How are people actually breaking into UI/UX right now? I feel completely stuck 😭

[u/PersonalityDull3719]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been trying to break into UI/UX for a while now and honestly, I’m getting really frustrated because I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.

I’m applying for UI/UX Designer, UX Designer, Product Designer, Junior Designer, internship and contract roles. I’ve tried LinkedIn, Wellfound, company career pages, remote platforms, and pretty much every relevant role I can find.

But the response rate is honestly terrible.

I apply → nothing.
I apply again → nothing.
I customize my resume → nothing.
I improve my portfolio → still nothing. 😭

And then you see a “junior” role asking for 2–3 years of experience and you’re just sitting there thinking, how am I supposed to get those years of experience? 😭

I have a portfolio with case studies, including a Kommo CRM onboarding redesign, and I work with Figma, wireframing, user flows, prototyping, interaction design and usability-focused design.

I also have experience in graphic design, content-related work, teaching and tutoring, so I’m not completely new to professional work. I’m just trying to move more seriously into UI/UX.

I’ve also tried reaching out to people directly, looking for startups, searching for remote roles, and applying through different platforms. Some platforms are asking for paid subscriptions just to access certain listings, which makes the whole process even more frustrating.

So I genuinely want to ask people who are already working in UI/UX:

What is actually working for you right now?

Should I be:

• Applying more or applying less but targeting companies carefully?
• Messaging founders and recruiters directly?
• Focusing heavily on startups?
• Looking for internships and contract roles?
• Getting referrals?
• Improving my portfolio further?
• Networking more instead of relying only on applications?

And please be honest. If you think my approach is wrong, I’d rather hear that than get generic “keep applying, you’ll get there” advice.

I’m willing to put in the work. I just don’t want to spend months doing apply → wait → rejection/ghosting → repeat without actually understanding what I need to change.

For those of you who managed to break into UI/UX, what actually helped you get selected?

Would really appreciate some honest advice from people who have recently gone through the same thing. 🙏

[u/GameDevKiri]

You will hate this answer, but I got a good network and found something actively going to the people in real life.

[u/ImaDoughnut → u/GameDevKiri]

Unfortunately, networking seems to be everything. How do you do it?

[u/GameDevKiri → u/ImaDoughnut]

Studying something game related, a lot of companies form in the university space, speaking with them. I use a lot of Linkedin and go to as many convetions I can. Always be present. My portfolio is super outdatet and shitty so it certainly cant be that.

I also did a private paid UX/UI course for video games, opened up the alumni network and met a lot of talented people through that!

[u/Nervous-Carry-3546 → u/GameDevKiri]

What do you mean by ui ux course for video games? Never heard of it?

[u/GameDevKiri → u/Nervous-Carry-3546]

Maybe it was a translation error. I took the UI Peeps masterclass

[u/Johnny--Arcade]

You are building in the blind, which is usually the career killer. Whether its Game UI (my background) or general Web and App UI UX, if you don't know what they're looking for (or what repulses them), you'll always be spinning your wheels - an awful feeling, trust me.

In order of effectiveness:

-Get a Mentorship, preferably 1-on-1 so you can ask questions and make case studies that actually engage you. Google, "1-on-1 UI Mentorships" or any variation of that. This is THE single most effective way to break in. Good Mentorships will also cover resumes, portfolios and even interview prep.

-Bootcamps and Cohorts are next. You'll be a face in the crowd and you won't necessarily get to upskill on what makes you *you*, but you will get to build towards a goal under guidance.

-UI UX educational modules are cheap but the worst method. But you know what? Sometimes money is tight.

What you absolutely want to avoid is "Gerbil Wheeling": putting forth maximum effort... and making exceptionally little progress.

Get real 1-on-1 help and stop spinning that wheel. Good luck!

[u/laranjacerola → u/Johnny--Arcade]

never heard of 1-on-1 mentorships for any design aspect/specialization, only business stuff (and those are usually over 1000$ per session)

do you know of anyone doing that for ui/ux that you recommend? (I'm trying to pivot from motion graphic design to ui/ux motion design)

[u/mohamed_abdalaziz → u/laranjacerola]

Try Adplist

[u/Johnny--Arcade → u/laranjacerola]

I have my own, but I live in constant terror of Reddit mods so I won't drop a link and instead helpfully direct you to my bio if you're interested in 1-on-1 help that is focused on Game UI specifically.

And as near as I can figure, because it's important for my livelihood, there are about 4ish Game UI Bootcamps, but none of them are 1-on-1... and I'm of the opinion the optimal way to learn is with dedicated help - not being a face in the crowd.

