How to Apply and Secure a UX Job

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"/><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"/><title>How to Apply and Secure a UX Job</title><script id="Cookiebot" src="https://consent.cookiebot.com/uc.js" data-cbid="721be388-83be-48ef-9882-002f0dc9dc4f"></script><script>(function(){ var FLAGS = { 'use_server_algolia_search_flag': false,'use_teamdesk_api_for_user_profile_override': false,'enable_user_auth_redesign': true,'use_cart_redesign': false,'use_local_user_profile_cert_and_exam_meta_data_apis': true,'banner_sales': false,'use_profile_redesign_flag': false,'not': false,'use_local_user_profile_exam_api': false,'enable_reportcart_dataclass': true }, SWITCHES = { 'stripe_invoice_auto_send': false,'exclude_bank_transfer_payment': false,'create_course_reminders': true,'allow_course_new_fields_editing': false,'send_exam_availability_reminder_email': false,'send_repeated_course_emails': false,'use_virtual_overview_redesign': true,'permanently-migrate-slack': false,'use_teamdesk_message_etl': true,'slack-integration': true,'use_course_search_redesign': false,'use_course_calendar_redesign': false }, SAMPLES = { }; window.waffle = { "flag_is_active": function waffle_flag(flag_name) { return !!FLAGS[flag_name]; }, "switch_is_active": function waffle_switch(switch_name) { return !!SWITCHES[switch_name]; }, "sample_is_active": function waffle_sample(sample_name) { return !!SAMPLES[sample_name]; }, "FLAGS": FLAGS, "SWITCHES": SWITCHES, "SAMPLES": SAMPLES }; })(); </script><script data-cookieconsent="ignore"> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments) } gtag("consent", "default", { ad_personalization: "denied", ad_storage: "denied", ad_user_data: "denied", analytics_storage: "denied", functionality_storage: "denied", personalization_storage: "denied", security_storage: "granted", wait_for_update: 500 }); gtag("set", "ads_data_redaction", true); gtag("set", "url_passthrough", false); </script><script type="text/plain" data-cookieconsent="statistics">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl+ '&gtm_auth=oQvLGCv6ryZLP7PJLlpI-g&gtm_preview=env-2&gtm_cookies_win=x';f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-THJDDHK');</script><link rel="preconnect" href="https://media.nngroup.com/"/><link rel="preconnect" href="https://consent.cookiebot.com/"/><link rel="preconnect" href="https://consentcdn.cookiebot.com/"/><link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.googletagmanager.com/"/><link rel="preconnect" href="https://dnn506yrbagrg.cloudfront.net/"/><script src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/js/output.2e14f0aaa8d0.js" async></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://media.nngroup.com/static/css/output.55aab3a9e87a.css" type="text/css"><meta name="description" content="Apply and secure UX jobs with tips for customizing resumes using generative AI, researching employers, acing interviews, and negotiating offers."/><meta property="og:description" content="Apply and secure UX jobs with tips for customizing resumes using generative AI, researching employers, acing interviews, and negotiating offers."/><meta name="robots" content="noarchive"/><meta name="twitter:dnt" content="on"/><meta property="og:title" content="How to Apply and Secure a UX Job"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/apply-secure-ux-job/"/><meta property="og:site_name" content="Nielsen Norman Group"/><meta property="og:type" content="article"><meta property="og:image" content="https://media.nngroup.com/media/articles/opengraph_images/Social-Card-Apply-Secure-UX-Job-opengraph.jpg"><meta name="twitter:site" content="@nngroup"/><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/apply-secure-ux-job/"><link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" title="NN/g Search" href="/opensearch.xml"/><link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/favicon.ico"/><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://media.nngroup.com/static/css/output.5bd2cc6340cb.css" type="text/css"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "How to Apply and Secure a UX Job", "image": [ "https://media.nngroup.com/media/articles/opengraph_images/Social-Card-Apply-Secure-UX-Job-opengraph.jpg" ], "datePublished": "2025-01-31T18:00:00+0000", "dateModified": "2025-01-30T17:01:40+0000", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Evan Sunwall" ,"url": "https://www.nngroup.com/articles/author/evan-sunwall/" } ] } </script> </head> <body class=" article-detail " > <div class="skip"><a href="#main">Skip to content</a></div> <div class="svg-definitions"> <svg width="0" id="icon-error-svg" viewbox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <g id="icon-error"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M16 8C16 12.4183 12.4183 16 8 16C3.58172 16 0 12.4183 0 8C0 3.58172 3.58172 0 8 0C12.4183 0 16 3.58172 16 8ZM8 3C8.55228 3 9 3.44772 9 4V9C9 9.55228 8.55229 10 8 10C7.44772 10 7 9.55228 7 9V4C7 3.44772 7.44772 3 8 3ZM8 13.5833C8.55229 13.5833 9 13.1356 9 12.5833C9 12.031 8.55229 11.5833 8 11.5833C7.44772 11.5833 7 12.031 7 12.5833C7 13.1356 7.44772 13.5833 8 13.5833Z" fill="currentColor"/> </g> </svg> <svg width="0" id="icon-error-svg-outlined" viewBox="0 0 24 25" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <g id="icon-error-outlined"> <circle cx="12" cy="12" r="11" fill="currentColor" stroke="black" stroke-width="2"/> <circle cx="12" cy="18.625" r="1.5" fill="black"/> <path d="M12 6L12 13.5" stroke="black" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round"/> </g> </svg> <svg width="0" id="icon-confirm-svg" viewBox="0 0 32 32" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <path d="M3.52197 18.3985L10.5027 25.3792C10.9079 25.7844 11.5699 25.767 11.9532 25.3411L28 7.50989L27.0315 6.63916L11.1992 24.2311L4.44338 17.4753L3.52197 18.3985Z" fill="currentColor" stroke="black"/> </svg> <svg width="0" viewBox="0 0 17 17" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <g id="icon-information"> <circle cx="8" cy="8.08008" r="7.25" fill="currentColor" stroke="black" stroke-width="1.5"/> <path d="M7.24718 11.7468V6.64511H8.75918V11.7468H7.24718ZM7.99804 5.89425C7.74433 5.89425 7.53861 5.82225 7.3809 5.67825C7.22318 5.53425 7.14433 5.34225 7.14433 5.10225C7.14433 4.86225 7.22318 4.67025 7.3809 4.52625C7.53861 4.38225 7.74433 4.31025 7.99804 4.31025C8.25176 4.31025 8.45747 4.38225 8.61518 4.52625C8.7729 4.67025 8.85176 4.86225 8.85176 5.10225C8.85176 5.34225 8.7729 5.53425 8.61518 5.67825C8.45747 5.82225 8.25176 5.89425 7.99804 5.89425Z" fill="black"/> </g> <g id="icon-success-outlined"> <circle cx="12.5" cy="12.1602" r="11.125" fill="currentColor" stroke="black" stroke-width="1.75"/> <path d="M7.5 13.0322L10.701 16.2332L17.6415 8.52091L17.2402 8.16016L10.6807 15.4487L7.88175 12.6497L7.5 13.0322Z" fill="black" stroke="black" stroke-width="1.5" stroke-linejoin="round"/> </g> </svg> <svg width="0" viewbox="0 0 22 22" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <g id="logo"> <path d="M0 26.8755V3.69629H4.93343L11.244 17.4356H11.3146V3.69629H15.4258V26.8755H11.1128L4.18181 11.9141H4.11623V26.8755H0Z" fill="currentColor"/> <path d="M23.2194 26.8755V3.69629H28.1579L34.4684 17.4356H34.534V3.69629H38.6503V26.8755H34.3373L27.4012 11.9141H27.3357V26.8755H23.2194Z" fill="currentColor"/> <path d="M65.1485 15.8523C65.1485 18.0045 64.1699 19.0682 62.2177 19.0682C60.1646 19.0682 59.0902 18.0094 59.0902 15.9513C59.0902 13.7348 60.1343 12.7057 62.1521 12.7057C64.301 12.7057 65.1485 13.6705 65.1485 15.8573V15.8523ZM67.1713 11.4738C65.1838 