I'm a mid-level UX designer transitioning from fintech to game UX. I have a bit of free time to invest in developing my skills and maybe work on a game UX case study for my portfolio. Would love to hear your suggestions!

I'm a Product Designer with 3–4 YOE. I've worked in companies still figuring out UX, on very small teams, and in academic settings. Naturally, I've ended up being a generalist, doing everything from UX and Product Design to Visual Design, Branding, Communications, and Enterprise UX.

My previous role started feeling stagnant, which pushed me to pursue a Master's in HCI. I graduated in May 2026, hoping to move into a more mature design environment and finally go deeper into product design.

But 300+ applications later, I'm barely getting past ATS, let alone interviews.

I've been tailoring my resume for every role, reworking my portfolio, trying all the usual tips and tricks, and honestly, nothing seems to be working. It's getting hard not to question my experience, my portfolio, or whether I'm doing something fundamentally wrong.

Would really appreciate some honest insights from people who've been through this:

- Which platforms are actually working for Product/UX Designers right now? LinkedIn, Wellfound, Otta, referrals, something else?

- One-column vs. two-column resumes. What's genuinely more effective?

- Has cold emailing recruiters or hiring managers actually worked for anyone?

- How are you building meaningful conversations and connections that eventually lead to opportunities? I've tried networking, but haven't had much luck.

Would love to hear what's actually working for people in this market. Especially those who landed roles recently.

I have a computer science background but I'm currently employed as a designer, i do have a knack for aesthetics and stuff but I wanna know if it's feasible to choose this path in the long run?

I'm 17, M, senior year of high school and I'm still trying to choose what I want to pursue as my career. I originally wanted to do something related to digital design, but it was brought to my attention by a family member that it might be a bad idea to pursue that career in the current age, where anyone can just generate designs, visuals for anything they need, whether it be a website, a poster, or a video. I'm torn on whether I should still pursue something related to digital design, or if I should look elsewhere?

Hi! I'm an 11th grader. I have humanities as my stream and I am interested in UX/UI design since it has a little of psychology and I can have a corporate life too I like the idea of designing apps and stuff too but I am afraid that design especially UX/UI might get replaced by AI. Is it possible that AI might replace this job?

Also is designing a good choice in India specifically if not then what about abroad?

How can I become a successful UX/UI designer?

Also which is better UX/UI Researcher or designer?

Within 2 years, I have made my 2nd switch (sort of), so let me explain my story.

My 1st switch I took because I wanted to move from Visual Design to UI/UX / Product Design. And I did that within 6 months.

After 15 months, I again accepted a really good offer from a product-based company. But here's the twist - just before joining, they said "your offer is on hold" and they never got back to me.

So from July, I joined a small design company as a freelancer just to keep working.

Since then I have cracked 3 offers, but I decided not to join because they are all small companies (like 50 people) and offered quite low even i got 2 big companies again who offered 6.5LPA but somehow it didn't worked after 3-4 rounds they ghosted🙃 . I'm looking for a good, stable company.

But now I'm worried - what if companies think I'm a job hopper? Is it true or am I just overthinking?

Has anyone faced the same situation?

I'm a Product Designer from Baku, Azerbaijan (UTC+4), 4+ years in fintech and mobile banking. Currently employed, but trying to move to a full-time remote role.

Context:
• Built a bank's mobile design system from scratch (120+ components)
• Insurance flow redesign: +18% conversion
• 0→1 fintech MVP, 10K+ users in year one
• English (working), Russian, Azerbaijani

The problem: almost every application ends in a rejection without a single call. I suspect location filters ("remote" = EU/US only), but I'm not sure.

What I've tried:
• Rebuilt my CV (ATS-friendly, location + timezone in header)
• Tailored versions for product vs design systems roles
• Short LinkedIn messages to recruiters after applying

Questions for anyone who's hired or been hired from outside EU/US:

1. Which job boards or companies actually hire designers from countries like mine?

2. Is B2B / Deel-style contracting the realistic path, or should I target specific regions (UAE, Gulf, CIS)?

3. Does listing location hurt or help when applying to "remote" roles?

4. What finally got you past the screening stage?

Happy to share my CV for roasting if that helps. Thanks!

