Get Your First Job as a UX or Interaction Designer

100% booked

Beginner

Closed for enrollment

How This Course Will Help Your Career

Looking at a UX job description for the first time can be a scary experience. Thoughts like “I need experience in what?! Surely only a UX superstar can fill that position!” may run through your mind. It can prove challenging regardless of your background, and that is why we created this course, to help you bridge the gap between your knowledge and first UX job—using tried and tested techniques that employers respond well to.

Design skills are in higher demand than ever before, and with the alleged “decade of design” erupting around us, this is unlikely to slow down. UX is one of the most rapidly growing fields within design, and UX jobs are currently in high demand at both new and established tech companies. UX jobs are paying well, despite the relatively low competition for positions, and they also provide an incredible amount of freedom for such rewarding work. The main skill required is empathy, so even if you are not proficient in graphic design, there is still huge promise for a great career in the industry, especially if you’re interested in human behavior and problem solving.

A typical UX team today is likely to consist of people who have come from a wide variety of backgrounds. The way to secure your spot on such a team is by translating your existing skills and experience into UX skills; this course will teach you how to tell potential employers about your UX story, even if you don’t think you have one! We are here to give you that helping hand on the way to landing your first job within this people-oriented profession.

What you will learn

An introduction to all areas of UX work
What experience UX employers are looking for
How to develop a winning cover letter, resume, and portfolio
Skills to help you navigate a UX interview and negotiate a job offer
How to develop your UX career further once in a role

Who should take this course

This is a beginner-level course specially tailored to students, recent graduates, and anyone looking to start a career in UX design:

UX designers looking to build effective resumes, land their next UX jobs, and/or develop their roles in their companies further
Students and recent graduates keen on becoming UX designers or UX consultants
Newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to UX design

The content of this course overlaps somewhat with our "UX Design from Scratch" course; however, we have dramatically extended matters regarding the relevant areas of job hunting and resume/portfolio development.

Courses in the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.

Learn and work with a global team of designers

When you take part in this course, you will join a global multidisciplinary team working on the course and the exercises at the same time as you. You will work together to improve your skills and understanding. Your course group will be made up of an incredibly diverse group of professionals, all of whom have the same objective—to become successful designers. It’s your chance to learn, grow, and network with your peers across the planet.

Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate

Use your industry-recognized Course Certificate on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.

Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry leaders:

Our clients: IBM, HP, Adobe, GE, Accenture, Allianz, Phillips, Deezer, Capgemin, Mcafee, SAP, Telenor, Cigna, British Parliament, State of New York

Practical Info

Price: Free for Members

Take as many courses as you want for a flat fee.
Self-Paced Online Course with No Deadlines

Never miss a class or a deadline.
Permanent Access to Course Material

Access your course material for the entire duration of your membership.
Online Lessons with Optional Meet-Ups

Take your online courses from anywhere. Join optional meet-ups in your city.
12 hours 6 mins over 9 weeks (Estimated)

No time limit to finish a course, take as much time as you need.
Grading by Experts, Not Machines

Experts grade your answers—that's why our Course Certificates are credible.
Learn on Any Device

Learn at the office, on your sofa and on the go.

Lessons in This Course

Each week, one lesson becomes available.
There's no time limit to finish a course. Lessons have no deadlines.
Estimated learning time: 12 hours 6 mins spread over 9 weeks .

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 38 mins.

0.1: Welcome (7 mins)
0.2: An introduction to courses from the Interaction Design Foundation (37 mins)
0.3: Let our community help you (1 min)
0.4: Meet your peers online in our discussion forums (6 mins)
0.5: Meet and learn from design professionals at an upcoming meet-up (1 min)
0.6: Gain Timeless Skills Through Courses From the Interaction Design Foundation (21 mins)
0.7: How to Earn Your Course Certificate (16 mins)
0.8: Mandatory vs. Optional Lesson Items (7 mins)
0.9: A Mix Between Video-Based and Text-Based Lesson Content (6 mins)

Lesson 1: What is User Experience Design All About?

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 47 mins.

1.1: So, What is User Experience Design? (39 mins)
1.2: What is User-Centered Design? (9 mins)
1.3: User-Centered Design in Detail (9 mins)
1.4: UX and User-Centered Design (38 mins)
1.5: Development Methodologies and UX Design (40 mins)
1.6: Case Study (A Small UX Web Design Project) (21 mins)
1.7: UX Fails - What Happens When the UX of a Product isn't Right? (9 mins)
1.8: UX and UCD Approach (6 mins)

Lesson 2: What do User Experience Designers Do?