11.4738 64.6945 10.5684 62.2177 10.5684C58.6664 10.5684 56.2098 12.7651 56.2098 15.981C56.2098 18.1034 57.6828 19.9241 59.872 20.597C57.6525 21.2649 56.9311 22.0318 56.9311 23.3132C56.9311 24.7678 58.0813 25.6385 60.0032 25.6385C60.5228 25.6385 61.8595 25.6088 62.5103 25.6088C64.1043 25.6088 65.0829 25.7672 65.7034 26.1877C66.2885 26.5736 66.5811 27.2514 66.5811 28.1172C66.5811 30.1111 65.1485 30.9175 62.6414 30.9175C61.34 30.9175 60.1343 30.6306 59.3525 30.1754C58.7673 29.8241 58.4092 29.1463 58.4092 28.3102C58.4092 27.7956 58.6362 27.2168 58.8682 26.8606L56.1846 27.0882C55.9525 27.7313 55.8567 28.2162 55.8567 28.795C55.8567 31.0759 57.824 32.8619 62.9088 32.8619C66.8484 32.8619 69.3707 31.3034 69.3707 27.8303C69.3707 26.445 68.846 25.3169 67.5698 24.4462C66.5861 23.7684 65.547 23.5408 63.6553 23.5408H61.0524C60.2403 23.5408 59.751 23.2538 59.751 22.7739C59.751 22.2297 60.4975 21.6855 62.6818 20.9186C63.8521 20.9186 64.8963 20.7256 65.7084 20.221C67.2066 19.2958 68.1247 17.6285 68.1247 15.8276C68.1247 14.7985 67.7968 13.898 67.141 13.0965C67.4386 13.2252 67.8321 13.2895 68.2558 13.2895C69.2395 13.2895 69.9911 13.0322 71.005 12.3198L69.4362 10.7712C68.6493 11.2858 68.0288 11.4837 67.1763 11.4837L67.1713 11.4738Z" fill="currentColor"/> <path d="M44.1991 33.5001C44.1184 33.5001 44.0326 33.4852 43.9519 33.4605C43.5282 33.3269 43.2962 32.8767 43.4374 32.4611L53.8642 1.04428C54.0004 0.62869 54.4544 0.401103 54.8781 0.539634C55.3018 0.673217 55.5288 1.11849 55.3926 1.53409L44.9608 32.9509C44.8498 33.2824 44.5371 33.4951 44.1941 33.4951L44.1991 33.5001Z" fill="currentColor"/> </g> <g id="icon-burger"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M0 1.5C4.82824e-08 0.947715 0.447715 0.5 1 0.5L19 0.500002C19.5523 0.500002 20 0.947717 20 1.5C20 2.05229 19.5523 2.5 19 2.5L1 2.5C0.447715 2.5 -4.82821e-08 2.05228 0 1.5Z" fill="currentColor" /> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M0 17.5C4.82824e-08 16.9477 0.447715 16.5 1 16.5L19 16.5C19.5523 16.5 20 16.9477 20 17.5C20 18.0523 19.5523 18.5 19 18.5L1 18.5C0.447715 18.5 -4.82821e-08 18.0523 0 17.5Z" fill="currentColor" /> <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M0 9.5C4.82824e-08 8.94772 0.447715 8.5 1 8.5L19 8.5C19.5523 8.5 20 8.94772 20 9.5C20 10.0523 19.5523 10.5 19 10.5L1 10.5C0.447715 10.5 -4.82821e-08 10.0523 0 9.5Z" fill="currentColor" /> </g> <path id="icon-search" d="M29.921 27.5861L22.1292 20.034C24.0015 17.8554 24.9351 15.061 24.7359 12.2322C24.5367 9.40331 23.2199 6.75782 21.0594 4.84601C18.899 2.9342 16.0613 1.90327 13.1366 1.96769C10.2119 2.03211 7.42541 3.1869 5.3568 5.19186C3.2882 7.19681 2.09674 9.89755 2.03028 12.7322C1.96382 15.5669 3.02747 18.3173 4.99997 20.4113C6.97248 22.5053 9.70196 23.7815 12.6206 23.9747C15.5393 24.1678 18.4224 23.2629 20.6702 21.4481L28.462 29.0002L29.921 27.5861ZM4.12735 13.0002C4.12735 11.2202 4.67195 9.48015 5.69228 8.0001C6.71261 6.52006 8.16284 5.36651 9.85958 4.68532C11.5563 4.00413 13.4234 3.8259 15.2246 4.17317C17.0259 4.52044 18.6804 5.3776 19.9791 6.63628C21.2777 7.89495 22.1621 9.49859 22.5204 11.2444C22.8787 12.9903 22.6948 14.7999 21.992 16.4444C21.2891 18.0889 20.099 19.4945 18.5719 20.4835C17.0449 21.4724 15.2496 22.0002 13.4131 22.0002C10.9512 21.9976 8.59091 21.0485 6.85009 19.3613C5.10928 17.674 4.13008 15.3864 4.12735 13.0002Z" fill="currentColor"/> <path id="icon-open-nav" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M8.19398 11.5945C7.85227 11.9362 7.29825 11.9362 6.95654 11.5945L1.29969 5.93763L2.53712 4.7002L7.57526 9.73833L12.6134 4.7002L13.8508 5.93764L8.19398 11.5945Z" fill="currentColor"/> <g id="icon-cart"> <circle cx="11.3124" cy="22.5204" r="1.83485" fill="currentColor"/> <circle cx="25.5299" cy="22.5204" r="1.83485" fill="currentColor"/> <path d="M7.56201 3.11621H28.2498C28.8012 3.11621 29.2054 3.63495 29.0707 4.16965L27.1371 11.8434C27.0424 12.2195 26.7041 12.4832 26.3162 12.4832H10.6505" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.75" stroke-linecap="round"/> <path d="M1.82202 1H5.3761C5.74546 1 6.07219 1.23947 6.1834 1.59169L11.2469 17.6284C11.3581 17.9806 11.6848 18.2201 12.0542 18.2201H25.8257" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="1.75" stroke-linecap="square"/> </g> <g id="icon-download"> <path d="M13 11.875H12.875V12V13.875H3.125V12V11.875H3H2H1.875V12V14C1.875 14.2984 1.99353 14.5845 2.2045 14.7955C2.41548 15.0065 2.70163 15.125 3 15.125H13C13.2984 15.125 13.5845 15.0065 13.7955 14.7955C14.0065 14.5845 14.125 14.2984 14.125 14V12V11.875H14H13Z" fill="#2E52FF" stroke="#2E52FF" stroke-width="0.25"/> <path d="M13.0884 7.08839L13.1768 7L13.0884 6.91161L12.3834 6.20661L12.2951 6.11828L12.2067 6.20655L8.625 9.7835V1V0.875H8.5H7.5H7.375V1V9.7835L3.79333 6.20655L3.70494 6.11828L3.61661 6.20661L2.91161 6.91161L2.82322 7L2.91161 7.08839L7.91161 12.0884L8 12.1768L8.08839 12.0884L13.0884 7.08839Z" fill="#2E52FF" stroke="#2E52FF" stroke-width="0.25"/> </g> </svg> <svg id="icon-close-svg" viewbox="0 0 22 22" width="0" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <g id="icon-close"> <path d="M1 1L20.5 20.5" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" /> <path d="M20.5 1L1 20.5" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" /> </g> </svg> </div> <header class="banner-image" > <nav class="nav-main desktop" aria-label="main"> <button class="burger-button"> <svg width="20" viewBox="0 0 20 19" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <title>Open main navigation</title> <use href="#icon-burger" /> </svg> </button> <a href="/" class="logo" aria-label="Nielsen Norman Group - Home"> <svg width="71" viewBox="0 0 71 34" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <title>Nielsen Norman Group</title> <use href="#logo" /> </svg> </a> <ul> <li class=" has-subnav"> <button aria-controls="nav-live-courses" aria-expanded="false">Training & UX Certification <svg class="open-nav" aria-hidden="true" width="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <use href="#icon-open-nav" /> </svg> </button> <ul id="nav-live-courses"> <li class=""> <a href="/courses/">All Live Courses</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/training/live-courses/">About Live Courses</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/team-training/">Private Team Training</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/training/bulk-discounts/">Bulk Discounts</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/ux-certification/">UX Certification</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="selected "> <a aria-current="page" href="/articles/">Articles & Videos</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/consulting/">Consulting</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/reports/">Reports & Books</a> </li> <li class=" has-subnav"> <button aria-controls="nav-about-home" aria-expanded="false">About NN/g <svg class="open-nav" aria-hidden="true" width="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <use href="#icon-open-nav" /> </svg> </button> <ul id="nav-about-home"> <li class=""> <a href="/about/">Overview</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/people/">People</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/about/about-client-list/">Clients</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/news/">News</a> </li> <li class=""> <a href="/about/contact/">Contact Us</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <div class="cart empty" aria-hidden> <a href=/cart/> <svg width="30" viewBox="0 0 30 25" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <use href="#icon-cart" /> </svg> <span></span> </a> </div> <div