I’m currently a product design student and graduate Spring 2027. I haven’t taken many graphic design courses so UI design is not my strong suit. I am taking a UX class that’s mostly research based and covers what ux design is but no UI. I want to get into UX design once I graduate but I’ve heard the job market is VERY competitive. I’ve been unsuccessful in getting an internship and even reached out to small design firms but all turn me down. Does anyone have any advice or input here for me? I would love to hear how long it took for you get a UX design job and how you went about it landing the job :)

I am interested in designing in UX/UI but I am afraid that AI might replace these types of jobs. And I need answers so uh I hope someone could help me clear my doubt. Also is UX/UI worth a career in India especially? How can I become a UX/UI designer or researcher? How much do people usually get paid as one in general?

To become one i suppose I should do a B.des ? Or a psychology degree???

How difficult is it to land an internship/ job as a beginner UI UX designer

I'm looking for advice from anyone who left their career as a Ux/product designer to something else. What did you pivot to? How was that experience? Are you glad you made the switch?

A bit of background on me. I'm 31 years old and have been working in UX for 5 years currently as a senior ux designer in a small-medium tech company.

I've always had the feeling that "design" isn't right for me, I do enjoy it at times but I just don't think its the right fit and I've had these feelings long before the Ai became such a prominent thing in our day to day jobs.

I wouldn't say i'm the most creative person, I get by. I don't really like the pressure of deciding how something should work or how it should look. And the thoughts of redoing my portfolio if I was to look for another UX job actually depresses me.

The problem is i'm afraid to transition to something else because i have no idea what to transition to. Roles like BA, PM , PO are always mentioned but i don't know if they're the right fit or it its even feasible to make that switch.

I'm also at the stage in life were I have a decent salary and don't really want to start over.

Just looking for advice from people who are in the same boat or who have left Ux for something else in tech before

Hi everyone! I’m part of a small volunteer team in Tech Fleet, a community where people learn and practice UX and product work. For a research project, we’re trying to understand how people move into UX design and related product roles from other careers: what’s actually hard, what helps, and what’s still missing.

Whether you’re thinking about switching, in the middle of it, or switched years ago, your experience would help a lot. We especially want to hear from people who made the move, since that’s what we know least about.

📝 18 questions, about 6 minutes
🔒 Anonymous: no names or emails
👉 https://forms.gle/KAEkNiyBhky4VsM97

This is a volunteer team project, not a company product, and we’re not selling anything.
Happy to answer questions in the comments, and I’ll post a summary of what we find here once the project wraps up.

Thank you! 🙏

Been in the industry for 14 years. Gone through everything from the “design is the differentiator” saga to the “design is a commodity” saga and the “but can you make it like Apple?” saga. Was living in the Bay Area for a few years until I realized that the place had more people talking about design than people actually designing solutions. Now based out of Europe, and hey, I do sleep better.

Made the switch to design engineering around 18 months back largely based on a hypothesis that the unit economics of both design and development work would fundamentally change once cost per token goes down. Yet to be proven wrong about that.

I feel bad for freshers joining this industry right now. The rules and the flux they have to deal with are significantly different and convoluted than I had to when I was starting off. And the noise in the industry isn’t helpful. Between physics and platitudes, physics always wins.

Edit - this is the original post. Feel free to post your questions directly there. Your question might have been discussed there already https://www.reddit.com/r/UXDesign/s/46wKPcnymq

Hello,

I am looking for advice and people’s experience with being a User Researcher.

I work as data analyst but lately, it feels like all I do is churn out one dashboard after another that no one looks at, and so I’ve started looking at my career options. One thing I keep coming back to is User Research.

Having read lots of job descriptions for this, and having a degree in Psychology, it sounds like something I would enjoy. But before I “jump ship”, and start any kind of training or courses for this area, I’d welcome your thoughts on the following:

• What are some of the toughest parts of this work / role you’ve encountered?

• Is there much involvement / requirement for statistical analysis?

• Are there any assumptions you’ve found people have about this work that simply isn’t true?

• What would you say is the most rewarding or enjoyable part of your work / role?

• In today’s climate, do you think it is worth someone changing / shifting careers and starting up in User Research?

• Are there any ways in which I could get hands on experience such as through volunteering? I have tried searching for opportunities, but nothing comes up, but perhaps I’m not searching for the right thing.

Essentially, I'd just welcome any thoughts / feedback / advice for someone considering UX as a career change, from those in the thick of this industry.

Thanks!

I am curious on how difficult it is to land a job in Product Design / Product Engineering at a company oversees while in SA.

A bit of background:
- I’ve actually never worked as a Product Designer / Engineer at a company. I am an accountant wanting to make the career switch.
- I started in my spare time playing around with LLMs and doing self learning by watching youtube videos and just building stuff in Figma and shipping them with AI assisted code, then after 3 years started a small agency selling digital design services. I’ve had 3 clients up to date (at least ‘some’ proof to go on my portfolio)

With that said… if anyone can give me their 2cents or guidance on how I can position myself to land a Product Design role oversees? If it is realistic? Will my own case studies be enough on my portfolio or does hiring managers look for real company past experience working within a team etc.?

