Remote UX Job Coaching

These words come straight from a student’s mouth after graduating from an intensive UX bootcamp:

“I feel like I have a good grasp of the fundamentals now, but I still don’t know how to get a UX job.”

Whether you just graduated from a bootcamp or are embarking on a second career, transitioning into UX is no easy task.

For a field this new and dynamic, the path into your first UX job seems to be a maze, with many obstacles in the way:

Dealing with these obstacles can take a long time, and often set you back in your UX job search. I’ve personally hit my head against the wall with questions like:

• What exactly are recruiters looking for in a UX resume?
  
• How do I approach building my UX portfolio? How long should it take?
  
• How do I position myself as a UX designer when I’m transitioning from a completely different career?
  
• How do I build an impressive UX case study?
  
• How do I negotiate my UX salary?

I’ve learned it all the hard way, through trial and error. Doing the interview dance with dozens of companies, bombing interviews and negotiating poorly.

Then slowly, learning from one mistake after another, I gathered a bank of knowledge that has served me well from winning one UX job to another. I can help you make up for lost time (and money), while making the journey to your first UX job a lot less confusing:

Enter UX Career Coaching

If this sounds like what you need, then consider my new UX career coaching package. Don’t pay for the costs of mistakes when you can get a mentor to show you the exact pitfalls to avoid, the right ways to position yourself, and how to make sure you land a great job offer.

“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself” -Sam Levenson

You might be thinking “that sounds nice...but how does it work?”

I offer 3 packages you can choose depending on your needs:

Package 1: One-Hour Career Coaching - $200

Often, UX Beginners just need an intense one-hour strategy session to work through job negotiations, positioning their brand, or preparing for big interviews. 

I've routinely helped designers make an extra $5-10K salary increase with just one conversation. 

This is a great start for new students and those who've worked with me in the past. The package also comes with:

- week of unlimited questions via email after coaching session

- digital downloads like resume templates, scripts for emailing designers

- a PDF roadmap of the next steps to take as a growing designer

Package 2: Two-Hour Career Coaching - $300

Designers looking for more guidance can sign up for two separate 1-hour sessions. This is ideal for those going through an ongoing interview process or negotiation, and desire an extra follow-up session. This option has also been helpful for students who want to spend one session purely on their portfolio, and another session focused on various aspects of the UX job hunt.  

The 2-Hour coaching provides a $100 discount over the 1-hour package because the setup cost for me is lower and I enjoy working with students over a longer period of time. 

Package 3: Complete One-Month Coaching Program - $500

The one-month UX Job Coaching program is my proudest offering because it has the deepest, longest-lasting impact on my mentees. Over the course of 4 weeks I'll work with you to get a structured, effective approach to your job search. 

Here's what that structure looks like, although I can tailor it depending on what each mentee needs to focus on:

WEEK 1: Building Out Your Roadmap

• We’ll start off with a deep session to:
  
• Dissect your background
  
• Identify your long & short-term goals.
  
• Assess your UX interests and skills
  
  

This is the most critical piece that helps me tailor the rest of the 4 weeks to your unique situation. Within the first week we’ll set up goals and deadlines for the rest of the UX coaching program.

WEEK 2: UX Resume + Portfolio Workshop

We evaluate your current resume + portfolio. If you’re missing one or both of these pieces, we will:

• Rehaul, rewrite, and redesign your resume
  
• Implement a framework for approaching your UX portfolio
  
• Evaluate options for hosting and displaying your UX portfolio
  

WEEK 3: Portfolio Case Study Deep Dive

If you’ve yet to create a significant portfolio piece, we extend Week 2’s work with building out the major pieces of your case study. Get the scoop on:

• What to include (and not to include) in your UX case study
  
• UX artifacts and assets to help tell your story with authority
  
• Preparation for portfolio-specific interview questions
  

WEEK 4: Interview Prep

In the final week, we get real with interview practice, covering:

• How to reverse-engineer the job interview
  
• Learn how to tackle the different stages of interviews (phone, in-person, design exercise)
  
• Live interview practice - I will grill you and make sure you’re ready for interviews!
  
• We conclude the program with another career roadmapping exercise to determine your best path forward.
  

One-Month Coaching = Most Cost-Effective Package

The cost of the the UX Coaching Package is a flat $500, or a steep of my 1 hour rate. 