class="profile has-subnav"> <button class="loading" aria-expanded="false">Profile <svg class="open-nav" aria-hidden="true" width="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <use href="#icon-open-nav" /> </svg> </button> </div> <form role="search" action="/search/" method="get" data-algolia-app-id="ORI4VVAEA5" data-algolia-search-api-key="562fc62a44f3e67b0e9b1d7a40fb17e2" data-index="Document_production_query_suggestions" > <button type="button" class="search-button search-toggle-button" aria-controls="search-form-content" aria-expanded="false"> <svg title="Search" width="32" viewBox="0 0 32 32" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <title>Search</title> <use href="#icon-search"> </svg> </button> <div class="form-content" id="search-form-content"> <label class="visually-hidden" for="search">Search</label> <div id="search-autocomplete"><input id="search" name="q" type="search" /></div> <button type="reset" class="reset-button empty" disabled> <svg width="13" viewBox="0 0 22 22" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <title>Reset</title> <use href="#icon-close" /> </svg> </button> <button type="submit" class="search-button"> <svg title="Search" width="32" viewBox="0 0 32 32" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" > <title>Search</title> <use href="#icon-search"> </svg> </button> </div> </form> </nav> </header> <main id="main"> <section class="padded"> <div class="wrapper"> <article> <span id="gaDataLength" class="ga-data-layer" aria-hidden="true">13</span> <div class="article-header"> <h1 class="article-h1">How to Apply and Secure a UX Job</h1> <div class="article-authors"> <span id="gaDataAuthors" class="ga-data-layer" aria-hidden="true">Evan Sunwall</span> <div class="author-tile multiple body-small"> <div class="author-photos"> <img height="64" width="64" class="author-photo fluid" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/people/photos/Evan_Headshot.jpg.256x256_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg" alt=""> </div> <div class="author-meta"> <span class="authors-list"><a class="ga-article-author" href="/articles/author/evan-sunwall/"> Evan Sunwall</a></span> <p class="publication-date"> January 31, 2025 <span id="gaDataPubDate" class="ga-data-layer" aria-hidden="true">2025-01-31</span> </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article-share"> <a class="article-share-title ga-share" href="#"> <span class="article-share-icon"></span> <p class="article-share-label body-medium">Share</p> </a> <div class="share-links tooltip"> <div class="tip-arrow"></div> <ul> <li class="body-medium"> <a class="ga-share-email" target="_blank" href="mailto:?subject=NN/g Article: How to Apply and Secure a UX Job&body=https://www.nngroup.com/articles/apply-secure-ux-job/" data-share-type="Email"> <span class="icon envelope"></span>Email article </a> </li> <li class="body-medium"> <a class="ga-share-linkedin" target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http://www.nngroup.com/articles/apply-secure-ux-job/&title=How to Apply and Secure a UX Job&source=Nielsen%20Norman%20Group" data-share-type="LinkedIn"> <span class="icon linkedin"></span>Share on LinkedIn </a> </li> <li class="body-medium"> <a class="ga-share-twitter" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://www.nngroup.com/articles/apply-secure-ux-job/&text=How to Apply and Secure a UX Job&via=nngroup" data-share-type="Twitter"> <span class="icon twitter"></span>Share on Twitter </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article-container"> <div class="article-content"> <div class="article-summary article-heading-small-light"> <span class="article-summary-label"> Summary:  </span>Apply and secure UX jobs with tips for customizing resumes using generative AI, researching employers, acing interviews, and negotiating offers. </div> <div class="article-body"> <p>Submitting UX job applications can feel stressful as you submit your professional work for evaluation by strangers over and over again. But it doesn’t have to be. This article offers useful tactics to help you create polished application materials, use generative AI effectively, and thoughtfully evaluate potential employers and job offers.</p> <p><em>Check out the other articles in this series on UX job seeker advice:</em></p> <ul> <li><em><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/tactics-ux-job-market/">Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market</a></em></li> <li><em><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/advice-ux-job-search/">Advice for Approaching a UX Job Search</a></em></li> <li><em><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources/">Templates and Tools for UX Job Seekers</a></em></li> </ul> <div class="table-of-contents"> <div class="content"> <div class="header"> <div class="toc-header"> <h2 class="toc-title article-heading-small"> In This Article: </h2> <span class="expand-icon"></span> </div> <a class="current-element" href="#"></a> </div> <ul class="toc-items"> <li class="article-table-of-content"> <a class="ga-article-toc-item" href="#toc-preparing-your-materials-and-answers-1">Preparing Your Materials and Answers</a> </li> <li class="article-table-of-content"> <a class="ga-article-toc-item" href="#toc-choosing-potential-employers-2">Choosing Potential Employers</a> </li> <li class="article-table-of-content"> <a class="ga-article-toc-item" href="#toc-applying-to-job-postings-3">Applying to Job Postings</a> </li> <li class="article-table-of-content"> <a class="ga-article-toc-item" href="#toc-handling-job-offers-4">Handling Job Offers</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div><h2 id="toc-preparing-your-materials-and-answers-1">Preparing Your Materials and Answers</h2> <h4>Fix Your Portfolio and Resume</h4> <p>Your portfolio (and, to a lesser extent, your resume) is your career passport to future UX jobs. Be sure to review our best practices before you spend an excessive amount of time revising these materials.</p> <p>Check out these resources for resume guidance:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/resumes-ux-career-changers/">Effective Resumes for UX Career Changers</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/resumes-ux-students-and-graduates/">Effective Resumes for UX Students and Graduates</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/videos/resumes-things-to-remove/">UX Resumes: 10 Things to Remove</a></li> </ul> <p>Refer to these resources for improving your portfolio:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-design-portfolios/?lm=ux-researcher-portfolio&pt=article">5 Steps to Creating a UX-Design Portfolio</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-researcher-portfolio/?lm=ux-portfolios-interviews&pt=youtubevideo">Portfolios for UX Researchers: Top 10 Recommendations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/videos/ux-design-portfolio-case-study/">Creating a UX Design Portfolio Case Study</a></li> </ul> <h4>Customize or Edit Application Materials with Generative AI</h4> <p>While there are AI vendors that target job-seeker workflows, many are not free or prioritize to a quantity-focused approach to job applications. Generative AI (genAI), on the other hand, can assist with crafting high-quality, tailored materials — but it first needs to learn about you and your achievements. One way to bridge this knowledge gap is by creating a detailed work chronicle.</p> <blockquote> <p>A <strong>work chronicle </strong>is a document that comprehensively captures your post-secondary education and work history, including all quantitative and qualitative achievements earned.