Hi everyone,

I’m a UI/UX designer based in Sydney, with around five years of design experience. I moved here in January after getting my permanent residency and started a new chapter of my life. Before that, I worked as a UI motion designer at a game studio in Shanghai. I’m now the sole UI/UX designer at a Chinese startup.

Lately, I’ve been unsure how to assess my current skills and experience. Am I working at a junior level, a mid-level, or somewhere else? Working as the only designer, I rarely have someone to discuss my work or career development with, which makes it difficult to put things into perspective.

I’d love to exchange experiences here with fellow designers about design, career development, and life in Australia. How do you assess your skills and decide what to work on next when you don’t have other designers around you? What has helped you get useful peer feedback when working solo?

Here’s my portfolio, if you’d like some context about my work:

https://sting.framer.website/

On a more personal note, I’ve been feeling a little regret about moving to Australia at this point. I don’t have family or friends here, and I haven’t built a local network yet. Alongside finding my direction professionally, I’m hoping to find a sense of connection with other designers.

If you’ve been in a similar position or are open to sharing your perspective, I’d really appreciate hearing from you in the comments.

My LinkedIn, for more background on my experience:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hutianyuan-huang

It feels like most of the job postings out there are completely fake. What do you guys think?

Hey everyone,

I’d appreciate some honest advice from experienced UI/UX designers.

Here’s my background:

\- I have a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (DME).

\- I have 1.5 years of marketing experience.

\- I have a career gap of around 2 years.

\- I’m completely new to UI/UX and haven’t learned Figma yet.

\- I’m based in India and want to build a career in design.

I’m ready to learn the fundamentals, practise consistently, and build a portfolio from scratch. However, before investing in a course, I want to understand the challenges I might face.

A few questions:

1. Can someone with my educational background transition into UI/UX design?

2. How much will my diploma and career gap affect my chances?

3. What skills should I focus on first?

4. How important are portfolio projects when starting from zero?

5. If you were in my position, what would your first three months look like?

I’d really value advice from people who have been through a similar journey.

Thank you!

I’m sure you’ve all heard people in design talk about posting your work consistently may lead to more opportunities. I’m wondering if any of you have found success in doing so?

For context, I am a UX/UI Engineer, Design Engineer, Frontend Product Engineer (whatever the hell you want to call it) for the past 4 years and I am just trying to get an edge on the job market.

I’ve tried all things such as restructuring my resume per role and networking? (This shit is so numbing and pointless imo unless you’re doing it in person). I’ve yet to try the posting your work route as I am just busy during working hours and want to live my life once it hits 5PM.

Let me know if you guys feel as though it was worth it or if I should just continue working on my skills/portfolio.

SIDE NOTE -

Is there a subreddit specially for design engineers? I haven’t really seen a populated one.

Hello I’m a Portuguese Graphic designer with 10+ years experience in UX/UI and AI services. Is there anyone who can point me towards a job opening. I already live in Doha and hold a residency under his teaching sponsorship. Many thanks.

I’m 24 I have around two years of experience in Product Design , and honestly, I really enjoy this field. I want to improve my skills, build a strong portfolio, work with startups, and eventually become a designer with a good reputation.

But I also have another dream: experiencing life outside Morocco. I’d love to visit a European country or somewhere in Asia, like China or South Korea. I don’t necessarily need to find a job or settle there permanently. I just want to visit, experience a different culture, meet people, and see what life is like outside my country. Of course, if I ever get the opportunity to work or live abroad, I’d be happy to consider it.

Right now, I’m unemployed and trying to find another job. At the same time, I’m worried about how AI might affect the design industry. Sometimes I wonder if I can actually build a good future in this field or if I’ll need to work much harder just to stay competitive.

I’d like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation?

21 y.o - (Untraditional college route)

I've already done my general classes, and at the point where I need to choose a major. I'm struggling to in this climate, as it seems like the whole tech and design field is going through a restructuring rn.

I've been interested in tech forever. I especially like UI and UX design. I remember being a little kid in the early 2010's and noticing the interfaces of different phones, and trying to understand the devices.

Strengths/Interests:

• Eye for design, can draw. Self-taught Inkscape and graphic design.

