How To Break Into UX Without Industry Experience
- Tianyu Koenig
- May 28, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 19
Are you a college student or recent grad trying to get a job in UX, or are you pivoting to UX from a different function? There is a good chance you are facing the same dilemma - How do I showcase my qualifications without industry experience?
Well, let’s first consider why employers want to see related industry experience. There are three main things: your technical skills, your process of working with others, and the impact of your work result.
One perfect way to demonstrate all three above is by participating in hackathons.
Hackathons are conferences or competitions usually organized by non-profits with a specific topic, often sponsored by companies. You will have to assemble a team to build a solution and deliver a final presentation in 2-3 days.
Yes, it’s very intense (don’t expect much sleep these days!), but it can also be extremely fun and rewarding! You are going through the actual product development process in a much-condensed way.
At the end of the day, you will have a story to tell, a solution to demo, and maybe an award to take home, too!
The only drawback for hackathon projects is that it might be tricky show the impact of your work. Still, because real-world businesses sponsor it, you can at least legitimize the problem for solving and focus on the potential impact.
It’s also not uncommon for teams to continue working on their project after the hackathon and be able to bring it to life and measure the actual impact.
Many school clubs, national or international conferences (e.g., DefCon), big tech (e.g. Google, Meta) and design agencies (e.g., ThinkLab, Angelhack) regularly host hackathons or similar events. Even though some might come off as more technical, don’t forget that talented engineers need designs to help realize their ideas! “How do you work with engineers?” is an interview question every hiring manager would ask. You will will much prepared for it after your Hackathon experience.
Have you done hackathons before? What was your experience? Or are you looking to join one and need help figuring out where to start? Come chat with me!
I will share other tips to help you brainstorm how to break into UX without industry experience in my upcoming posts. Stay tuned!
Thoughts about hackathons?
Hi there! My name is Tianyu; I’m a certified career coach and a UX Lead at a top recruiting company in the US. I have ten years of experience in American tech companies, including Meta and Google. I’m passionate about helping others gain clarity and confidence in their career.
Comments