</p> </blockquote> <p>Think of a work chronicle as a raw version of your resume used for planning job applications. Include every job you’ve held, the skills you used, the achievements you earned, and all your educational details, such as degrees, certifications, GPAs, and dates. Document this information truthfully and in as much detail as possible.</p> <p>Because a work chronicle is raw and unpolished, it should never be shared directly with employers. Instead, pair it with a job posting and provide both to a genAI tool. Prompt the genAI to create a reverse-chronological listing of your work and education history to address the requirements and qualifications found in the job posting. Additionally, have the AI indicate a list of job posting responsibilities or qualifications that are gaps it could not directly address based on your work chronicle. Review these gaps to identify any missing information in your work chronicle.</p> <p>Treat the genAI’s output as a rough draft to get you started on the workflow of fully customizing your resume. Customizing resumes to highlight skills and experiences that address a job posting’s specific requirements is a long-standing recommendation that many find tedious and time-consuming to do. By working from the genAI’s draft, you can quickly create a resume that is more targeted and aligned with the job’s requirements.</p> <h4>Create a Presentation of Your Best Portfolio Case Study</h4> <p>Some teams ask candidates to deliver a presentation, which is often a case study from their portfolio. Instead of scrolling through a page from your online portfolio and attempting to present it, reuse the assets from your best case study and structure it into a proper presentation to appear more professional.</p> <h4>Practice Answering Interview Questions</h4> <p>Weak communication skills during interviews have undermined many aspiring UX job seekers. Do not fall victim to overconfidence! Considering the span of your career and how many hours you devote to working at jobs, you comparatively get only a little practice engaging in job interviews. You must hone your <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/storytelling-study-guide/">storytelling skills</a> with feedback to succeed in these critical moments.</p> <p>The best approach is to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/answer-ux-job-interview-questions/">practice delivering well-structured answers to a human</a>. Try a 30-minute mock phone interview with a senior UX professional from your network or a mentor. Ask them to surprise you with 5 interview questions and have them share their critique of your answers afterward. In addition, record the interview and transcribe your verbal answers. Edit your responses for clarity and conciseness, then rehearse your revised response aloud.</p> <p>For a more convenient option, try the <a href="https://chatgpt.com/g/g-KdH9ixM9t-nn-g-ux-job-interview-coach">NN/g UX Job-Interview Coach</a>, described in our <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#GPT_Interview_Coach">resources for job seekers article</a>.</p> <h2 id="toc-choosing-potential-employers-2">Choosing Potential Employers</h2> <h4>Favor Quality over Quantity</h4> <p>Sending out hundreds of applications is a tempting strategy. More chances to get lucky with a job offer, right? However, receiving callbacks for job opportunities from employers misaligned with your values and preferences is counterproductive. In addition, these job opportunities will inevitably demand time-consuming interviews or assessments (further discussed below) that will test your patience and your already low motivation.</p> <p>Applying to as many job postings as possible is like net fishing – casting a wide net and hoping a few edible fish are caught amongst many inedible ones. Instead, think of your job search as spearfishing. Use intentional effort to thoughtfully apply to jobs that align with your analysis of yourself, your constraints, and your goals. It may sting whenever these tailored applications are declined. However, when you are successful, you will be more motivated and interested to see the process through and receive a job offer you’d gladly accept. That genuine motivation and effort is what the UX hiring manager will be looking for in their ideal candidate.</p> <h4>Research Employers</h4> <p>Employer review platforms like Blind or Glassdoor can give you insider information on recent events within that employer, salary estimates, and even interview process. Even though an organization may offer an exciting UX job opportunity, be cautious to apply if it has dismal ratings on these platforms. You might be applying for a job you'll quickly regret if the employer predominately operates contrary to your values and job constraints.</p> <p>It’s also important to remember <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/participation-inequality/">participation inequality</a> — most employees don't post on these platforms, so you may receive a skewed perspective from highly motivated past or present employees. Focus on aggregated scores and look for recurring themes grounded in factual statements from UX professionals.</p> <h4>Read the Job Posting Thoroughly but Don’t Rush to Disqualify Yourself</h4> <p>Did you find a dream job that meets all your job constraints? Great, but be careful about scanning through the job’s requirements and potentially prematurely ruling yourself out of applying.</p> <p>A study by Leonie Nicks and colleagues found that women tend to make harsher holistic judgments about their qualifications compared to men, which could lead them to inaccurately rule themselves out before even applying.</p> <p>Job postings are often an optimistic wish list of requirements by hiring managers; you can be less than 100% qualified from your perspective and still have a chance. By evaluating your qualification for each requirement separately, you'll more accurately determine your chance and invest your time wisely. This analysis may even nudge you to apply for an ambitious role that feels like a stretch but probably isn’t.</p> <p>(If you want to learn how qualified you are for various job requirements, then <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#Requirement_Decision_Aid">download and use our job-requirement decision aid</a> from our resources for UX seekers.)</p> <h4>Use a UX-Savvy Recruiter</h4> <p>Partner with recruiters specializing in filling UX roles, such as Aquent, Creative Circle, or Robert Half Technology. These recruiters will have more contacts with hiring managers seeking UX talent and will be better able to position and match you according to your skills. A good recruiter should offer you advice on your application materials, give you coaching on their most frequent clients, and even help negotiate a job offer. They also shouldn’t cost you anything, as the employer pays their fees if they hire you. Prepare to be more flexible on some of your job constraints, as they may have more contract or contract-for-hire opportunities.</p> <figure class="caption"><img alt="This webpage, hosted by Aquent Talent, features an article titled “How to navigate the 7 stages of your design career” by Mags Hanley. The page has a sleek black background with the title prominently displayed in large white text." height="408" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/editor/2025/01/22/aquent-2.jpg" width="692"/> <figcaption><em>Recruiters such as Aquent specialize in creative, design, and UX roles. When choosing a recruiter, look for blog posts, salary guides, or website features that demonstrate a knowledgeable understanding and focus on UX.