Junior UX Designer Jobs are captivating when it comes to lucrative positions for artistic and creative people. Perhaps you are curious about the types of jobs available in this sector and how to get started as a Junior UX designer.
Do you think it’s hard to be a Junior UX Designer?
Often, all start with entry-level jobs somewhere then take a higher position with UX designer jobs. You may be curious about the recruitment process, how to prepare a portfolio, cover letter, and resumé for specific positions. The post today will guide you on UX designer requirements. You may be ready to kick off your career.
To grasp a comprehensive view on how a UX designer thinks, make decisions and communicate, you may want to check out these timeless offers from Amazon:
Let’s dive into the Junior UX Designer jobs’ comprehensive review for now!
UX Portfolio Review: Junior UX Designer
Table of Contents
What Do Junior UX Designers Do?
Traditionally, Jr. UX designers work alongside other UX designers. Yet, the junior role will take on more responsibilities while dealing with more complicated issues. They will conduct user interface research, usability testing, and analyze research findings.
Additionally, they support wireframes, prototyping, sketching, and user flow drawing.
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Job Outlook
In general, the US job market has consistently recognized the constant growth and progression of the UX Designer profession since 2016. The design industry in general and the UX design segment, in particular, are growing with rising income.
For the first time in 2015, average UX designer wages surpassed those of developers. What sparked such a surge of interest in the field?
OnwardSearch recently conducted a nationwide search for UX designer job openings across all available channels. According to OnwardSearch’s most recent finding, there are over 150,000 jobs for UX Designers at all levels across the United States, giving us a glimpse of the industry’s booming trend. Besides that, the digital age 4.0 would vigorously encourage e-commerce, so websites and online flourish like a mushroom. Hence, try to pursue this line of work!
Junior UX Designers’ Compensation
According to Glassdoor.com, the midpoint annual salary for a UX designer in the United States is $US 65 thousand (range $US 45 to $US 99 thousand).
Besides, according to another ZipRecruiter.com’s survey, the national midpoint salary for a Junior UX Designer is $US 83,948, ranging from $US 61,000 (25th percentile) to $US 99,000 (75th percentile) across the country. These numbers are somewhat compatible with Glassdoor.com’s data.
Furthermore, Hired.com reported Junior level designers’ salaries in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles:
Essential Toolset For A UX Designer’s Life
There appear 2 pieces of any successful job: the soft and the hard part. I firmly believe that a great hardware setup can leverage your time and effort significantly. You do not design for sometimes. Every second you can save for a task will compound to a gigantic time save at the end of the year. Is time money?
Without further hesitation, let’s dive in:
Processor
We all know the higher capacity, the better performance. However, the higher performance, the more expensive too. I highly recommend at least a quad-core i5, and this is the sweet spot. The quad-core i5 is enough to handle technical requirements from the job, while the cost is more affordable. You may go up to the i9 processor if you want to invest more on time though you may witness the diminishing return.
RAM
Gone are the days when we upgrade RAM and see the computer performance rise by 2 or 3 times. These days, operating systems are so optimized that we can get simple tasks, like word processing, web surfing, youtube accessing, email composition, easily with standard RAM of 8Gb.
Nevertheless, graphics are more technically demanding. Frankly, we do not use only 1 application at a time. More common is the scenario when we open Adobe, Sketch apps to do technical design jobs, open Spotify, or another musical application while keeping Slack communicating with colleges. Thus, I recommend 16 Gb as a minimum for this specific job. This threshold will ensure multiple applications simultaneously run in tandem.
Storage
You will work a lot with high-resolution images, gifs, and videos. 128 Gb or less is simply not good enough while perfectly suitable for other typical use cases.
256 Gb is more workable, and you will not run out of storage anytime less than 1 year – enough time to evaluate the situation, find another solution, or go cloud or optimize your laptop.
52 Gb and 1T are on the safe side, and you are sure about your tool choice, so you do not intend to upgrade anytime soon.
Finally, old-school hard drives (HDD ones) are not an option. Let’s go for an SSD. It saves a ton of time, headache, and eye frown when it substantially improves your whole workflow.
Monitor
You never want to see pixels on your screen. With 24-inches or lower, 2k resolution is satisfactory. However, you need 4k resolution for 24-inches monitors. Note that you need to check if your computer can sustain a 4k display properly if you are using old computers.
Ensure a unit with at least 98% sRGB coverage for the best color rendering.
Check out this option with both QHD and UHD (4k resolution) variations: (Dell is the most popular brand in my question to my designer circles):
Graphics
Now you need a dedicated graphics card instead of a built-in one. There are cases that Macbook Pro laptops with integrated graphics blow up with heavy graphical tasks. A large-budget GPU can help, but we are not sure if it works compatibly with your system, and that is a headache.
My personal recommendations
Now is the fun part. You may scratch your head all over the maze of too many offers, models.
I’ll recommend the best choice in my opinion with a rationale.
Depending on your work condition, you may opt for a desktop system for cost-effectiveness or you need a dynamic laptop that you can work from anywhere. I’ll share 2 options for laptops since I did not set up any desktop system before: 1 cost-effective solution and another high-end preference. Obviously, the sky is the limit when it comes to computers. I will try to land a fine balance between workability and cost-efficiency.
