The Life of a Junior UX Designer

Gino Gagaza
Jul 21, 2017 · 5 min read

Hi everybody! My name is Gino, and like many people out here in the Bay Area, am trying to make it as a Jr. User Experience (UX) Designer. How did I get into UX design? That’s a completely separate story on it’s own, and one i’d rather explain over a nice piping hot cup of tea or coffee. I may or may not get into that later than sooner, or maybe even sooner than later.

What is a UX Designer you may ask? In all honesty, that’s pretty much up to you to decide. The role is so subjective that there is no single definition tied to user experience design. To break UX down for all you readers, what I do for a living is making the usability of apps/websites as pleasant of an experience as possible for the everyday user, but of course leaving some room for the product to grow. It’s a lot more than just pushing pixels to make an interface pretty, or creating a function based off my personal biased opinions on what is easy for me to use. Like my UX journey, I would be more than happy to discuss over tea. Shoot me a message if you’d like to hear my story.

It’s EXTREMELY tough breaking out as a junior designer, especially here in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley area. I cannot stress the blood, sweat, and tears that have been shed and the sleepless nights put into my work and the many rounds of iterations to get to where I am today. The competition is comparable to those trying to make it out as an actor in Hollywood and Broadway. From personal experience, it’s like a mix between La La Land and Game of Thrones. Like any career, UX is not for everybody. This career path has its fair share of heartaches and sacrifices, to a degree that may be higher than you’re typically used to. To be completely transparent with all of you reading, I feel like i’m not where I should be in my UX career. Sounds a bit tragic, right? But you know what? I take no shame in that. The purpose of being a designer is immersing yourself in continuous growth. If you’re happy with where you are in your career as a designer, then you’re not really living. If you feel stuck in anyway, know you’re not alone and that you are where you should be.

Everybody has their own starting point. Heck, even Super Mario has a starting point in every game he’s featured in. There’s always a point A. Although I haven’t really gone into detail about how my UX story began, I do want to share some struggles jr. designers face when job hunting or obtaining that experience that will get you from point A to point A.5. If you think getting that dream job at Facebook or Disney is as easy as getting a parking ticket in downtown San Francisco… (LOL) yeah… Although I thankfully have some freelance work under my belt now, I still find myself phone screen after phone screen from interview to interview trying to find that full time gig that will make me as UX Designer. “You have an amazing background and your portfolio is amazing, however we’re looking for someone with more senior experience.” Sound familiar? I’ve been there PLENTY of times. That’s not even a slice of the struggle.

As I began my journey, I felt it was important for me to take the time to find myself as a designer before even going out there on the job hunt and also learn from those who are successful, not just in the UX realm, but other areas of the tech world as well. No matter where you are in your job hunt, networking is a very essential aspect. In all honesty, it’s fun going out there and listening to stories of the tech world, and between you and I, it’s hilarious whenever alcohol is involved during happy hour events. I highly recommend networking to everyone trying to make it in their desired field. However, heed my warning, as there are also people out there aware of how desperate a jr. designer can be to get any type of experience. You have be very careful who you talk to and who you meet. Many will try to milk any free work out of your desperation and all those sleepless nights you put into working on wireframes and creating presentations can sometimes result in zero compensation. NEVER immediately jump the gun with who ever says they could offer your some experience and be cautious of every word they say, for they can twist words and manipulate them into using your work for their benefit. Tape record them if you need to. If it’s not on paper, don’t believe a single word you hear. Like i’ve stressed multiple times throughout this post, it’s a very cut throat world out there. Even though times could get desperate, never sell yourself short and always remember that it’s okay to be a little picky with where you want to offer your services and be a little tenacious with your work.

If you can’t handle rejection, honestly, UX might not be for you, as harsh as that may sound. Even when you become a designer, sometimes what you work on for hours and days can get scrapped in an instant, then it’s back to the design studio working on, what can sometimes feel like, endless rounds of iterations. A wise woman named Queen Elsa from Arendelle once taught me to Let It Go, multiple times, no matter where I went. I know how long it can take to even get a response from a recruiter. I know how grueling it can be to constantly put yourself out there at networking events, or how much pride you have to swallow when introducing yourself to people you don’t even know on Angellist or Linkedin just to get the sound of crickets as a response. You’re not alone. If you’re reading this and experiencing the struggle of trying to become a UX Designer, just know that you already are and NEVER give up on the hunt. You will land that first job. Don’t let any recruiter make you feel inferior when telling you you’re not good enough for a company because you don’t work at a senior level. Just be patient and your time will come, as simple and more-bitter-than-sweet as that sounds. In the mean time, there’s still plenty you can do to refine your skills as a designer! As I love to say, only you can define what it means to be a UX Designer.

End of Cheese.

You’ll all hear more from me as my journey progresses. Whether or not I score that dream job, one thing I can guarantee you is that my adventure will be endless. Although this endeavor is a stretch, I can honestly say that delving into this career path was the best decision i’ve made within my adulthood and can’t imagine doing anything else. Through this choice, I felt I found my calling in life and couldn’t be more happier.

Oh yeah, welcome to my blog life :D!

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade