How to land a UX research internship without losing your sanity
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Let’s admit it — job hunting can be a nightmare. On top of that, if you’re in school and seeking your first internship, you are better off being prepared for what’s coming at you. The good news is that there are quite a few articles out there that will provide you with valuable tips on how to land a UX internship. However, instead of compiling general tips and strategies, I wanted to write down personal experiences and journeys that (mostly) MS-HCI students at Georgia Tech went through for their summer 2019 internship hunt. A process that has been dominated by ATS and automated rejections can use a human touch. That’s where I hope this article can come in to guide and inspire you to land the best possible internship you so deserve. And yes, several of these tips and strategies can be utilized for landing a full-time job as well.
Meet my peers — Savanthi, Hayley, and Courtney.
Each one’s experience has been divided into four parts -
- Getting ready for the internship hunt
- Finding opportunities and landing interviews
- Interviewing
- Reflection
Savanthi Murthy
Background — Worked at a couple of startups as a UX researcher. A master’s at CMU in Integrated innovation. Bachelor’s in industrial engineering. Worked as a mechanical engineer for a couple of years after bachelor’s.
Getting ready for the internship hunt
When do UX research internships for summer usually open? When did you start applying?
I only applied to UX research roles. Some opened up in Fall while most of them opened in January. I started applying in January. That’s changing, though, and more positions are now opening mid-Fall.
What job materials did you prepare to seek an internship in UX research?
Resume, cover letter, and portfolio. I’ve heard opposing opinions about cover letters — some say they matter and some say they don’t. So, I only wrote one when I really wanted to work at a company.
How did you tailor your resume for this role?
I had some research experience before coming to Georgia Tech, and I included that. For the holistic UX projects I had worked on, I focused on the research parts. It was easy for me to frame the research parts because I had led the research for those projects. I also changed the order of projects for the companies I was applying to based on what might appeal to them.
Recruiters and hiring managers have less than 2 mins to read your resume — Reserve more project details for your portfolio.
How did you tailor your portfolio for this role?
I made sure to include what research methods I had used, why I had chosen those methods, how I had conducted them along with pictures as well as the insights generated from each method. I also mentioned the challenges and issues I had faced. They’re very interesting talking points. Acknowledge your mistakes even if there’s a rationale for the decisions made.
For inspiration, I looked at the portfolios of people who have graduated from the HCI program and are working where I want to.
Finding opportunities and landing interviews
Once you thought your job materials were ready, what strategies did you use to find internship opportunities?
I applied to 20 companies. I looked up opportunities on LinkedIn and Indeed. LinkedIn premium sometimes shows you which recruiter created the job post. I used to reach out to them and express interest in knowing more about the role. I also used to check if anyone I know works at the companies I’m applying to, to ask for a referral.
If you’re sending cold messages or emails, start by asking for a resume or portfolio feedback. Ask them about their experience with the company as well as their role. What does a typical day look like? What’s the favorite part of their job? What do they like most about it? It’s useful to gauge what it would be like working there. After you’ve been talking for a while, it might be okay to ask for a referral. Sometimes, if they like you and your work, they might offer a referral on their own. In general, once they add you back, start by asking if they would prefer getting on a call instead of typing out their replies. I mostly sent cold messages to those who were in a research role.
As surprising as it might sound, I heard back from purely online applications. I didn’t have referrals for Uber and Lyft but still heard back.
How did you build a network which can help you with referrals?
Most of my referrals were from my ex-peers at CMU, who entered the workforce a couple of years ago. They had worked with me and were in a position to influence the hiring manager, vouch for me, and ask to consider me for an interview.
If the people I knew weren’t hiring, I asked them if they knew anyone who did. Always start with this approach vs. approaching strangers because the former cuts awkwardness between you and your potential interviewers.
Also, apply asap when you see a relevant opening. Some applications close within a few days. Don’t wait to hear back from someone or focus on making your portfolio nicer. Just apply. Many companies just take down applications whenever they want to without posting a deadline.
What were some helpful online resources (websites, blogs) that were crucial in your search?
LinkedIn premium and Indeed.
