#6 From Classroom to Career: How to Land Your First UX Job

Students often ask me how to land their first UX job. My answer? Start as early as possible—ideally, the very moment you begin considering a career in this field.

If you’re just beginning your journey in Interaction Design, Service Design, UX Design, or a related field—congratulations! You’re about to start a journey filled with creativity, challenges, and exciting projects.

While the current job market may seem challenging, there’s good news: by taking the right steps now, you’ll position yourself for success when it’s time to graduate. Here’s a roadmap to help you maximize your chances of landing that coveted UX or Service Design job right after graduation.

Yes, it's difficult to know what you want to do for a living, especially when you're starting out, but as soon as you realize that UX might be of interest, this is what you want to do.

1. Do Your Homework, and Then Some

You probably know this, but since I still see so many people making this exact mistake, I'm telling you anyway: In this context, design is not about making things look good; it’s about solving problems with intent and creating solutions to achieve meaningful results for the intended audience.

Over the past 20+ years, I've reviewed thousands of portfolios and interviewed countless applicants, both at inUse and, more recently, at Ambition. Don’t get me wrong, aesthetic qualities are appreciated, but what really sets a candidate apart in an interview (at least with me) is their ability to articulate why they designed a solution in a particular way and how they arrived at those decisions. Simply making something look good won’t cut it.

So, don’t wing it. Take your studies seriously. Follow your curriculum, complete your projects, and finish your exams. But don’t stop there. Dive into essential reads like The Design of Everyday Things (Norman), The Experience Economy (Pine & Gilmore), Designing for the Digital Age (Goodwin), and Lean UX (Gothelf & Seiden). If you’re up for a challenge, go deeper—explore Lucy Suchman’s Plans and Situated Actions and delve into the works of influential thinkers like, e.g., Donald Schön, Terry Winograd, Edwin Hutchins, Susanne Bødker, Brenda Laurel, and Yvonne Rogers.

Yes, it’s a lot to take in. You’ll likely nod off a few times, but with every book or paper you complete, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of both theory and practice. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. I promise.

2. Design for Profit, People, and Planet

Great design doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To be successful, you need to know how your work supports the business. If your design doesn’t help the company meet its goals, it doesn’t matter how user-friendly it is. Think of examples like Airbnb or Spotify—they deliver great user experiences, but they also drive serious revenue. So, learn to think like a business owner. Understand metrics like conversion rates and customer lifetime value, and make sure your designs don’t “only” provide value for the customer or user, but also make business sense.

Even more important, the solutions we design must be socially and environmentally sustainable. The solutions you design need, e.g., to be inclusive and accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities, cultural background, or socioeconomic status. They should also promote digital equity, and respect user privacy and data rights. From an environmental perspective, the solutions should also, e.g., minimize energy consumption, reduce digital waste, and when applicable encourage eco-friendly user behaviors.

I’ll be honest. When you apply for your first job, even if it’s three years from now, "Profit" will likely trump both "People" and "Planet." Capitalism is short-sighted. But, thankfully, regulations are starting to catch up, not least thanks to the work of the European Union (DSA, DMA, GDPR, the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act, etc.).

Make sure to read Design for the Real World (Papanek), Ruined by Design (Monteiro), and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism (Zuboff). Follow Per Axbom, James Christie, and Gerry McGovern. Learn all you can about systemic design and circular business models. The generations before you, me included, fucked up. So, I’m sad to say, you really need to get this right, regardless of whether it will help you get that first job or not.

3. Build Your Portfolio from Day One

Theory is great, but it only gets you so far. To stand out, you need hands-on experience. You’ll get assignments and projects from your teachers. These are important. Do your very best, and use them to start building your portfolio. But the sooner you start applying what you’re learning to real-world problems, the better.

I started two companies while still in Uni: A freelance design company designing software and first-generation websites, and together with some classmates, a company where we taught companies and individuals how to use the internet (yes, I’m that old). Taking on freelancing work early forced me to create a portfolio from the start. This, of course, was incredibly useful to get more work, but it also helped me get my first job once I had concluded my studies.

So, document your assignments, start freelancing, or do personal projects to hone your skills. Whether you’re redesigning a favorite app or creating something entirely new, these projects are great opportunities to practice. Plus, they give you something unique to talk about when you’re in interviews.

4. Network Actively

Here’s a little secret: who you know is almost as important as what you know. Start building your network from the get-go. Attend industry events, join design meetups, volunteer at conferences, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn.

My first interaction with UX royalty was getting coffee for Jakob Nielsen while working as a student volunteer at CHI-97 in Atlanta, GA. I never got to know Jakob, but a then-still fairly unknown fellow named Jared Spool also happened to be there. Although we didn’t talk much at the conference, that initial contact led to important collaborations later on.

So, reach out to people who seem interesting or whose work you admire—most are happy to chat, and you’ll be surprised how many doors a simple conversation can open.

If you start now and meet at least ten people per semester, you’ll have a solid network of active designers when you graduate.

5. Establish Routines to Stay Updated

Last but perhaps most important, the design world moves fast, and if you want to stay relevant, you need to keep up. Develop the habit of continuous learning right from the start.

Set aside time each week to read up on the latest trends, take online courses, or watch webinars. Read design blogs, subscribe to newsletters, and follow thought leaders like e.g. Erika Hall, Peter Merholz, Pontus Wärnestål, Andy Polaine, Steve Portigal, and Susan Weinschenk on LinkedIn. And don’t just passively consume content—reflect on it. Think about how new techniques or trends apply to your work, and experiment with them in your projects. This kind of active learning helps you internalize new concepts and keeps you sharp. You’ll need to keep this up throughout your career, so you might just as well start now.

This may seem like a lot. But if you start preparing now, you’ll have a much greater chance of success. The key is to be proactive—don’t wait until your final semester. Make sure you do your homework, understand the business side and what’s at stake for the future, build your portfolio and network, and establish routines for continuous learning. Do that, and you’ll have a great chance to get that first UX or Service Design job right after graduation.

Good luck!