</em></figcaption> </figure> <h2 id="toc-applying-to-job-postings-3">Applying to Job Postings</h2> <h4>Apply Early and Directly Through the Employer’s Career Site</h4> <p>Apply only to jobs posted within the last 2–3 weeks, as you cannot be sure if their hiring process has ended. Directly apply on the employer's career site and be prepared for an experience that may be more time-consuming than on job boards or aggregators. Your effort will signal a higher interest in the role and may result in a more accurate and detailed application in the employer's applicant-tracking system.</p> <h4>Track Your Job Applications</h4> <p>Once you start applying, you can easily miss critical instructions or deadlines in your email inbox. Use a simple spreadsheet or another free template to track all your job-seeking information in one place. For example, the productivity app Notion has <a href="https://www.notion.com/templates/category/job-application-tracking?srsltid=AfmBOoqMMye9N8xVf5rJmmFTSN5r34CUsfvIJ0-YhZSl_zuBIZeEcCZl">many free job application tracking templates</a> that you can quickly customize and use without recurring fees.</p> <figure class="caption"><img alt="This Notion Marketplace webpage showcases Job Application Tracking templates designed to help users manage job hunting. A headline reads, “Job Application Tracking templates,” with supporting text explaining how these tools track postings, deadlines, and interviews." height="472" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/editor/2025/01/22/notion.jpg" width="692"/> <figcaption><em>A simple spreadsheet or free resources like job-application-tracking templates for the productivity app Notion (also free to use) can help you stay organized during a busy job search with overlapping deadlines.</em></figcaption> </figure> <h4>Submit All Materials Requested</h4> <p>Always submit all materials requested or suggested in the job posting (resume, portfolio link, cover letter, answers to preliminary questions), even if described as optional. Rarely, clever UX hiring managers will add an instruction in the job posting (e.g., “Include the slogan ‘Keep it Simple!’ in your cover letter”) to differentiate who is applying intentionally and who is applying en masse. A complete submission reflects your attentiveness and, once again, effort — qualities you want your application to convey to the UX hiring manager.</p> <h4>Avoid “To Whom It May Concern”</h4> <p>In any cover letter or correspondence, always attempt to identify the UX hiring manager or recruiter and address them directly. Sometimes, you can find this information within the job posting. If it’s not there, email an HR contact asking for clarification (don’t wait more than a day or two for a response, though). Attempting to address the decision maker (even if you're slightly off) will differentiate your application from others who are applying en masse.</p> <h4>Be Willing to Do the “Homework”</h4> <p>There is great consternation in the UX industry regarding “homework,” such as presentations, whiteboarding challenges, or design exercises, as part of a job application. There are 3 points worth mentioning regarding these assessments:</p> <ol> <li>Many of these assessments suffer from poor design, stressful timing requirements or delivery formats, biased evaluation, or excessive length that's exclusionary.</li> <li>Standardized assessments probing job-relevant competencies are a valid and valuable part of the hiring process. Due to the collaborative nature of many UX projects, a portfolio alone is often insufficient to accurately appraise an applicant or differentiate them from other applicants.</li> <li>In bad job markets, the UX hiring manager has more leverage. Applicants have far less. In addition, employers with strong brands will always have the leverage to request these assessments of their UX applicants, regardless of market conditions.</li> </ol> <p>These points create an unfortunate situation: many UX hiring managers lack training in conducting their hiring practices and design poorly planned assessments that are a chore to complete. But you need that UX job. Check for these signs that an assessment is worth doing:</p> <ul> <li>The communication received as part of the job-application process provides some advanced notice about the number and nature of any upcoming assessments.</li> <li>The assessment asks to perform a task relevant to the job, derived from previously completed projects or situations.</li> <li>The assessment provides a standard subset of materials to work with, like presentation assets or an interview transcript.</li> <li>It gives clear instructions and submission deadlines.</li> <li>It can be completed in about an evening (less than a few hours). For example, a 5-minute presentation based on some provided raw data or materials.</li> </ul> <p>There are also signs that an assessment, and perhaps the job, should be avoided:</p> <ul> <li>Assessment answers would be valuable to the employer’s current projects (unethical behavior).</li> <li>Instructions are minimal or open to broad interpretation, with no standardized materials provided. (Ambiguous instructions will make it difficult for the employer to evaluate candidate answers fairly).</li> <li>The assessment requires on-the-fly, real-time problem solving with an observer. (This is a stress test masquerading as an assessment and is unrealistic for the day-to-day work at many UX jobs).</li> <li>It requires more than a few hours to complete.</li> <li>Compensation is offered for your time (Paying you appears ethical, but this is the lazy way out of time-boxing and designing a practical and professional assessment. Make an exception for this situation if you’re unemployed because some income for your effort is better than no income.)</li> </ul> <p>Attempting to negotiate to avoid an assessment is an unhelpful tactic, as any well-trained UX hiring manager should disqualify you for unstructuring their hiring process. If an assessment feels like too much work — even in a difficult job market — then this resistance is a sign that the job is perhaps a poor fit. Trust your intuition, politely withdraw from consideration, and move on.</p> <p>(A template of the message that you can use to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#Message_Withdrawing">withdraw your candidacy</a> is included in our job-seeker resources.)</p> <h4>Always Send Thank-You Notes to Interviewers</h4> <p>Writing thank-you notes to each of your interviewers will never guarantee a UX job. But doing so could be a tiny, subtle nudge that tips the hiring decision in your favor if the job offer comes down to you and an equally qualified rival.</p> <p>Thank-you notes demonstrate your interpersonal skills and attentiveness to detail. Once again, genAI isn't especially helpful when writing these. Keep the message concise and focus on 2 aspects: cite something you learned about the interviewer during their interview and mention something that qualifies you for this job. </p> <p>(A template of a <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#Thank_You_Note">thank-you note</a> is included in our job-seeker resources.)