In my personal experience, most employers want an experienced designer who is ready to start working on their projects. Many designers are not skilled enough to jump right into a project. Simply, designing a template in Figma is not sufficient to land a job.
Many designers think that having numerous templates on platforms like Dribbble and Behance makes them ready for a full-time job, but that's not entirely true. Designing templates and working on full professional UI/UX projects are different. Professional projects involve user research, ideation, sketching, prototyping, testing, and implementation. An ideal designer should have knowledge about these steps and practical experience.
In the UI part, one must have knowledge about accessibility, consistency, clarity, simplicity, and usability. However, knowledge alone is not enough; experience plays a huge role here. Employers want designers who have both knowledge and practical experience in the product design process.
How can I gather practical experience?
Internships play a significant role here. If you have 2-3 internship experiences, small design agencies will hire you because you have knowledge and experience in product design. Additionally, you can share links to the products you have worked on during your internships.
I suggest not jumping into freelance marketplaces immediately after learning UI/UX basics because it can hinder your career. Instead, start by designing 3-5 detailed case study projects. Use what you've learned and give your best effort to build your portfolio. It may take one or two months, but it will be worth it for your career.
How can I design a portfolio because I don't have experience?
Follow other case studies and study them carefully to see the process they follow. Additionally, there are courses available that teach the right process of building case studies. I recommend following @Michal Malewicz's course because he is experienced, and his courses are of high quality. He offers a full course on "How to Create a Case Study." If you have financial constraints, you can search for free resources on Google.
Where can I find an internship?
I suggest using Internshala because many small and medium agencies and companies hire interns there every day. To get a call, you must have a portfolio with 3-4 case studies available, then reputable organizations will call you for an interview.
Most importantly, you will receive a stipend monthly, which can range from $50 to $150 based on your skills and portfolio. Prepare your portfolio and resume and start browsing internships on Internshala. Within a month, you will likely get hired.
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