The UX Design Job Interview Process
Interviewing for a job in UX design is a bit different from other fields. If you are chosen for an interview, you will be expected to complete a design exercise in the form of either a take-home assignment or a whiteboard challenge in front of interviewers. But the process starts much like many other job hunting journies.
Submit an Application
The first step is to submit an application to a job advertisement. Some of the most popular job search sites for design jobs are LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor. After filling out an application for the job, you can link your portfolio URL and click submit.
Another way to find UX design jobs is through referrals. When you are looking for work, let friends know and vice versa. Networking is one of the best ways to find design jobs.
Phone Screening
The next step in the process of getting a job in UX design is a screening phone call. If your application makes it through the initial phase, you will get a call from a recruiter or an employee from the company’s human resources department. They will ask a few questions and do a quick portfolio review.
First Interview
The next step in the interview process will most likely be a longer phone call or video call with the hiring manager or director of design. At this stage, you will be expected to go through the case studies in your portfolio in more detail and answer questions, not only about your design experience and background, but about your interests, plans for growth, and your design process. It’s a good idea to ask for feedback at the end of the interview to show the interviewer that you are always looking for ways to improve your skills.
At this point, the interview will focus mostly on your design portfolio. A UX design portfolio is a digital collection of your work that you post on a website for employers to view. A portfolio should include a brief bio or personal introduction, examples of your design work, and contact information. Some people include a resume or CV on a separate page.
Depending upon how long you have been working as a Designer, choose three to five examples of your best work. Do not attempt to include everything you have ever done in your portfolio. No one has time to look at it all. Tailor your examples to the job you are applying for to give the company an idea of what you can do. Also, if there are tasks you don’t like, don’t include those examples in your portfolio. For example, if you don’t like conducting user interviews, don’t mention them.
Second Interview
If you make it through the phone interview, you could be invited to an on-site meeting. This can be a one or two-day session at which you will present your portfolio in-person, complete a design exercise, and talk to more people one-on-one. The design exercise could be a take-home problem that you will be expected to complete in a certain number of hours or a whiteboard challenge that will be done on-site.
Portfolio Presentation
The portfolio presentation could be done either in-person or remotely in front of one interviewer or a team. This is your opportunity to showcase your past work and design experience. Be sure you are prepared to talk about the case studies in-depth and about your role in the product design.
Whiteboard Challenge
A whiteboard challenge is a design-on-the-spot exercise that many companies ask job applicants to perform. It can be done in-person or remotely and is administered by one interviewer or a team of human resources people and designers.
When you start your whiteboard challenge, you will be given a prompt and asked to solve a problem. Often you are given a product and will have to come up with a design or fix something that is a problem in an existing product. You will have 30 to 60 minutes to finish the challenge. The purpose of the exercise is to see your design process and how you think, so be very clear as you create your design.
In many cases, the interviewer will answer questions about the product, and you can get an idea of the needs of the business and any user research that might have been done. You can also ask about any constraints on the design such as budget and timing, and what is the metric for success. You will probably have to make some assumptions, but be sure to state those assumptions clearly. This is part of the challenge.
1-on-1 Interviews
The next section of the interview is made up of 1-on-1 meetings with key team members. They will ask all kinds of questions about you, and it is important to prepare for this. Be ready to talk about your interests, future plans for growth in your design career, and ways that you plan to continue to learn. Do some research on the company and have some questions for the interviewer. It demonstrates your interest and motivation.
How to Prepare for a UX Design Interview
While you won’t know exactly what questions you will be asked, take the time to prepare. You can practice presenting your portfolio and find prompts for whiteboard challenges. Find a coach or mentor to help you practice. A coach or mentor can give feedback, share wisdom and experiences, and give you tips for handling nerves and sticking to the schedule.
Follow up
With luck, you will hear back from the company with a job offer. Even if you don’t hear back within a few days, reaching out with a follow-up call or email is a good idea. Follow-ups are important because it is your chance to say thank you and also to ask for feedback from the interviewer. Ask what you can do to improve your interviewing skills. This kind of feedback is very valuable during your job search.
Where to Learn UX Design
If you would like to learn more about UX design to switch to a new career, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn design software and other applications. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months and another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
Conclusion
It’s easy to learn UX design and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop’s UX design classes. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UX design coursesand attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other UX design bootcamps in your area.