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 6 mins.

2.1: Careers in UX Design (39 mins)
2.2: The Disciplines of UX Design (42 mins)
2.3: The Prospects for UX Design (41 mins)
2.4: UX Career (6 mins)

Lesson 3: Getting Experience in the UX Field

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 22 mins.

3.1: Deciding what you want to do (11 mins)
3.2: Getting Some UX Experience (9 mins)
3.3: Writing an Internship Request Letter (12 mins)
3.4: Communicating Your Internship Application by E-mail (10 mins)
3.5: Other Tips for Getting an Internship (9 mins)
3.6: Getting the Most out of a UX Internship (12 mins)
3.7: Turning a UX Internship into a Full-Time Paying Job (10 mins)
3.8: Getting Academic Credit for an Internship (8 mins)
3.9: What do you want to do in the UX Field? (6 mins)

Lesson 4: The UX Portfolio and UX CV (Resume)

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 3 mins.

4.1: What is a UX Portfolio? (8 mins)
4.2: Creating a Great UX Portfolio (20 mins)
4.3: Creating a Great UX CV(Resume) (9 mins)
4.4: Online UX CVs and Portfolios (22 mins)
4.5: CV and Portfolio Structure (6 mins)

Lesson 5: Getting Your First UX Job

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 28 mins.

5.1: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Job Hunting Overview (7 mins)
5.2: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Job Boards (20 mins)
5.3: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Newspapers and Trade Press (8 mins)
5.4: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Networking (9 mins)
5.5: How to find and apply for UX roles - "On Spec" Applications (8 mins)
5.6: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Recruitment Consultants (10 mins)
5.7: How to find UX roles and how to apply for them - Filling in Application Forms (9 mins)
5.8: The Perfect Cover Letter (15 mins)
5.9: Job Search Strategy (6 mins)

Lesson 6: UX Job Interviews and Negotiations

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 59 mins.

6.1: UX Job Interviews - General Advice (12 mins)
6.2: UX Job Interviews - UX Specific Advice (9 mins)
6.3: How to Handle an Assessment Center (9 mins)
6.4: The Perfect UX Curriculum Vitae and Portfolio and Interview (15 mins)
6.5: Negotiations following an Offer (11 mins)
6.6: The Interview (6 mins)

Lesson 7: UX Career Development

To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 44 mins.

7.1: Further Learning Opportunities (13 mins)
7.2: Develop a Network (5 mins)
7.3: Using LinkedIn (15 mins)
7.4: Getting a Mentor (8 mins)
7.5: Professional Development (6 mins)

Lesson 8: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

To be scheduled.

8.1: Course Evaluation (1 min)

How Others Have Benefited

Natalie Verdon, Australia

“How wonderful.......I am looking forward to all I can learn and share with the community. You have a brilliant site and wonderful offerings.”

Dereck du Toit, South Africa

“I am recommending membership for IDF to everyone in this space – and everyone buys in because it so incredibly industry relevant.”

Fernando Martinez Carreon, Mexico

“Well, I've started with one of the courses and felt it was fair to write once again just to say you that you are a great team of human, cognitive and pedagogy centered professionals. I'm really glad that I've become a member and have all of these tons of information for self-paced learning, the content I read it's great so far!”

See other reviews

How It Works

Take online courses by industry experts

Lessons are self-paced so you'll never be late for class or miss a deadline.
Get a Course Certificate

Your answers are graded by experts, not machines. Get an industry-recognized Course Certificate to prove your skills.
Advance your career

Use your new skills in your existing job or to get a new job in UX design. Get help from our community.

Start Advancing Your Career Now

Join us to take “Get Your First Job as a UX or Interaction Designer”. Take other courses at no additional cost. Make a concrete step forward in your career path today.

Advance my career now

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide mostly beginner or more advanced courses?

You’ll find courses for all levels—whether you're an aspiring designer, an experienced designer, or a professional looking to implement design principles in your work.

Best-rated beginner design courses, a great place to start or a good refresher for seasoned designers:

Best-rated advanced design courses:

I missed the enrollment, and now the course has closed. What can I do?

Don't worry if you miss the course. We will re-run it shortly. We open and close enrollment to control the classroom size.

