So you're an aspiring UX designer, avidly browsing the web for job opportunities—or perhaps you're an HR manager tasked with composing a job ad for a field you know very little about. After reading through dozens of job ads, you're quickly coming to the realization that it's a minefield out there.
The truth is, user experience design is such a broad term—and, for companies, a major source of confusion when it comes to writing UX designer job descriptions. And there are so many potential UX design career paths you could follow!
As a UX designer looking for work, navigating the vast and complex sea of job listings is no easy task! But don't worry. In this guide, we'll show you how to decipher and understand all the different kinds of UX designer job descriptions out there, and we'll provide some helpful templates that HR managers can use to write job ads that encourage the right people to apply.
We'll also take a look at how employers distinguish between junior and senior UX designers.
By the end of this guide, you'll have a much better understanding of the UX design job market. Throughout this post, we will answer the following questions:
1. The UX designer role means different things to different companies!
So why is this?
One reason is that many employers don't actually know what they need from a UX designer. They've heard that UX is important and they're willing to invest, but they haven't quite figured out what the UX designer's role could or should be within their company. In this case, there's a tendency to write catch-all job descriptions that list every single UX skill and task imaginable.
Then there's the matter of company size. Smaller companies, especially startups, tend to look for one UX designer to cover all bases; a generalist who can cater to all their UX needs.
Larger organizations with more resources may be looking for UX designers who specialize in a particular area. They might distinguish between UX researchers, information architects, UX strategists, and so on. Bigger companies may also have more variation in terms of seniority levels—but more on that later.
Despite these variations, there are certain skills and requirements you can expect to see on most UX designer job descriptions.
Let's take a look at these now.
2. What can I expect to see in a UX designer job description?
So what tasks and requirements are you likely to find on an information architect's job description?
A more recently emerging role within the UX field is that of the UX writer. Indeed, written copy plays an important part in the overall user experience, and more and more companies are now looking for dedicated UX writers.
What sets junior, mid-level and senior UX designers apart?
Level of seniority often comes down to years of experience in the field. There is rarely a clear-cut marker, however; every company has its own take on the words “junior” and “senior”, and for many employers, soft skills and cultural fit will take priority.
When searching for UX design roles, don't get too hung up on years of experience. Instead, evaluate your suitability based on where you're currently at in your career and how the job description fits into that.
If you're still learning and exploring, start by searching for junior roles that focus on gaining experience and fostering your development. Remember, just as a senior would be expected to help juniors develop their skills and knowledge, a junior should enter a company expecting to be mentored and developed.
A junior is much more than an inexperienced or lesser paid UX designer; the junior is the future of the design team, and therefore of the product itself.
If you consider yourself a perfect fit for a certain role but don't have the desired level of seniority, it's certainly worth reaching out to the recruiter.
Remember, UX designer job descriptions are made up of both essential skills and nice-to-haves. If you tick every other box, years of experience shouldn't be a deal-breaker!
Check out our UX job ad teardown video, below.
In it, seasoned designer Dee Scarano (who has over ten years of experience in the industry) looks at three real-world UX job ads (posted by Deloitte, Adobe, and Amazon) and talks us through what the hiring managers behind these roles are really looking for:
5. Where should I look for UX design jobs?
Now you have a much clearer idea of the UX design job market, there's only one thing left to do: Search for jobs! So where do you start? Be sure to check out the following portals and platforms:
6. UX designer job descriptions: Key takeaways and next steps
If you're just starting out in the industry, this might seem like a lot to take in. UX designer job descriptions can be varied, inconsistent, and downright confusing.
However, you can simplify your job search by setting out a few key goals. Think carefully about what you want from your next UX design role and jot down a brief wishlist. Consider what kind of environment you'd like to work in—fast-paced startup, larger corporation, or something in-between? Do you want to be a specialist or a generalist?
Perhaps you're undecided, and that's OK too!
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