How you can be a UX/UI Designer and land your 1st job in the field

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Shaina Danzinger, a professional that came from a non technical background to successfully enter the technical field of UX/UI design. Shaina discusses what made her decide to start learning UX/UI design, what bootcamp she chose and provided an overview of the program from the content to the pace of learning. She then dived into her job search process and provided valuable tips for anyone trying to land their first job as a UX/UI Designer after graduation, from how to effectively apply to jobs online to what to expect in the interview process. The discussion ends with Shaina discussing the feeling of finally landing her first job as a UX/UI Designer and gives advice for people wanting to enter this field of work. QUOTES “[When it comes to choosing the right program] I would also say speak to the alumni that are there because the alumni are going to be giving you the real feedback that you want to hear.” - Shaina Danzinger [10:29] “A lot of what I needed and wanted to work on [as part of my job search] was broadening my network, so for me, I got involved in just a bunch of different things. I reached out to people, I joined lunch club, which was a super cool thing and setting up coffee chats all over, so for me a big part of it was just networking.” - Shaina Danzinger [36:56] “When you’re applying to a specific job, [ask yourself] who’s posting the job, the second you have the name, send them a message saying hi I’ve just applied to your job, I love to chat with you. Find people at the company, other designers [to network and connect with].” - Shaina Danzinger [40:04] TIMESTAMPS [0:52] Meet Shaina [6:15] Brief overview of what UX/UI design is [9:12] Shaina’s process on how she picked her UX/UI bootcamp [11:17] How to contact alumni from various bootcamps to gather feedback and what questions to ask them [13:15] How Shaina was able to go from a non technical background to a technical field of UX/UI design effectively [16:13] Payment plans that bootcamps offer [17:20] Legitimacy and credibility of bootcamps and online learning and its perception with potential employers [22:19] Overview of Shaina’s experience at her chosen bootcamp in terms of content and pace of learning [31:51] Job search support that her bootcamp provided after graduation [34:21] Shaina’s job search strategy and how she landed her first UX/UI design opportunity [38:37] Where Shaina got a majority of her interviews  [39:33] Shaina’s tips on how to apply effectively to jobs online [41:39] How to bolster your resume as a fresh grad when you finished the program with no work experience [44:24] Interview process for entry level UX/UI Designers [52:20] Red flags during the interview process you should watch out for so you don’t get taken advantage of [55:00] How Shaina felt when she landed her first full time position as a UX/UI Designer [56:48] How long it took Shaina from graduation to landing her first full time role and tips to keep pushing through the ups and downs of the job search process [1:03:17] Shaina’s biggest learning lesson during her journey to becoming a UX/UI Designer [1:08:31] Contacting Shaina [1:09:33] Outro RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS Shaina Danzinger on LinkedIn Shaina Danzinger Portfolio Website Max Chan on LinkedIn Chan With A Plan