in most cases, this approach is better suited for
freelancers and short-time assignments.
Always have multiple lines open. Sometimes a reply can take a few weeks. Don’t wait for the
response to come in! That’s just a waste of time.
Believe me. I’ve made that mistake. Because of that, it took me a few weeks extra before I got
my first UX job. Go for 3 to 5 active job applications at the same time.
Once they’re out, keep scouting for more job openings. You’ll be ready to send out another
cover letter right away when another one gets declined.
Don’t sweat it. That happens! Sending out your cover letter is a numbers game. Keep at
it, and the interviews will come.
One of these patterns is the introduction. You’re going to have to introduce yourself. Make
sure you know how to do this. Have a short pitch ready. In a way, this could be similar to the
about you section of your resume and portfolio. You can reuse your backstory. It is what makes
you stand out.
Another way to prepare for a UX interview is to research the company and meeting
participants. Companies want to hire people with passion and interest in the company. Show
that you’ve prepared yourself for the interview. Even if you’re just there to get the job.
One way you can do this is by preparing questions. During every interview, there will be a
moment where you’re asked if you have questions. The worst thing you can do is answer that
you do not have any.
Another thing that works well is to see if you have common interests or similarities with the
other participants. If you do, try and bring that up in a casual way. It will help break the ice.
One of them is to be on time. This shows your sense of time and reliability. Prepare for your UX
interview by looking up the interview location. If your interview is remote, make sure you
know the time and that you’re able to log into the right applications.
Try and have a good posture without forcing it. Look alive! These are just basic rules for any
formal meeting. They apply here as well.
Most UX interviews follow a particular playbook. It consists of a few parts. You’ll be more at
ease when you know what these parts are. They are as follows.
Introduction. You’ll be able to introduce yourself just like we’ve discussed before. The
goals and way of working for the meeting are being discussed as well.
About the company. During this part of the UX interview, the participant from the
company will explain what the company does and who they are looking for. You’ll be able
to ask questions here. Always do if you have the chance!
Ending. You will have another chance to ask questions at the end of the interview. In most
cases, these questions will be about the company and the next steps for the interview.
As you can see, each part has its own moment for you to present or ask something. So make
sure you’re prepared to do so during your UX interview.
Sadly, there’s no default next step. I’ve seen interview results come in just minutes after the
interview. In other cases, it took over a month before the interviewee received the interview
outcome. My experience has been that your chances will be limited if it takes a long time for
your company to get back to you.
One thing I’d like to recommend is to try and be patient. You don’t want to come across as
desperate. That’s bad for your chances. Also, as I said before, always try and have multiple
interviews with different companies simultaneously. You’ll increase your chances of landing a
job. It will also take less time.
When you want to calculate the value of your entry-level UX designer salary, you have to
subtract the cost of living. The result is the amount of money you can spend on nice things,
invest, or save for later. In this case, higher is better, of course.
You can see a cost-of-living index per country over on Numbeo. Use this index when you
calculate the actual value of UX designer salary.
Your income
An example
Salary $ 3,000
Cost of living - $ 2,000
Always consider your cost of living Leftover for fun, investing, etc $ 1,000
next to your salary. The higher your
leftover, the better!
Keep in mind that the cost of living is higher in these countries as well. So your net takeaway
might be lower because of this.
There are many great resources available to check the average junior UX designer salaries in
any given country or city. These include Glassdoor and LinkedIn.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your salary negotiations.
When negotiating your salary, aim for a salary that is about 10% above what is typical for
a UX designer of your skill and experience.
Start your negotiation another 10% above that number. Negotiations usually end up
somewhere in the middle.
Come prepared. Know what you’re worth. What impact have you made previously? What
did you bring to the table? How have you helped the company? These are excellent points
to bring up during a salary negotiation to further strengthen your position.
1 Join the Slack UX community. We have a growing community of UX, UI, and visual
designers that learn and grow together. You can share your daily UI challenge, ask for
feedback, talk about the latest courses and books, or anything else.
2 Get feedback and coaching via mail. One of the things I do is make my email address
available to my subscribers. Do you have a question, a portfolio that needs to be reviewed,
or anything else design-related? You can ask me via mail 24/7.
3 Join my UX mentor program. You can join my UX mentor program for the most dedicated
help I can offer. You’ll get one-on-one (video) chats, all of my resources, and more to work
on your UX challenges and goals together.
In addition, as an owner of this ebook, you’re entitled to get a 10% discount on any of the other
services the Designer’s Toolbox provides through Gumroad. Contact me through the e-mail
address above to get things going!
Chapter 11 - FAQ 56
Can UX designers work from home?
Yes. As a UX designer, you’re perfectly capable of working from home. All you need is a laptop,
your design tools, and an internet connection.
Especially in today’s global pandemic, working from home becomes more and more popular
each day. As a result, business communication applications like Slack, Teams, and Zoom are
growing rapidly.
As a UX designer, you can make great use of this situation. If you look at some of the more
popular job boards, you see an increasing number of remote UX design job openings. This is the
moment to find yourself your next (remote) UX design job.
As UX designers, our work takes place during the early steps of the larger product
development process. At that time, the project is still in the concept phase.
Nonetheless, many companies expect you to be able to code, but not all companies are that
way. If you do not want to code or do not know how to code, you can find a company where you
do not have to. These are available also.
However, that does not mean you shouldn’t be able to code. The very least you can do is have a
basic understanding of programming. There are a few reasons why being able to code as a UI/
UX will benefit you greatly.
1 You will have to collaborate with developers. Knowing how they do their work makes your
work as a UI/UX designer a lot easier.
2 You know technical restrictions beforehand. This will speed up your work and prevent
you from starting over and doing your work twice.
3 You can prototype your work by yourself in tools like Axure, for example.
4 It is yet another way for you to stand out from your competition.
Chapter 11 - FAQ 57
How long does it take to become a UX designer?
It is difficult to put a specific time tag on this question. It depends on how far along you already
are. For example, it will take a lot longer to become a UX designer if you have to start from
scratch. On the other hand, if you already have some experience in a different (design-related)
field, or if you are fortunate, you can become a UX designer in months or even weeks.
The thing is, there is no real point from which you can call yourself a UX designer. Some say
you’re already there when you’ve bought yourself your first few UX books, while others say
you need a UX degree, course, or even a real job before you are a UX designer.
My advice would be to just get started. Once you do, you will be on your way to become a UX
designer. Isn’t that what counts? You will follow the steps described above, sometimes take a
step back, or skip a few steps. You never know what happens. You just have to take the first
step, and you will be alright.
None of this is true. However, if you work hard, follow the steps I provide and have a bit of luck,
you can become a great UX designer.
Chapter 11 - FAQ 58