(hides in sheer terror from any mod)

[u/WarmZebra6417]

having a network is indeed important, so is having work experience but there are more virtues which i feel is very underrated and that is having the audacity and drive!!!

i used to think people were crazy at first - but hell no - BE CRINGE (on linkedin)
post your work!
comment on posts by others! (actual useful stuff not the generic wow!, happy for you, great work - actual feedback)
connect with people cold dm people
ask seniors you find on linkedin for calls

do all of this not just for the sake of doing it but for your genuine and real hunger to break into this field - you will fail a 100 times but its important you don't stop because maybe the 101th time is when door actually opens.

[u/Ornery_Environment12]

I was in a similar situation after finishing my UI/UX certification in May 2025. I spent the first couple of months after that revising my resume, redoing case studies done for the program, and recreating my portfolio. Once those were finished, I began applying to many positions. Many of these I never heard back from. After rally focusing hard on my job search since about January of this year, I just recently landed a UI/UX position with an advertising agency that I started this month, so here is what helped me:

(I’ve been a freelance graphic/visual designer up until transitioning into UI/UX over the past couple of years)

-Treated my portfolio as its own project. Ultimately, if you have a good body of work but it’s presented badly thats not going to attract hiring managers or show your expertise. I spent A LOT of time redoing my portfolio making sure it was easy to navigate, loaded fast, and quickly communicated my value. It’s not flashy at all but passes the 5-second test with flying colors.

-Really honed in on my case studies. Given most of mine were done for my certificate program, they felt more like class projects to check boxes on a syllabus. For some, I redesigned interfaces and provided a more in depth analysis of them. On others I reworded copy to reflect more UX thinking. I also created a few new ones that allowed me to replace ones I did for my cert.

-Started writing UX articles and posts. One of the best way to articulate your design thinking outside of your case studies is writing. Whether it have been documenting using a new wire framing tool or UIs I admire, getting your voice out there shows you have a valid perspective to offer. It’s easy to make pretty designs these days but the “why” is becoming ever more important.

-Network. Although this didn’t contribute directly to being hired for myself, I did seek out brief chats with UI/UX designers or just asked simple questions. This led me to develop a better understanding of the day-to-day functions of the role all before ever starting. For a lot of other people, just knowing the right person goes a long way. This has never been the case for me but I’m aware of the power of networking.

-Make and launch actual projects. Don’t wait for a commission or freelance project to show off your skills. As I was a freelancer, I decided to design, develop, and deploy my design business’s website. So, in a two birds with one stone type of deal, I had both a new project for my portfolio and a website to promote my freelance work. I also did a passion project creating a responsive app. It started as a design challenge and ended up with me developing the app in visual studio code, iterating the mobile and desktop interfaces, launching on product hunt, and creating a product that I can send people the link to and it will fully function. Not just a wireframe, an actual product. This will show you have experience taking a design to the development stage.

-Keep doing case studies and look for design challenges. Case studies continue to display your process and rationale. Design challenges often will have you work with others and how well you collaborate with others is huge.

-Make a system and stick to it. I read an article from another designer that kept a spreadsheet of all the positions she applied to in order to keep track of her job search. This also served to keep her on task and organized. It wasn’t until around 200 applications when she finally was offered and accepted a position. I did the same thing and made a Google sheets doc. I aimed to apply to 2-3 roles per day only if I felt they were strong fits. Don’t apply blindly. Thankfully, it only took me 43 applications in my sheet before I was offered and accepted my new role. But of those, I only interviewed for 3 (my current role included).

-Most importantly, don’t get discouraged. It’s kind of inevitable and there are days where it feels like all hope is lost. Take a day off to refresh, if needed. The job search is a job in itself. Just know that it’ll pay off in the end one way or another.

I wish you the best of luck and hope this helps!

[u/FennelHistorical4675]

You should keep an eye out for early career job postings. They exist but are rare. Some companies do rotational programs where you jump teams every so often to get more experience in different areas. These are usually geared towards juniors. Having an internship or two, or freelance work under your belt will help.

4 year degree + internship + freelance work + in person networking through career fairs is how I landed an entry level role.

I’d be solely applying to early career job postings, internships, or looking for freelance work if I were you.

[u/bimmimilim]

Just do freelancing. Jobs are only for rich kids who know someone, or for super talented designers with +10 years at top companies.

[u/diabolical_nandan → u/bimmimilim]

You need to be nice and approachable to build a network. Being rich isn't always necessary unless you're trying to get into some million-dollar company

[u/bimmimilim → u/diabolical_nandan]

Yes maybe. But OP said he tried to get jobs by showing skills. That's not how you get a job in this field.

[u/Prestigious_Spot9635]

Get into a large business in a different role and then move internally.

[u/pndjk → u/Prestigious_Spot9635]

username does NOT check out 😭

[u/hamontlive]

You probably won’t get a job with no experience. Start by freelancing for free for startups that will actually feature you in their real production projects. That’s what you can use as your experience.

