Start - the first step of a design career

Starting out in a career in design is like starting an apprenticeship – you may have the instincts, interest and beginner skills to design, but you need to practice under an employer and teachers. Your job is to learn and apply the skills in a repeatable fashion.

Tips when looking for your first role as a designer

The problem with starting out in the world of design is the need for experience, in particular working with development teams. When I talk to employers, the reasons they want 2 years of experience are knowing how to work in a cross-disciplinary team and jumping into a project with little or no review.

To build up that experience there are three career paths for designers:

• Freelance work with multiple employers to build up a portfolio that shows the work you can  do outside of education

• Entry-level in a large design team. Unfortunately, these are rare, so continue to build a portfolio as you look for these opportunities

• UX team of One in a start-up or in a small company. There are more of these roles. To be successful you need support outside of the organisation – find mentoring and training to give your guidance

Your plan should focus on:

Positioning

• Position yourself in the market, so you are different to the rest of the people looking for entry-level positions. Base this on previous work experience or a natural aptitude.

• Build a portfolio that is not just education-based

• Work on your storytelling, rather than focus on the process steps

Networking

• Connect with senior people in the industry by asking specific work questions.

• Start job applications with phone calls to the recruiters, follow up after applications and interviews to understand the position better and get feedback.

Planning

• Create a plan identifying companies and people who can help you find a role

To learn more about planning your career you can either buy the book Career Architecture or book 30 mins with me to talk further.