Interviewing
What was the interview process like? How did you prepare for different types/stages of the process?
I interviewed with 5 companies, including Google, Uber, and Lyft.
Their interview processes were very different from each other. I tried to present projects that might be interesting to them. One common thread is being able to create research plans for hypothetical scenarios. In school, you do end-to-end projects, and that isn’t how things work in the real world. You never do the whole process. You might have to make assumptions, given what you know.
Google’s application process started with a questionnaire. I spent 5 days answering the questions. Some of the questions were — Which team do you want to work with, and why? Which research methods have you used? Can you share examples of each one being used? I had two phone calls. They had already seen my work before the call and had very specific questions on it. After the interviews, the recruiter called me and told me I was rejected along with the reasons why, which doesn’t often happen when you receive a reject from a company.
For Uber, I had two similar interviews. I presented one of my case studies for both the interviews. I was asked to share my rationale behind choosing specific research methods. Later, I received an offer.
Lyft’s application process was very extensive. I had to first answer a bunch of questions before they could interview me. Some of the questions I was asked included — 1. Please describe your experience conducting research with people (user experience research, social science research, etc.) 2. List all the research methods you have used and briefly describe an example of when you used each one. 3. Please describe a time you collaborated in a team environment, including cross-functional team work if applicable. 4. Why are you interested in Lyft?
After that, I had my first interview with a hiring manager. I then had an on-site interview with 5–6 rounds. The 1st round was a 40 min presentation to designers, researchers, and product managers. The 2nd round was a lunch with the team leads. The 3rd round was with a designer, the 4th one with a researcher, and the 5th one was a whiteboard challenge with a product manager. I don’t remember the interviews with the designer and researcher much. Later, they rejected me.
The interviews that went well, in general, were conversational. Such interviews are more enjoyable for both you, the interviewee as well as the interviewers.
I could only prepare for the project presentation round by revisiting my portfolio pieces. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what the other interview rounds would be like, so I guess I winged it.
What are some of the best practices for portfolio presentation?
If you’re having an interview with a researcher, it’s possible that they haven’t seen your portfolio. They might not even have your portfolio pulled up for the call. Ask them to open your portfolio so that you’re both looking at the same thing while you present.
What surprised you during the interview process?
I realized that my interviewers hadn’t seen my portfolio before the interviews.
I enjoyed the interviews that felt more conversational. They are humans, too, and are interested in talking to you so relax and just give your best without worrying about the outcome.
How did you deal with rejections?
NCR was the first company I interviewed with, and I got an offer from them. So, I was a bit relaxed for my interviews with other companies. Just keep applying, and do your best.
Did you change your strategies as a result of your learnings during the interview process?
I’ve realized over the past few years that your resume is critical. It might be even more essential for research roles. I used to think the portfolio was more critical. It is — but usually only after you have landed an interview.
Reflection
In hindsight, can you think of anything you would have done differently?
I would have applied as soon as I saw openings. I waited for my materials to be “ready.” I missed out on some opportunities because of that.
Yi (Hayley) He
Background — Double major in psychology and economics and a minor in media studies.
Getting ready for the internship hunt
When do UX research internships for summer usually open? When did you start applying?
I started applying to both research and design roles early in February. Most positions opened up in January.
What job materials did you prepare to seek an internship in UX research?
Resume, cover letter, portfolio, and research sample. The research sample is focused on research and more concise than a case study. It’s about one-page long. You usually talk about one of your projects. The first section in my research sample was an overview, which included problem space, client, and the final solution. The other three sections were product strategy, product execution, and product assessment. I had a line or two about the design parts of the process in between as needed. I also included a link to the corresponding case study on my portfolio if they wanted to read more. I would attach my research sample in the additional information section. It was required at Lyft, and from that point onward, I started using it elsewhere as well because I thought it might be a good idea. One of the reasons why I landed the interview at Autodesk was because I had uploaded a research sample. It’s quick for managers to read.
I used a cover letter only when it was required.
How did you tailor your resume for this role?