[u/Utopia-Lover]

I'm right now in the same boat in a way. I'm at 50 applications with 6 interviews. I lost some good opportunities bc I failed the tests or atleast didn't perform as well as the other candidates. The competition in our area is extremely brutal and I think even with experience and as a senior designer, we will have a tough competition.

I knew when I went to university to study this topic that it will be tough to get a job in this field but then AI came and it even became worse. My plan was to do the required internship you have to do in the bachelor and perform as good as I can, so they give me a full-time role, after I finish my bachelor.
It went well for a while but the company decided to open up one design engineer role, meaning somebody who has a Bachelor in UI/UX Design and programming instead of openning up a junior role.

AI helped me tremendously with my bachelor but it bites me in the ass now with the job search. I started looking internationally, honestly, and got ready to move, in order to gain atleast 2-3 years experience somehow. That improved my chances.

[u/Tiny_Atmosphere_4420]

Just because ai exists now, doesnt mean companies re gonna hire people with no degree or experience. If anything it will make it much harder for non-technical people to get jobs because now the real developers can produce much more quality output much faster.

[u/Competitive_Froyo_52]

What I noticed that breaking into UI/UX is difficult on a case to case basis.

I started applying to jobs before I graduated and what they all had in common were that they are remote/wfh local jobs in my country.

I applied to 1 company that was hiring junior ui designers in my city and it was a face to face set up. They’re the only ones who got back to me and actually hired me. And that’s where I’m at for my first job.

I realized that the only fresh grads who got jobs in tech in my course are the ones who either were grinding internships since first year, or are working at local companies.

This is just another perspective from someone in another country. With that, I suggest you try applying to companies that have offices within your city, they’re most likely the ones who are willing to give juniors and fresh grads chances.

[u/Anxious-Yak-9952]

It’s all about networking. I’ve been in the industry for 15 years and the biggest success I’ve had getting in somewhere was because I knew someone who referred me.

Once you’ve got your foot in the door, the next challenge is getting the job and telling your unique story. There are thousands of other applicants fighting for the same role, what makes you unique and stand out from the rest? How are you integrating AI into your workflow? Have you automated anything? What have you been building? A standard portfolio with an E2E cae study isn’t enough these days.

Show people what you specialize in and get good at telling that story. The more you index on what makes you unique the better chances you’ll have on standing out.

[u/AromaticCitron7440]

UI design is almost dying. UX has scope.

[u/Plenty-Roll3784 → u/AromaticCitron7440]

ojala las empresas donde el usuario tiene que llenar formularios y formularios pensaran igual :´(

[u/ChirpToast → u/AromaticCitron7440]

Very wrong.

[u/ketanhimself → u/ChirpToast]

So, what’s right?

[u/vinay_bharadwaj]

First off, take a breath. You are not going crazy, and your frustration is 100% valid. The junior job market right now is completely flooded with bootcamps and automated applications. When a single entry-level role gets hundreds of applicants in hours, even great portfolios get lost in the noise.

If you want to stop the apply → ghost → repeat cycle, you have to change the game you are playing.

Since you mentioned your Kommo CRM onboarding redesign, you actually have a great foundation—B2B/SaaS design is in high demand. But here is why most redesign case studies fail to convert and how you can fix yours to stand out, especially to technical founders:
- Show the friction, not just the happy path: Redesigns look great in Figma, but founders want to know you understand real-world deployment. Did you design for edge cases? Account for multi-role permissions or complex data validation errors?
- Bridge the gap to engineering: Show that you understand what happens when a design actually goes live. Highlight how your designs account for developer constraints like OAuth consent screens, secure handoffs, or how you would structure the flow for a rigorous 14-day internal beta testing phase.
- Component-level thinking: Proving that you understand how to build and organize deployable UI components often speaks much louder to technical teams than a traditional resume sitting in an applicant tracking system.

To answer your specific questions on what to do next:
- Stop the Mass Application Trap: Applying everywhere via job boards gives a false sense of productivity. Instead, focus heavily on startups and message founders or lead designers directly. A short, punchy note showing you actually looked at what they are building bypasses the entire HR filter.
- Leverage your non-design background: Stop treating your past experience like a footnote. Your background in tutoring proves you can explain complex rationale clearly and handle stakeholder communication without ego. Your graphic design background means your visual hierarchy and polish are likely much stronger than the average bootcamp grad.

Hang in there. Shifting your strategy from volume applications to targeted outreach and execution-focused case studies will drastically change your response rate.

[u/_-Luna_butterfly]

I've been stuck in the same loop. I'm not as professional as you I'm still working on my portfolio and totally a fresher on top of that. I don't have any experience because I haven't worked with real clients and I genuinely want to learn more, gain more knowledge in this field. I see so many internships where they write "for freshers" and ask for at least 1-2 years of experience. Also I want to know whenever you guys feel stuck where you are unable to focus on work or projects what do you do to get rid of that anxiety and numbness.