Let’s start with a laptop. On the saving side, I would recommend this Dell model:
Slick design, back-lit keyboard, and the technical side of 16 Gb Ram, Quad-core i5, 512 Gb SSD and FHD screen make it an ideal option for anyone who wants an “It-just-works” solution while not spending too much money.
On the high-end side, I would recommend this Macbook Pro:
Simply put, Mac = Reliable, no hassle, it can function well for years. For designers, the resolution is probably the most important factor when choosing a monitor. And nothing can beat Macbook on this monitor color rendering. The storage of 512Gb ensures a long time of usage.
Finally, you can enjoy the 200$US discount and Free Return policy of the deal.
Hope my 2-cent recommendations save you some time.
Preparations to Become A Junior UX Designer
3 things you’ll need to apply for UX designer jobs:
- Portfolio
- Resume
- Cover letter
In this section, we’ll go through a few relevant notes to juniors:
Jr. UX Designer Case Studies & Portfolio
Most UX design leaders sometimes ignore your resume and move on to reviewing your portfolio.
Why?
They could find your ability to proceed with research findings and conduct design processes that are most suitable for their hiring position by scanning your portfolio. These abilities are hugely helpful when working with people at higher levels in a professional environment.
So, treat your portfolio like a ticket to the interview, as it will make it easier for you to advance to the next round. On the contrary, you would not be able to move up to the next steps of the hiring process without a strong portfolio.
How To Approach The Portfolio’s Design
With tens of thousands of applications, most leaders couldn’t spend hours in a single candidate’s portfolio. They only have a glance at yours. So, you had better create an easy-to-navigate portfolio. Display your most important research and case studies on your homepage, and a brief explanation is always handy.
Remember, as a designer, make anything you do personal and flawless if at all possible. The UX design leaders will thoroughly review everything you present.
In case you have an online portfolio, you can refer to this checklist if it:
- has an appealing presentation
- looks well-organized
- is straightforward to navigate
- has an About page and a contact page
- shows off 2-3 of your best and most relevant projects only
Utilize Tried-and-true Portfolio Templates To Save Time
Try some templates on the Internet if you don’t want to design and make up a portfolio from scratch. Look through UX’s customizable portfolio templates to pick the most popular layouts.
How To Present UX Case Studies
According to some UX experts, recruiters consistently award applicants high marks when they have 2-3 top-notch case studies on their portfolio. Let each reveal your skills as much as possible.
The main goal of a case study is to describe the design process by connecting all of your steps, skills, and experiences. Try the online case study builder if you’re not confident, as it enables you to choose from a variety of unique UX parts and set up your personalized template with your case study.
Notice The Keywords
Many large companies now use the state-of-the-art Applicant Tracking Systems to scan candidates’ summaries. Your resume would be checked for keywords by bots. To pass this stage rapidly, highlight some emphasized keywords such as:
- Verbs: Collaborate, conduct, define, prioritize, etc.
- Jargons: User flow, iteration, usability, quantitative research, etc.
Then match and use them to reflect your experience appropriately. For illustration, if you have a verb ‘’conduct’’, try to combine it with “quantitative research’’ and a purpose into a complete text like: “Conduct quantitative research to validate and test…“
Though it is minor, quantitative data visualization skills can establish a competitive advantage to convey your UX solution. Check this magical book (4.5+ star in Amazon):
Jr. UX Designer Cover Letter
The cover letter of a Junior UX designer is crucial as an excellent opportunity to show your willingness and enthusiasm to improve. It would help if you mention explicitly in the letter your practice, volunteer, self-employed work, and relevant qualifications related to the position you apply for.
The more specific statistics of your achievements added the more persuasive impression you could create for the recruiter. Eventually, check your grammar and vocabulary for human errors.
Advice For Whom Who Aspires to Be A Junior UX Designer
Before applying for Junior UX designer vacancies, as always, read the job description thoroughly. Making a job market analysis can help you understand the current needs and requirements for this job.
UX Tool Skills
In this digital age, design software literacy is critical for successful UX designers. Including few tool skills, especially the most common and vogue tools, in your resume is a great idea to lay your positive first impression on the recruiter.
Get Some Experience!
The terms “at least 1-2 years of experience” appear in almost every JD (job description) for Jr. UX designer positions. The visible experience and expertise will almost always ensure your good head start.
You can take a short internship or start working on a freelance as a entry-level graphic designer or pro-bono project to gain valuable UX design experience.
Upgrade Yourself And Think Ahead
If you want to work narrowly in fintech as a designer, you should start specializing early. The fintech field is more specialized and demanding. Its technical threshold requires a longer learning curve.
The good news is that you can start learning everything easily with supportive online platforms. For instance, LinkedIn is a good start. You can follow a few internship opportunities or connect with some of the industry’s most influential designers to learn from.
Employers will value your potential contributions to your business or organization more if you have a higher skill set. Don’t hesitate to flaunt your technical skills and abilities.