</p> <h4>Ask for Feedback (but Don’t Expect to Receive it)</h4> <p>Job hunting is made more difficult by the lack of actionable feedback we receive while engaging in it. If you make it to the end of the hiring process but don’t receive a job offer, try one polite attempt to ask for feedback from the UX hiring manager. Do not expect to receive a response, as some HR policies advise managers against sharing feedback due to concerns over legal liability, so don’t take it personally.</p> <p>(A template message for <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#Message_Interview_Feedback">asking for interview feedback</a> is included in our job-seeker resources.)</p> <h2 id="toc-handling-job-offers-4">Handling Job Offers</h2> <p>You finally got a UX job offer! Congratulations! However, don't let the excitement and relief of this moment distort your judgment. Career decisions are consequential, and you might need more information about the job to make a good choice.</p> <h4>Take Time to Think</h4> <p>Never accept a job offer immediately, no matter how desperate you think you are. You need time to receive the benefits documents, confer with family members, or review your job constraints and any necessary tradeoffs. Always think it over for 1–3 days or over a weekend. If necessary, request this time from the UX hiring manager.</p> <h4>Use Reverse Interviews</h4> <p>You have a bit of leverage with a job offer in hand. During the hiring process, you may have received a minimal perspective on the employer, the UX team, or their work. Request 1–2 remote “reverse interviews” with the UX hiring manager or likely future collaborators. Ask about the organization’s relative UX maturity, the hiring manager’s management practices or onboarding process, or more details about your planned projects. Since they’ve already expressed interest in hiring you and want you to accept the offer quickly, the hiring manager will likely oblige. You’ll also get more candid and informative answers to your questions to help you decide.</p> <h4>Negotiate Job Offers Pragmatically</h4> <p>It’s the dream of any job seeker to pit two competing job offers in a bidding war. This scenario could happen with a considerable amount of fortunate timing, but this is incredibly unlikely in a rotten job market. Have a good sense of what your labor is worth and balance it with your flexible constraints. Here's how to navigate job-offer negotiations in a tight market:</p> <ul> <li>It’s okay to negotiate the job-offer details, and most employers will expect at least a little negotiation. Don't let the fear of losing the job offer hold you back from any negotiation. A paper by Einav Hart and colleagues found that candidates significantly overestimate the risk of having job offers withdrawn during negotiation. The hiring managers they studied rarely recalled a situation involving a rescinded job offer. If an employer revokes an offer for merely attempting to negotiate, it's revealed a red flag about its culture.</li> <li>Entry-level UX candidates have limited negotiating power, especially with little UX experience. However, candidates for UX-leadership positions could creatively negotiate beyond salary, like securing productivity-related commitments for essential tools, hardware, or research budgets for the UX team they may lead.</li> <li>If you’re between seniority levels (entry-level, senior, lead, etc.), consider carefully whether to negotiate for a more senior title. Meeting the higher expectations of a senior role could be overwhelming. Sometimes, excelling in a lower-seniority position can lead to a faster promotion that will reflect positively on your resume.</li> <li>Benefits packages are typically standardized by role or other criteria in mid-size or larger organizations. These aspects aren’t often a highly flexible point for negotiation.</li> <li>Salary bands or ranges often limit base-pay negotiations at larger employers. If the compensation is low, ask for one-time perks: signing bonuses, relocation expenses, or priority for a professional-development opportunity (perhaps some <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/training/live-courses/">UX training courses</a> or a <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/ux-certification/">certification</a>). These one-time concessions are more likely to be considered as they don't affect the employer’s long-term compensation plans.</li> <li>When negotiating, use precise numbers over round ones ($91,304 instead of $91,000). Research by Mason and colleagues found that precise numerical requests result in counteroffers closer to the desired value, but only if you can demonstrate your research to justify that specific amount. Research current UX-salary ranges using Glassdoor, LinkedIn, or even the <a href="https://uxpa.org/salary-surveys/">UXPA</a> to bolster your case with data.</li> <li>Nondisclosure agreements are common but clarify how you can document future work you may create in this job in your portfolio.</li> <li>Be wary of signing documents with noncompete clauses, which could limit your future employment options for months or even years. Don’t feel pressured to sign a legal document you don’t understand. Read it thoroughly, decline to sign it, or push back and attempt to negotiate its scope or duration.</li> <li>If it's important to you, confirm working arrangements (remote, hybrid, onsite, work schedule) in writing. This does not cost the employer anything upfront, and it guarantees nothing, but it might buy you time to restart your job search in the future if policies change.</li> </ul> <p>UX hiring managers typically cannot unilaterally alter their job offers, and negotiations will likely require them to confer with HR or other leaders. Remember that you’re negotiating with your potential future boss. Multiple rounds of negotiation over minor offer details that delay the hiring manager’s process and result in an equally qualified finalist bowing out of contention will not inspire goodwill towards you during your onboarding, should you accept the offer and join the team.</p> <h4>Decline a Job Offer Professionally</h4> <p>Declining a job offer may seem absurd in a bad job market. However, you might need to do it if you used the quantity-based approach to your application process or if your analysis and intuition suggest you turn the job offer down. Never “burn a bridge,” as the UX hiring manager you’re declining today might be one you work for tomorrow. Always frame your message around how the <strong>current job offer</strong> at the <strong>current stage of your career</strong> lacks alignment with your <strong>current needs</strong>. Clearly decline the job, but word your message so that you might say yes if these conditions change in the future. If you share a reason for declining, keep it very brief — it's probably evident to the UX hiring manager if you tried negotiating over it or had a competing job offer under consideration.</p> <p>(A template message for <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-job-seeker-resources#Message_Decline_Job">declining a job offer</a> is included in our job-seeker resources.)</p> <h3>Conclusion</h3> <p>When it comes to applying to UX jobs, remember these P’s: probe employers, personalize materials, professionally communicate, pragmatically negotiate, and above all: persevere. The job application process can be stressful and uncertain, but with these tactics, you can overcome the challenges and achieve the last P: prosper.</p> <h3>References</h3> <p>Einav Hart, Julia B. Bear, and Zhiying (Bella) Ren. 2024. But what if I lose the offer? Negotiators’ inflated perception of their likelihood of jeopardizing a deal. <em>Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes</em> 181, 104319. