How I Got Two UX Design Job Offers Without a Design Degree

In this article, I’ll share how I received two UX Design job offers without holding any design degree and with very minimal design experience.

Hi, I’m Vishal Thakur, and I’m an Engineer turned Designer. When I was doing my BTech, I always liked to design and develop basic websites as side projects.

I used to consider web development a creative field, but when I started working on development projects, I saw that there were very few creative decisions that developers could make. The work was kind of monotonous for me.

I kept exploring other career options, and one day I saw a video by Ran Segall that got me interested in a very creative field as a web designer.

During the lockdown, I learned Webflow and Figma and designed many websites. Even though I explored numerous design resources, I had almost no idea about the world of User Experience.

I felt I had decent experience in web design as a skill set, so I tried applying for jobs online. There were very few jobs in the market at that time for web designers, and the ones available had much lower pay compared to my current salary.

However, while exploring job opportunities, I noticed many postings with a similar job description to that of a Web Designer but with the title “UX Designer” that were in high demand and offered good salaries.

I started exploring the UX Design field, and around the same time, Google launched its UX Design Course. I enrolled in it, and it turned out to be the best course for beginners. I completed all the assignments, built my portfolio, and was among the top 50 people from India who finished the course. Because of that, I got the opportunity to have a portfolio review call with a Google Designer.

At the same time, I also got an opportunity internally at Capgemini(my previous company) to work as a UX Designer for IKEA.

The feedback from the Google Designer and the chance to work for IKEA boosted my confidence in UX skills. With this newfound confidence, I started applying for positions externally, and this time, I began receiving calls from many companies.

I attended interviews at Reliance Jio, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Human Factors International, and Sharechat.

I received final jobs offers from Reliance Jio and Human Factors International. And ultimately, I joined Human Factors International, one of the biggest brands in the Design Industry.

Getting job offers without a design degree and with very little industry experience was challenging. I want to emphasize that feedback was crucial throughout my journey. It not only helped me improve my skills but also played a significant role in securing two UX Designer job offers without a design degree.

This experience is proof that staying dedicated to learning and constantly striving for improvement can lead to success in any career field.

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If you have any questions about transitioning to UX Design, feel free to schedule a free call with me on ADPList. I would be happy to help. :)

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