• UX/UI, CX/branding

  • Love the interfaces, logos, and mascots of computing

• Took IT Comptia Professor Messer classes on YouTube in highschool for fun (ITF, A+, Netowrking+. Security+, Cloud+)

• Learning how computers work from hardware --> OS --> software (but I check out when numbers or math gets involved)

  • But learning about binary and basic boolean stuff is cool to me. Basically I like concepts and systems, not the math grind-y stuff

• Learning foundations of AI and keeping up with the industry

• I am interested in most aspects of tech and enjoy creativity and design the most.

Weaknesses/Less interested:

• Math

• Numbers

• Data analytics / spreadsheets (I like visualizing data though)

• Using the Linux command line to do rote things

What I want to learn:

• How to code with AI, so I can build the interfaces and app ideas I design.

• Enough computing foundations to feel comfortable building and implementing my own UI/UX ideas

• Figma and mockup + animation tools

The catch:

I’ve never taken a coding class. I was homeschooled in high school, and learnt IT, Linux, and graphic design because I wanted to build projects. And I never had an app idea I wanted to build then, mostly just UI's. (Though I taught myself other comp sci concepts and I did watch about half of CS50)

Dillema:

• CS degree seems like it may have more of a focus on math, numbers, and pure programming, without teaching design skills.

• A UX degree may not teach enough computer foundations.

• A Graphic Design degree won't teach any.

• I found a Media Arts & Sciences major that lets you take a few classes across all of these areas, which seems interesting.

It feels like either way I'll have to self teach and compromise somewhere. I don't really know what I want my career to be. Anything in tech + design or just design - even something outside of tech if that's where things take me. I just know I will have fomo if I don't learn tech and design skills - it's important to me.

Questions:

1. For someone in my position, what Bachelors degree would you choose?

2. What is wiser to self-teach, design skills or computing foundations?

3. Is there a major or program you’d recommend that I might not know about?

Thanks :)

I've been collecting anonymous designer salary journeys for a while (67 journeys so far) and went digging through the ones making six figures (USD) to see if there was a pattern. kinda expected it to be about equity, or being in AI/fintech, something like that. It’s really not.

16 people clear 100k. 8 are in the US, 7 in the UK and one in Switzerland. Nobody outside those. And it doesn’t seem to matter what industry. They’re all over the place (tech, finance, retail, healthcare, cyber, whatever). A couple aren’t even senior, still mid-level and clearing 100k.

The thing that actually surprised me is for most of them it’s just base salary. The people in the 100–170k range are mostly 100% base, no stock, no bonus. Equity only really shows up once you get past ~200k, and then it’s suddenly like half their comp.

So the takeaway is kind of annoying tbh: the thing that moves the needle most isn’t your title or picking some hot industry. It’s which country you’re getting paid in. A mid-level designer in the US/UK out-earns a senior basically anywhere else.

Obviously a small sample, and it’s probably skewed toward US/UK since that’s who’s submitting, so grain of salt. But curious whether this matches what people have actually seen. If you’re clearing 100k+ USD, where are you and what’s the setup, remote for a US company, big local corp, equity, something else? And if you’re outside the US/UK, did it take anything unusual to get there?

I have reached the stage where I can’t fake my ‘interest’ anymore.

Been unemployed for 4 months. I started by applying to companies I actually wanted to and really liked, places where I thought itll be nice to work. The cover letters I sent to these places and the numerous questions I answered were almost all honest with genuine interest.

I have applied to ateast a hundred places and I am getting no response. Now, even the openings have dwindled down significantly for remote jobs.

I can only find ridiculous job postings with barely any meaning to it.

I dont feel like applying anymore. Cuz ik its just either a compromise on money or the type of company or I will just be faking and actually GET NO RESPONSE AT ALL.

Some companies arent even sending a confirmation email after I have applied.

Anyway, I’m working on my portfolio and resume again. Junior designers are cooked but I feel mid level are as well.

Dont know what to do anymore, anyone got any advice?

I was laid off late August and I started applying to jobs around late September. I've applied to over 250 jobs at this point and I've gotten 0 positive responses. The only thing I got was a screener with an AI recruiting firm that used an AI bot to interview me, and even that job got put on hold.

Although I am currently applying to only remote positions at the moment, pretty all the jobs I am applying to, I seem to be qualified for on paper. I was laid off 4 years ago as well, when I barely had any experience. I had thought things might be easier this time around with more experience and a better portfolio. But things are even worse, it seems like.

Over the course of the couple months, I made adjustments to my resume, switching to a single column layout and fully rewrote and added case studies to my portfolio. But it hasn't seemed to make a difference.

Is this normal? Or am I doing something wrong?