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2024.104319">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2024.104319</a>.</p> <p>M. F. Mason, A. J. Lee, E. A. Wiley, and D. R. Ames. 2013. Precise offers are potent anchors: Conciliatory counteroffers and attributions of knowledge in negotiations. <em>Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</em> 49, 4, 759–763. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.03.015">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.03.015</a>.</p> <p>Leonie Nicks, Filip Gesiarz, Lourdes Valencia, Tim Hardy, and Johannes Lohmann. 2022. Gender differences in response to requirements in job adverts. Behavioural Insights Team. Retrieved December 13, 2024, from <a href="https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gender-differences-in-response-to-requirements-in-job-adverts-March-2022.pdf">https://www.bi.team/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gender-differences-in-response-to-requirements-in-job-adverts-March-2022.pdf</a>.</p> </div> </div> <div class="article-sidebar"> <div class="sidebar-wrapper"> <div class="sidebar-item related-courses"> <h2 class="article-heading-small">Related Courses</h2> <ul> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-course" data-course-title="Storytelling to Present UX Work" href="/courses/storytelling-ux/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <h4 class="title heading-small">Storytelling to Present UX Work</h4> <p id="storytelling-to-present-ux-work" class="description body-small"> Persuade and engage while presenting research findings and design ideas </p> <div class="ux-specialties"> <p class="ux-specialty interaction-design">Interaction</p> </div> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-course" data-course-title="The One-Person UX Team" href="/courses/one-person-ux-team/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <h4 class="title heading-small">The One-Person UX Team</h4> <p id="the-one-person-ux-team" class="description body-small"> Maximize your impact as the sole UX professional in your organization with these strategies </p> <div class="ux-specialties"> <p class="ux-specialty ux-research">Research</p> </div> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-course" data-course-title="Web Page UX Design" href="/courses/web-page-design/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <h4 class="title heading-small">Web Page UX Design</h4> <p id="web-page-ux-design" class="description body-small"> Strategically combine content, visuals, and interactive components to design successful web pages </p> <div class="ux-specialties"> <p class="ux-specialty interaction-design">Interaction</p> </div> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <span id="gaDataAllTopics" class="ga-data-layer" aria-hidden="true">UX Careers,job searching,portfolio,hiring,New to User Experience</span> <div class="sidebar-item related-topics"> <h2 class="article-heading-small">Related Topics</h2> <ul> <li> <span id="gaDataTopic" class="ga-data-layer" aria-hidden="true">UX Careers</span> <a class="ga-article-related-topic" href="/topic/careers-ux/">UX Careers</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </section> <section class="learn-more"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="related-content-container padded"> <h2 class="article-heading-small learn-more-title">Learn More:</h2> <div class="article-videos"> <div class="related-content related-videos"> <ul class="no-bullet three column grid"> <li> <div class="tile video"> <div class="media"> <a class="ga-article-related-video" data-video-title="UX Research Job Interviews: 5 Things to Showcase" href="/videos/ux-research-job-interviews/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="thumbnail-image"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Research_Job_Interviews-_5_Things_to_Showcase_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg" srcset="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Research_Job_Interviews-_5_Things_to_Showcase_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg, https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Research_Job_Interviews-_5_Things_to_Showcase_Thumbnail.jpg.1300x728_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg 2x" alt=""> <div class="overlay"> <span class="color icon fab fa-youtube"></span> </div> </div> <div class="content"> <p class="related-content-title"> UX Research Job Interviews: 5 Things to Showcase </p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Samhita Tankala </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">3 min</span> </p> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li> <div class="tile video"> <div class="media"> <a class="ga-article-related-video" data-video-title="UX Resumes: 10 Tips for Seasoned Professionals" href="/videos/ux-resumes-seasoned-professionals/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="thumbnail-image"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Resumes_-_10_Tips_for_Seasoned_Professionals_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg" srcset="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Resumes_-_10_Tips_for_Seasoned_Professionals_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg, https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/UX_Resumes_-_10_Tips_for_Seasoned_Professionals_Thumbnail.jpg.1300x728_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg 2x" alt=""> <div class="overlay"> <span class="color icon fab fa-youtube"></span> </div> </div> <div class="content"> <p class="related-content-title"> UX Resumes: 10 Tips for Seasoned Professionals </p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Evan Sunwall </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">5 min</span> </p> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> <li> <div class="tile video"> <div class="media"> <a class="ga-article-related-video" data-video-title="How to Break Into Design: Don’s Advice" href="/videos/break-into-design/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="thumbnail-image"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/Don_San_Diego_2023_Video_10_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg" srcset="https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/Don_San_Diego_2023_Video_10_Thumbnail.jpg.650x364_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg, https://media.nngroup.com/media/videos/thumbnails/Don_San_Diego_2023_Video_10_Thumbnail.jpg.1300x728_q75_autocrop_crop-smart_upscale.jpg 2x" alt=""> <div class="overlay"> <span class="color icon fab fa-youtube"></span> </div> </div> <div class="content"> <p class="related-content-title"> How to Break Into Design: Don’s Advice </p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Don Norman </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">4 min</span> </p> </div> </a> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="related-content related-articles"> <h2 class="article-heading-small related-articles-title">Related Articles:</h2> <ul class="no-bullet three column grid"> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market" href="/articles/tactics-ux-job-market/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Evan Sunwall </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">9 min</span> </p> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="The 5 Stages of UX-Career Progression" href="/articles/stages-of-ux-career-progression/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">The 5 Stages of UX-Career