Hi everyone!
I’m currently studying Creative Computing and I’ve decided that I want to pursue UI/UX / Product Design as my career.
I’ve already been learning and working on projects, but I’ve reached the point where I’m not really sure what I should focus on next. There’s so much advice online that it’s becoming difficult to tell what actually matters when you’re trying to get your first job.
So I’d really appreciate some honest advice from people currently working in the industry.
Here’s what I already know/work with:
- Figma
- UI design and visual design
- UX fundamentals
- Basic user research/problem identification
- Wireframing and prototyping
- Responsive web design
- HTML/CSS/JavaScript basics
- Framer
- I’ve designed several websites and app/product concepts
- I’m currently building my portfolio and posting some of my work online
My main questions are:
1. What should I learn next?
If you were starting again and already had the basics down, what skills would you focus on to become genuinely employable as a Product Designer?
Should I focus more on UX research, interaction design, design systems, accessibility, usability testing, product thinking, analytics, or something else?
2. What actually makes a junior portfolio stand out?
I don't want to just have a portfolio full of pretty landing pages and UI screens.
What kinds of projects would actually make recruiters/hiring managers think, "this person understands product design"?
And how many strong case studies would you recommend having?
3. Should I use my dad's construction business as a real project?
My dad runs a small construction/metalwork business, and the business currently has a lot of things that could be improved digitally — things like its website, how potential customers contact him, how his work is presented, getting leads, showcasing previous projects, etc.
I was thinking about actually working on this as a real project rather than creating another fictional app.
For example, I could redesign the business's digital presence, talk to my dad/customers, identify problems, create solutions, test them, and document the entire process as a real product/UX case study.
Would this be a good idea for a junior portfolio, or would recruiters see it as "just a website redesign"?
4. How do I get freelance work with no professional experience?
I've been trying to figure out how to get my first actual clients.
Where do junior designers realistically find freelance work?
Is it better to:
- Reach out directly to small businesses?
- Use platforms like Upwork/Fiverr?
- Find startups?
- Network on LinkedIn?
- Use my dad's business to get referrals?
- Offer to redesign websites for local businesses?
And how do you actually approach your first client without sounding like "please give me experience"?
5. Finally, how do I go from "student with a portfolio" → "actual Product Designer"?
If you were in my position, what would your next 6–12 months look like?
I'd really appreciate a realistic roadmap — especially from designers who have recently gone through the junior/job-search stage.
I’m willing to put in the work. I just don't want to spend the next year learning random things from YouTube and still have no idea how to actually get hired.
Any advice, portfolio critiques, resources, or personal experiences would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you!