Understand The Limitation And Possibilities Of Frontend
It is better if you know the code’s limit. Fronted coding and designs are closely related in many companies. Exploring and taking a dive into HTML and CSS to understanding their limits and fundamentals will raise your ”market value”.
The Hiring Process
When you start applying, it means you’re already getting on the racetrack. Yet you attend many rounds of interviews. Some businesses’ hiring processes may not be the same at all, but the following general steps are all taken:
Phone Interview
Usually but not always, the recruitment department will contact you to hold a small telephone interview once your record is up-to-par. They only have a couple of general questions in this step. Ideally, get ready for a surprise call with a few simple questions.
Getting An In-person Interview
Small hi-fi if you get to this step!
The company examines your skills and qualifications more carefully and decides whether they should hire you at this step.
Just prepare well and be your best version. Practice answer some of the most frequent UX designer interviews as followed:
- What is your UX design definition?
- How does UX differentiate from other design fields like UI design?
- Describe the UX design value!
- Which style are you going to pursue in the next UX design trend?
- What does “design thinking” mean?
- Talk about your best project/Tell us about the project you are most proud of!
- What are a UX Designer’s three major skills?
- What defines a good UX designer?
- Tell us a UX project that went offtrack. How did you get it done?
- Why did you decide to be a Jr. UX Designer?
- What did you do before becoming a UX designer?
- Have you studied UX, or have you converted from a different subject?
- In five years, where do you see yourself?
- What are some significant problems that a UX designer might face?
- Describe your design process!
- List the design methods you are using and describe them!
- Use a case study from your portfolio to present your methods!
- How do you decide on functionality?
- Can you share some research and usability testing experience?
- Show us an example of a design issue involved in a business problem that you overcome.
- Are you universal design experts?
- How can you assess a product for disabled users?
See more question samples here!
Next, Portfolio Presentation!
You are asked to tell a practical story from your portfolio on your favorite project. We advise you not only to read what is already written in a case study. Tell users, stakeholders about your experience and give a few thoughts.
Show Off Your Expertise By Solving A Specific Design Problem
Next, this step is probably after you do an interview face-to-face. A UX design leader will give out a design issue, probably happens in the real world, and you have to describe how to solve it. You may have to ask for some details from leaders to give out a reasonable solution.
Q&A (Questions And Answer)
Indeed, this is your opportunity to comment on the Portfolio. You certainly have much more to talk about with your employer or team lead during the interview. It shows you are very keen on the job and what the HR Specialist told you during the interview.
How To Answer 11 Key UX Design Interview Questions
Tips And Tricks To Search For Junior UX Jobs
One day, you might search for “Google UX design intern” on the Internet, but you wonder: “Which website is the best to find out a new job?’’ Every day, hundreds of UX designer job openings are posted on LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and a few other similar job boards. Nonetheless, employer demands don’t always match your skills and interests.
You might scratch your head the whole day with too many options without any way to pinpoint decisively. You cannot apply for all hundreds of jobs obviously. So, what are feasible strategies to source more efficiently? Here are a few proposals:
Directly Strategic Outreach
In this approach, you dictate companies you may work for and stay away from “the crowd”. Few things you can do:
- Make a list of companies that you’d like to work for.
- Do not get lazy with the list: collect as many businesses as you can.
- Search for new launches of products, the latest business, etc., and add to the list.
- A ‘Job’ or ‘Careers’ page is available from most companies on your list. Save them to a nice list and make a weekly update habit for them. Thus, you are aware of the latest vacancies from these dream companies.
- Contact these businesses’ HR managers. Tell them why you want to work with them.
- Refrain from generic and mass messages. You’re looking desperate.
- Don’t be too pushy! You should not pray for an opportunity or a job. Share, instead, why you find the company inspiring and tell them that you would like to join the team when there is a chance.
- In case you do not currently have any relevant openings, try asking for advice on what skills you should improve in the meantime.
Attend Meetups And Build A Network
Attending local tech and UX meetups is another excellent way to find suitable offers and land interviews with the right experts. Many people have become more active in this approach, as the connections you set up may bring you new openings.
UX Job Boards And Newsletters
Job boards and newsletters like Smashing Mag, Designer News, and UX Writing Hub dedicated to the UI/UX field may also be beneficial. You’ll only see the opportunities that are worth your time since their updates are carefully curated for the field.
Could I Trust Hiring Ads In Facebook Groups And Slack Channels?
Some people can find some professional UX designer workgroups on Facebook or in the Slack channels. However, no one can guarantee that all openings on these platforms are legitimate, and no one can defend your rights on your behalf.
Jobandedu has heard horror stories about people being conned and tricked out of time, mainly on occasions when they go to fishy sources. We don’t think searching for work on Slack or Facebook networks is not really a good idea.
Our Final Thoughts – Junior UX Designer Jobs
By and large, the demand for design professionals, whether UX or Visual Designer, is showing no signs of cooling soon. This work is ideal for those who enjoy variety, creativity, and dynamism and are serious about helping people complete certain tasks more effectively and efficiently.
Hunt for “Junior UX Designer Jobs” now. You’ll have countless chances to be innovative, meet and befriend creative people, and learn more new skills and methods along the way. Good luck and have fun!
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