My coaching aims (and has proven to) give my mentees an unfair advantage over other designers in the marketplace. I share insider knowledge with you that most UX Beginners have no access to, and will help you stand out in the job application & interview process.  

One of my students, Joan, said that if she had just talked to me earlier about negotiating her UX job offer, she could’ve made $25,000 more in her first year.

Compared to how much more you could be making in a new UX job, my coaching program provides is a small, one-time investment. 

But, I do want to stress that getting individual, 1-on-1 UX coaching isn’t for everybody.

Who should buy this?

• You just graduated from a UX bootcamp and don’t want to lose momentum getting your first UX job
  
• You’re actively interviewing but need more guidance
  
• You’re in the midst of applying to jobs but not sure how to properly position and sell yourself
  
• You seek direct, honest feedback and am willing to hustle to become a UX designer

Who should NOT buy this?

• Those who expect others to do the work and get a UX job for them. This program requires your energy, focus and hustle.
  
• Students who’ve had 0 exposure to UX - meaning you haven’t taken a course, nor read a UX book yet
  
• You have a lot of debt or have trouble paying bills. Take care of yourself first :)
  

As a UX career coach, I will push you to be the best version of yourself and that requires a lot of effort on your part.

Although I will provide you materials and templates on top of coaching, at the end of the day the most successful mentees are self-starters who apply the knowledge I teach them and take action.

What you get with the One-Month Coaching Package

• Weekly 1-hour videochat working sessions
  
• Unlimited questions (via email/private message)
  
• Career Roadmapping
  
• Skill Assessment
  
• UX Resume Redesign + exclusive templates.
  
• How to position yourself and articulate your strengths as a career transitioner
  
• A framework to creating your UX portfolio
  
• Deep dive - how to write a UX case study
  
• Mastering UX Interview Questions
  
• Live interview practice
  
• Negotiation: how to get paid a fair wage and/or negotiate for a higher salary
  

And much more. I encourage my students to ask as many questions as they want during our 4 week time period. No question is off the table, no question is too dumb to ask.

What makes you qualified?

I’ve been exactly where you are. I’m a career transitioner, who came from a completely unrelated field (business) and switched into UX Design. During that time, I learned a ton of lessons in changing myself and my identity. Friends and friends of friends kept asking how I did it, and that’s how UXBeginner.com was started ~3 years ago.

Since starting my UX career, I’ve taught UX classes and workshops at General Assembly, have served as Director of Mentorship & Outreach for UXPA, and continue to foster a community of 2000+ strong at UXBeginner.com. But what makes me uniquely able to help you is that I’m not a natural.

Wait, what?

I’m not a natural, meaning I wasn’t just born with talents that make me into a UX Designer today. I didn’t attend art school nor design school. I didn’t grow up coding, nor was I super artistic. Yet I found my unique strengths and my angle into a career in UX.

That’s what this coaching program is ultimately about. I help you dig up your strengths and define your personal value proposition.

The best piece of advice I ever read was from Tim Ferriss, who stated that naturals do not always make the best teachers, because they haven’t been through the same journey a complete beginner has to endure.

Instead, he recommends learning from someone who’s figured out how to hack the system - despite not having natural talents - and catch up to experts. These people have the insights it takes to help a total beginner to a fully competent.

I am one of these people, and helping people transition into UX Design is my specialty.

Here’s my philosophy - learning something with guidance is harder than without. As one of my favorite quotes go:

“Freedom without structure is its own kind of hell.”

Don’t flail in the wind. Get guidance from someone who’s been there.

Some kind words from previous students...

“Oz helped me land my first UX job and more than double my previous salary.”

- 

“As a beginner who is just starting out in this field, the whole UX process seemed a bit daunting at first, but Oz explained everything in a very concise manner so that it wasn't overwhelming for a beginner to absorb.”

- John, San Diego

“One conversation with Oz made me $5,000 more in my first UX job.”
- Kelly, Orange County

_ _ _

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Is this a guarantee that I’ll get a UX job?
No. Getting a job takes time and depends uniquely on a mentee’s external (job market & location) and internal factors (skill level, experience). The early part of my coaching program is to help you identify these factors.

A critical piece of getting UX coaching is learning the meta-skill of finding a job. This is a skill you’ll use for every new job in the future. Picking up specialized knowledge like how to network, finding a new job and negotiating your salary will have a lasting impact on the rest of your career.

Psychological research shows that those who pay for education are typically more motivated to follow through and learn the material.