UI Design Job Application Process – Simplified

The UI design job application process can feel overwhelming, especially with the increasing competition in the design industry. Whether you’re a recent graduate, transitioning from another field, or looking to level up your career, understanding how to navigate the job search efficiently is crucial.

In this guide, we will simplify the entire process—from understanding the job market and creating a standout portfolio to acing interviews and negotiating your salary. By following these steps, you’ll not only increase your chances of landing a UI design job but also gain confidence throughout the journey.

When you’re in the UI design job application process, understanding the job market is crucial. It helps you tailor your skills, stand out from the competition, and land the role that’s right for you. Let’s break it down.

The design field is diverse. That is why understanding the UI design job market and the different roles in it can help you decide which path aligns with your interests and skills.

Here’s a quick overview:

Each role plays a part in creating a seamless, user-centered experience. If you want a deeper dive into the product design team roles, check out this blog.

Let’s face it: the UI design job market is competitive, which makes the UI design job application process daunting. With so many skilled designers out there, you’ll need to stand out by showcasing both technical and soft skills.

Here’s what hiring managers are looking for:

Staying competitive means keeping up with industry trends and committing to continuous learning.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are in the beginning of the UI design job application process:

Knowing the market you’re applying for helps you tailor your skills, stand out, and secure the right role.

Creating a portfolio is an important step in the UI design job application process. Let’s go through a few things you should keep in mind when creating your portfolio.

Recruiters are not only interested in a couple of screenshots of a finalized product. What makes a good product design portfolio is giving insights into the messy parts, such as research, challenges, and everything you had to overcome to deliver this shiny new design.

Your portfolio should showcase both the outcomes and the processes of your work. To highlight the importance of your portfolio, you have to realize that it is another design project in itself. It is as important as your previous work.

When you are presenting your work in your portfolio, make sure to include more than 1-2 screens or just the top of a landing/home page. Contrary to the belief of many beginner designers, a portfolio filled with 1-2 screens and tops of landing pages, unfortunately, won’t land you a job. ⁠

If you want to read more about what a good product design portfolio has to contain, you should check out this blog.

It’s also important to know that there are many great portfolio builders out there. You don’t need to be a coding wizard to create a beautiful portfolio website. With no-code portfolio builders, you can easily build an eye-catching one that showcases your creativity and skills.

Some of them are:

And remember, as with everything, you’ll get better at it the more you do it. Knowing how to iterate will come in handy for all your future projects, not just the UI design job application process!

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!

Each and every job application requires time and dedication. The design job application is one of the most daunting experiences we go through. But we do have a simple solution for this. Save your time and energy for the fine-tuning that makes the difference!

All the most important situations you can find yourself in while job searching are covered by this one free product! Once you have access to this file, you will receive lifetime updates for all the templates.

If making your UI design job application process as seamless as possible sounds appealing, make sure to download the free Design Job Hunt Templates!

Preparing your CV/Motivational letter requires time and dedication.

You’ve perfected your application and now it’s time to find the right job. The good news is that UI job opportunities are all around us. You can search for jobs on general job boards but don’t forget to check out company websites, too! Many companies list their job openings on their own sites.

Here are some of the most popular job boards in 2025 for remote UX and UI work:

You can also engage in UI communities or by getting referrals. Another way to ease the UI design job application process and find UI jobs is to connect with other designers. Look for online communities such as Slack channels focused on UI design or on LinkedIn. Attending design events and meetups in your area is also a good idea.

Screenshot of Fiverr.

Once you get an opportunity to attend an interview for the desired design position, the stress might rise. How to prepare for a design interview? What questions should you expect? 

Usually, there are a couple of phases in a design interview. First is the initial phone call with the recruiter. Following is a video call with their design team (if they have one). The third phase usually includes a video call with other stakeholders or an on-site interview.

Interviews are a big part of the UI design job application process. Before attending one, you should do your research and try to learn as much information about them as possible. The beginning of the interview serves as a self-introduction.

Since this is where you can create an impact, it is crucial to practice before the action. Your design portfolio is the most critical factor in this interview. So, you’ll have to invest time and dedication to polish it.

If you’re interested in more tips and tricks on preparation, make sure to go through our how to prepare for a design interview blog.

When you’re in the UI design job application process, you must familiarize yourself with the right questions to ensure you become the best candidate.

You can expect the interview questions to be:

If you want to prepare for the design interview questions, we have a more detailed guide for you! Go through our UX/UI designer job interview questions blog and nail your next interview!

While it’s essential to prepare for questions you’ll get to answer during the interview, it’s equally important to prepare a list of things to ask in a product design job interview.

Asking relevant questions during a job interview can help you better understand the company, the role, and the design process, and can also help you determine if the job is a good fit for your skills and career goals.

You should ask about their design team, about their current design processes, and about the compensation and growth opportunities. Another topic to ask about is work-life balance and inclusivity.

For more detailed questions and topics to ask in a design interview, check out this blog post.

Salary negotiations can be tricky and are a huge part of the UI design job application process. It’s important to know your worth and be prepared to make a strong case for your salary. Research the market rate for your role and consider your skills, experience, and achievements. This will help you make a confident and informed argument for your desired salary. Remember to also consider benefits, vacation time, and other perks when evaluating an offer.

It’s also very important that you learn to recognize some red flags when in the UI design job application process, as they can point to a company’s unhealthy culture or practices.

Here’s a breakdown of common phrases and what they might actually mean about the company or role:

Practicing for an interview is a great way to prepare for it.

Now that you are in the final part of the UI design job application process and you have landed the job you wanted (congratulations!), you might be wondering what to do in the first 30 days.

The UI design job application process requires a combination of strong design skills, strategic job hunting, and preparation for interviews and negotiations. By building an impressive portfolio, tailoring your resume, and leveraging job boards and networking, you’ll improve your chances of securing the right opportunity.

Remember, landing a job is just the beginning. Once you step into your new role, continue learning, collaborating, and refining your skills to grow as a designer. Stay persistent, embrace feedback, and keep up with industry trends to ensure long-term success in UI design.

Good luck with your job hunting! You’ve got this! 🥳