From Savannah Carlin

<aside> ⚡ If you’re trying to switch into the a UX or product design role, you’ll probably see job descriptions that say “2+ years design experience” for even junior roles. This can feel discouraging since it’s hard to get design experience without just...getting a design job. Read on for some creative ways to get “real-world” design experience.

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Freelancing

The first few freelance projects are the hardest, but after you get a few you can start to build up a network and great case studies. Here’s two ways to get your first few clients:

Volunteering

Volunteer projects are great ways to get experience on a cross-functional team

Virtual volunteering with nonprofits

Find nonprofit projects that need UX design

Tech For Campaigns

Volunteer for tech teams helping progressive political campaigns

https://www.skilledup.life/

Other ideas:

Side projects