Why? Networking is a large part of your learning journey, so we want just the right number of people inside the courses. That’s also why we display the "XX% booked" on our course icons.

If it’s very important that you enroll now, please let us know by emailing us at hello@interaction-design.org.

Can I take more than one course at a time?

With a Professional membership, you can take as many courses as you’d like, at no extra cost. For example, if there are over 40 active courses, you can enroll in all of them at the same time and move from one to another freely.

With a Student membership, you can take a maximum of two courses at the same time. You can still take as many courses as you like—free of extra charges. You’d just have to finish (or drop them) so that you don’t have more than two ongoing courses at any one time.

Once you’re enrolled, you can take all the time you need to complete a given course.

Will I receive my Course Certificate?

You’ll get a digital industry-recognized course certificate at no extra cost every time you complete a course with a score of 70% or more.

Certificates never expire and can be saved as a .jpg file, so they’re easy to share. There’s no limit to how many certificates you can earn during your membership.

You can see an example of a Course Certificate at the bottom of the Course Catalogue.

There’s no specified time by which certificates must be awarded. Instead, they’re given to you as and when you’ve answered all quiz questions. This applies even if the questions are answered long after the official end date of the course.

How long does it take to complete a course?

Course lengths vary to fit your schedule. You can squeeze in short sessions daily or dive deep in longer bursts—whatever fits your busy life.

The course outline provides a rough estimate of how much time you would spend learning before enrolling.

Once enrolled in a course, you’ll gain access to a new lesson each week. You’re free to complete the lessons without any deadlines or end dates.

If you need to unlock lesson content sooner, please let us know by emailing us at hello@interaction-design.org.

When will my answers be marked/graded, and how will they be graded?

Your answers will be graded by our experts and course instructors (not by machines) approximately two weeks after you submit your work.

We mark/grade in so-called "sprints." This is much more efficient than doing little batches every day. It's part of our lean/agile work philosophy and is one of the factors that keeps our membership prices so low.

I’m falling behind the course schedule and new lessons are starting before I’ve completed the previous lesson(s). Will I be locked out of these unfinished lessons?

No, you’ll not be locked out of any lesson or course.

You’ll have access to all course materials throughout your membership. There’s no pressure to keep at the same pace as the lesson release dates.

Sticking to a schedule has its benefits. When you follow along with other members, you can reap the benefits of our online community, ask questions, and exchange ideas. This has the potential to accelerate your learning.

I scored less than 70% in a course, so I didn't qualify for a certificate. Can I try again?

Yes! Everyone's learning journey looks different, and we encourage you to continue learning and improving your progress.

To retake a course, just follow these steps:

NB: Before you start, please note that when you drop a course, you’ll lose your progress and any answers you submit. Screenshot or save answers you'd like to reuse.

1. Go to your profile and click on the course you'd like to retake.

2. Underneath your progress bar at the top of your screen, you'll see “UX Courses” with an arrow (>) pointing to the course landing page.

3. Click through to the landing page and scroll to the bottom.

4. Tap the red button that says, “Drop my course now.”

5. Head back to our UX Courses page and re-enroll yourself in the course.

You're all set to try again!

In some cases, we can open lessons for members who are retaking a course so that they don't have to wait for familiar lessons to unlock each week. If you'd like us to do this, please let us know at hello@interaction-design.org.

Get Your First Job as a UX or Interaction Designer

How This Course Will Help Your Career

What you will learn

Who should take this course

Learn and work with a global team of designers

Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate

Lessons in This Course

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

Lesson 1: What is User Experience Design All About?

Lesson 2: What do User Experience Designers Do?

Lesson 3: Getting Experience in the UX Field

Lesson 4: The UX Portfolio and UX CV (Resume)

Lesson 5: Getting Your First UX Job

Lesson 6: UX Job Interviews and Negotiations

Lesson 7: UX Career Development

Lesson 8: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

How Others Have Benefited

Natalie Verdon, Australia

Dereck du Toit, South Africa

Fernando Martinez Carreon, Mexico

How It Works

Start Advancing Your Career Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Popular related searches

Filters

Privacy Settings

Security

Enhanced Functionality

Referral Program

Error Reporting

Analytics Storage

Google

Advertising Storage

Personalization Storage

Advertising Personalization

User Data

Meta Pixel

Meta CAPI

LinkedIn Insights

LinkedIn CAPI

Google Ads Tag