I didn’t. I had one common resume for design, as well as research. I’ve separate resumes now. Back then, I had limited UX experience, so I didn’t want to exclude any of it. My project descriptions had high-level details about the process and the impact. If I worked with clients, I mentioned that. For team projects, I wrote the content based on my contributions. For my full-time UX research resume, I’ve my experience section above projects because the former is focused on research while the latter is focused on design.
How did you tailor your portfolio for this role?
Since I was looking for both design and research roles, I had in-depth case studies that touch all aspects of the process.
Finding opportunities and landing interviews
Once you thought your job materials were ready, what strategies did you use to find internship opportunities?
I mainly applied online because I started late. I was working on my portfolio until the end of January.
How did you build a network which can help you with referrals?
I tried to send cold messages on LinkedIn to people who were working at companies I wanted to work. I was seeking portfolio feedback. I didn’t get any referrals that way, though.
What were some helpful online resources (websites, blogs) that were crucial in your search?
LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
Interviewing
What was the interview process like? How did you prepare for different types/stages of the process?
I interviewed with 5 companies here in the US and two companies in China.
Autodesk was the only research interview I landed. The rest all were design roles, including R/GA, Tencent, and Alibaba.
For Autodesk’s UX research role, I only had one round. It was directly with the hiring manager, but it lasted about 1.5 hours. I presented 2 case studies. I was also given hypothetical scenarios and asked to design research plans. The general framework for these questions was — given the context, constraints, and problem space, how would I create a research study, what methods would I choose and why? I also talked about why I wanted to work there. I spoke of a time during my undergrad when a UX workshop was hosted by Autodesk in Toronto. I spoke about my impression of the company as well as my experience talking with employees present there.
To prepare for portfolio reviews, I would go through my case studies and study more about the company so that I can ask questions to learn more about them.
What are some of the best practices for portfolio presentation?
For research interviews, speak more in-depth on the research parts and touch the design parts at a high-level. Focus more on the process. Start with your research objective and how you planned your research and why you chose specific methods. Talk at a high-level about design. Introduce your critical features at a high-level and why it would solve the problem. They’ll ask you if they’ve more in-depth questions, and you can always ask them if there’s anything they want you to elaborate on so you have focused content to talk in-depth. Towards the end of the process, talk about any user testing you did. Share both positive and negative feedback on features that were designed to solve the problem.
What surprised you during the interview process?
I was asked about my master’s project once. Even though I was going to start working on it in the following semester, it was still several months away, and I had hardly developed my proposal.
How did you deal with rejections?
When I was interviewing with other companies, I already had an offer from Autodesk. So thankfully, it was me who rejected other companies, haha.
Some companies ghosted me during the process, so I quickly recovered and started applying more.
Did you change your strategies as a result of your learnings during the interview process?
I improved at presenting my portfolio and learned what interviewers were looking for and highlighted those aspects of my case studies accordingly. I tried to cut down the content on my portfolio.
Reflection
In hindsight, can you think of anything you would have done differently?
Apply early. Keep your portfolio ready by the time job opportunities start opening up. Create a slide deck for presentation if your case studies are long. Also, practice an elevator pitch and think about what you want from the position you’re interviewing for.
Courtney Allen
Background — Industrial design
Getting ready for the internship hunt
When do UX research internships for summer usually open? When did you start applying?
Some of them open in September, but I started applying in November.
What job materials did you prepare to seek an internship in UX research?
I created a document to keep track of where I applied and my application status.
My primary job materials were resume and portfolio. I created cover letters only for companies that required one or where I really wanted to work.
How did you tailor your resume for this role?
I hadn’t tailored my resume — it was a blend of both design and research. I had mentioned school projects and internships. I thought I would be a stronger candidate, but I was also lazy. I would recommend having a separate tailored resume for both design and research in case you’re applying to both roles. At that time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
How did you tailor your portfolio for this role?
Not everyone will agree with this, but I had end-to-end case studies. Showing the complete story helped me prove I’m a team player and can work well with designers. Although research and testing aspects of projects were more in-depth as compared to other UX designers. I highlighted and explained my contributions to research when I interviewed for research roles. I would say it’s okay to have both design and research work as long as you’re clear about what kind of position you’re looking for. Today, I’m sure about getting into research. My background is a part of my story. I can explain why I moved to research and also show that I can collaborate with designers. Research grounds your work and empowers you with the knowledge to design and solve the right problems.
