Lost Your UX/UI Design Job? Here’s What to Do Next

What to do next

After you take care of the practical details, you should also prepare a brief explanation of what happened.

If you were laid off, describe the business circumstances clearly. If you were fired, be honest without going into unnecessary detail or criticizing your former employer. Explain what you learned and what you have done since then.

Evaluate what you want from your next design job

Although losing your job is difficult, it can also be an opportunity to redirect your focus and look for a role that best matches your passions.

That might mean moving into a closely related field, or it could mean looking for a more specialized role. Either path can be a way to shift your career in a direction that feels like a better fit.

Take some time to look back on your previous job and think about what bothered you while you were there. A retrospective can help you better understand what you're looking for in your next role.

As you reassess your priorities, consider factors such as:

Maintain a productive routine

There are still plenty of things to do even when you are not working. A period without a job can become a time for personal improvement.

You might spend the morning working on job applications and use the rest of the day to educate yourself. This could include learning a new tool or skill, or exploring topics such as soft skills, mindset, and other professional development topics.

Explore

Stepping outside your comfort zone can be beneficial as a creative person. It gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself and try to come up with solutions you might not have considered otherwise.

Free time is a luxury when you have a 9-to-5 job, so make the most of the time you have now by exploring new things or starting personal projects.

Doing so can help you develop transferable skills that may make you even better at your future job. You can also use this time to build a hire-worthy design portfolio.

Our Design Challenges Workbook is a hands-on guide built to help you tackle real challenges and build impressive case studies.

Be proactive

Avoid passively waiting to see what happens next. Instead, take ownership of your future by creating opportunities for yourself.

Try not to let yourself fall into a cycle of desperation. Focus on empowering yourself to choose your own path and decide what you want to do next.

Polish your LinkedIn profile

Take some time to update your LinkedIn profile so it reflects your current experience and the type of role you are looking for.

Update your headline so it clearly communicates your role, specialization, and the value you bring. Rewrite your About section to explain what you do, the problems you solve, and the type of opportunity you are seeking.

Review your previous experience and add measurable results alongside your specific responsibilities. Make sure your profile photo, banner, contact information, and portfolio link are all up to date.

You can also request a recommendation from former colleagues, managers, or clients, while increasing your visibility by connecting with people in your field.

Improve your design portfolio

Take the time to refine your portfolio so it represents the type of work you want to do.

Remove weaker or outdated projects that no longer reflect the direction you want to take. Lead with your strongest and most relevant work, and make your role, responsibilities, process, and contribution clear in every project.

Make sure your portfolio is easy to navigate and works well on both desktop and mobile. Include enough context to show how you think, not just what the final interface looks like.

Strengthen your case studies

In product design, case studies are crucial for showcasing a design project's process, decisions, and outcomes. They provide valuable insights into the designer's problem-solving abilities, creative thinking, and overall design approach. 

A well-written case study serves as evidence for the effectiveness of design decisions. A coherent and professionally written case study contains the following:

One of the best tips for writing a case study I can provide you with is a bit expected, and that is using a narrative writing style. 

With the help of storytelling, you'll take your readers on a journey from the initial challenge to the final solution. But remember to maintain the right balance between storytelling and providing concise content.

And don't forget to personalize it. While templates you can find online provide a useful starting point, it's crucial to personalize and tailor them to your specific project.

Here’s a portfolio case study checklist you can follow to make sure you stand out:

If you wish to learn more about the topic, check out our article How to Write a Case Study.

Simplify your design job hunt process

Each and every job application requires time and dedication. All designers have at one point spent too much time planning, writing, designing, editing, pixel-pushing, and customizing their resumes.

Uncertainty about what to include in your job applications, motivational letters, and emails is something familiar to all of us in the design world. You’re not alone!

Applying for design jobs is one of the most daunting experiences I have ever had to go through.

If making your design job applications as seamless as possible sounds appealing, then be sure to download our free Design Job Hunt Templates.

Once you start applying for jobs, you should prepare yourself for the interviews. To help, read our guide: How to prepare for a design interview.