Progression</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Rachel Krause </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">9 min</span> </p> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="Growing in Your UX Career: Study Guide" href="/articles/growing-your-ux-career-study-guide/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">Growing in Your UX Career: Study Guide</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Taylor Dykes </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">4 min</span> </p> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="The Best Things About Working in UX" href="/articles/best-things-about-working-in-ux/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">The Best Things About Working in UX</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Kim Flaherty </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">4 min</span> </p> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="Defining UX-Career Progression: What Practitioners Say" href="/articles/career-progression-practitioners/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">Defining UX-Career Progression: What Practitioners Say</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Rachel Krause </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">6 min</span> </p> </a> </li> <li> <a class="tile ga-article-related-article" data-article-title="5 Tips for UX-Internship Applicants" href="/articles/ux-internship-tips/?lm=apply-secure-ux-job&pt=article"> <p class="related-content-title">5 Tips for UX-Internship Applicants</p> <p class="related-content-details"> <span class="related-content-authors body-small"> Raluca Budiu and Amy Zhang </span> · <span class="related-content-duration body-small">7 min</span> </p> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </section> </main> <footer class="footer"> <div class="wrapper row"> <div class="subscribe"> <h2 class="title-large">Subscribe to Our Newsletter</h2> <p class="body-medium">Get weekly UX articles, videos, and upcoming training events straight to your inbox.</p> <form class="form-validated" action="https://nngroup.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5&id=7f29a2b335" id="subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" > <div class="form-field"> <div class="outline"> <label for="newsletter-subscribe-email" class="label-medium">Email</label> <input autocomplete="email" class="body-small" id="newsletter-subscribe-email" placeholder="norman@gmail.com" name="EMAIL" type="email" value=""> </div> <div class="error-local"></div> </div> <input class="button-fill button-small" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe"> </form> </div> <div class="follow"> <h2 class="title-large">Follow Us</h2> <ul> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nielsen-norman-group"> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-linkedin.svg" alt=""> LinkedIn </a> </li> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nngux"> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-instagram.svg" alt=""> Instagram </a> </li> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2oCugzU6W8-h95W7eBTUEg"> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-youtube.svg" alt=""> Youtube </a> </li> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nngroup "> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-podcast.svg" alt=""> Podcast </a> </li> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://twitter.com/nngroup"> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-x.svg" alt=""> X (Twitter) </a> </li> <li class="label-large"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nngux"> <img width="32" loading="lazy" src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/img/icons/icon-social-facebook.svg" alt=""> Facebook </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <section class="navigation"> <div class="wrapper"> <ul> <li><span class="title-small">Certification</span> <ul> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/ux-certification/">What is UX Certification?</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/ux-certification/specialties/">Specialties</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/ux-certification/exams/">Exams</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/ux-certification/people/">UX Certified People</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <span class="title-small">UX Training</span> <ul> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/courses/">All Live Courses</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/training/live-courses/">About Live Courses</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/team-training/">Private Team Training</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/course-calendar/">Course Calendar</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <span class="title-small">Consulting</span> <ul> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/consulting/expert-review/">Expert Review</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/consulting/user-testing/">User Testing</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/consulting/user-research/">Customized Research</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/consulting/applied-workshops/">Applied Workshops</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/consulting/keynote-speaking/">Keynote Speaking</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <span class="title-small">Free Guidance</span> <ul> <li class="body-large"> <a href="/articles/">Articles & Videos</a> </li> <li class="body-large"> <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nngroup">The NN/g UX Podcast</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <span class="title-small">About</span> <ul> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/about/why-nng/">Why NN/g</a> </li> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/about/">About Us</a> </li> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/people/">People</a> </li> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/about/about-client-list/">Clients</a> </li> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/about/contact/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="body-large" > <a href="/return-policy/">Return Policy</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </section> <div class="copyright"> <div class="wrapper"> <p><a href="/copyright-and-reprint-info/">Copyright</a> © 1998-2025 Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved. </p> <ul> <li id ="cookie-preferences"><a class="cookie-button">Cookie Preferences</a></li> <li><a href="/cookie-declaration/">Cookie Declaration</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </footer> <button class="back-to-top" aria-label="Back to top"><span class="text"><span class="fas fa-caret-up arrow" aria-hidden="true"></span><br>Top</span></button> <script src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/js/output.4573ebdb8665.js" defer></script> <script src="https://media.nngroup.com/static/js/article-detail.7e820ce13132.js"></script> <script> window.addEventListener('CookiebotOnAccept', function (e) { Cookiebot.consent.preferences&&window.dataLayer.push({event:"cookieconsent_preferences"}); Cookiebot.consent.statistics&&window.dataLayer.push({event:"cookieconsent_statistics"}); Cookiebot.consent.marketing&&window.dataLayer.push({event:"cookieconsent_marketing"}); }); window.addEventListener('CookiebotOnDecline', function (e) {}); </script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

How to Apply and Secure a UX Job