Finding opportunities and landing interviews
Once you thought your job materials were ready, what strategies did you use to find internship opportunities?
I used LinkedIn, Indeed and SimplyHired to find relevant opportunities. I even had my boyfriend lookup such opportunities for me. It’s grinding, and having someone else do it with you gets you not only fresh eyes but also some emotional support.
Whenever I found something relevant and exciting, I would save a copy of the posting and peruse what they were looking for.
How did you build a network which can help you with referrals?
I mostly applied online and hoped for the best. I applied to about 90 roles — most of them were design roles, and about 30 of them were research. I heard back from and interviewed with 5 of them, 2 of them were research.
What were some helpful online resources (websites, blogs) that were crucial in your search?
LinkedIn, Indeed, SimplyHired, and the HCI program’s slack channel for internships.
Interviewing
What was the interview process like? How did you prepare for different types/stages of the process?
Wealthfront asked me to create a research plan as a challenge. I was tasked with designing a two-month-long study. I studied their website to determine a target audience for my research protocol and also to help scope the proposed study. I referred to the protocol that I had created for a quiz in the research methods HCI class. I also referred to a couple of articles.
Grubhub’s first interview involved talking to two researchers that I would be working with. I was asked behavioral and skills-based questions during that interview. I used the STAR method to answer behavioral questions. I prepared for the skills-based questions by going through my projects and revisiting my research methodologies and why I utilized them.
The second interview was with the hiring manager, who was the UX research director. Along with behavioral questions and skills-based questions, I was asked to walk her through one of my portfolio projects at a high-level, touching the main research details.
Articles referred:
https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-a-research-plan-that-facilitates-team-alignment-2f75396884ca
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/01/ux-research-plan-stakeholders-love/
What are some of the best practices for portfolio presentation?
It would be best if you were prepared to communicate your case studies in 5 mins, 10 mins, and 30 mins. Even if you’re interviewing for a research role, you should still have visuals like journey maps and user personas. Visuals help the interviewer get a glimpse of your work and quickly understand what you did while you explain your process. If you’re more on the quant side, show graphs and charts to describe your data.
Also, be sure to explain why you chose the research method that you did. If you’re using research to choose between design alternatives, be explicit about what specific learnings or metrics helped you choose one design alternative or parts of it over the others.
What surprised you during the interview process?
How humanizing myself helped me land the internship at Grubhub. I’m not a product even though I’m trying to sell myself. When I interviewed with Grubhub and was asked why I wanted to do research for them, I replied that I’m HUNGRY for research. Not only did the pun make the interviewers crack up with laughter, but it also helped me show my personality as well as my attention to small things and understanding what the company does.
How did you deal with rejections?
Rejections are a part of the process. When I got rejected at Wealthfront, the hiring manager called me and provided advice on how to be a better candidate by being more focused on the kind of role I was seeking. He told me that whenever I present my work, I should acknowledge its limitations and reflect on the process. I also needed to make my 9 more accessible to non-research folks because, in the industry, you’re going to collaborate with them, so you need to be able to do that. The advice was invaluable — it was what helped me crack the Grubhub interview.
Did you change your strategies as a result of your learnings during the interview process?
Going through my projects in-depth and revisiting my work to prepare for the interviews.
Reflection
In hindsight, can you think of anything you would have done differently?
I would have had separate resumes. Be clear about the position that you’re applying for. If you are unsure about design or research, network with folks in the industry and understand how they work in these roles before the interview process. Remember that everything happens for the best. My learnings led me to where I needed to be.
Yay, you made it till the end!
Pat yourself on the back. You’re already ahead of the curve.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it to be useful! Please feel free to drop a comment below if you have any questions.
Special thanks to my wonderful peers Savanthi, Hayley, and Courtney for sharing their experiences. I also thank Tushar for talking to first-year MS-HCI students looking for an internship this year to ensure I was asking the right questions.
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