Planning to hire a new UX intern soon? Our UX Internship hiring guide covers some of the most updated tips for 2023.
You’ve probably done your research on hiring UX talent in Singapore can be a pain especially when universities don’t teach user experience or user interfaces design in much detail.
There are many many titles for UX related job opportunities - UI/UX Designer, UX Designer, Web Designer, Product Design Specialist - the list goes on and on across the 400,000 UX Design jobs in the market today, including many internship opportunities!
How do you start hiring for a UX intern?
Let me break it down for you.
An internship is NOT cheap labour. It’s a learning period for the student to learn skills that they can use later on in their lives when they do land a job.
A great UX internship experience for both supervisor and intern is when your experience aligns with the experience your intended intern would like to learn. In my opinion, they first have to be good researchers by nature to get the most out of their internship. And developing soft skills such as communication, collaboration and feedback reception is key to success in the internship and future career opportunities.
There’s 4 basic steps when it comes to hiring an intern for your UX team.
You’re writing this for university students or graduates who would be entering the working environment for the first time. Hiring managers play a big role in evaluating candidates, so it’s important to tailor your job description to impress them. Your job description should cover:
Talk about personality, skill sets and communication skills for example. Name the personal qualities and skills an ideal candidate should have to learn fast on the job.
UX design process? UI/UX design? The design process? Wireframing? Think about the skill sets they will get to pick up and even platforms like Figma, and how this internship will impact their career. We covered the difference of responsibilities between product and UX designer in our previous blog.
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This gives candidates a taste of the interaction within your team and gives them insights of what to expect when they work for the company if you have teams not just in Singapore but also outside of the country, this is where you want to shout about it!
Their degree is a given. Are they able to work in Singapore? Check all the absolute musts you need so you know who to reject when you go through their application.
All good questions to think about.
You won’t use JobStreet as a platform in this case because it doesn’t make sense to spend that much money to hire UX interns. Emphasizing effective internship search strategies such as using career services, engaging with online communities and networking with peers and professors will increase your chances of finding the right candidate.
Consider free platforms like:
You’ll find the competitive bunch in communities like this, perfect if you’re looking for hard workers and strong researchers who enjoy a design challenge on the job. They also tend to target user growth as a KPI so that saves you some pain teaching them the importance of user growth.
This is a platform for people with similar interests to meet up. You’ll find plenty of UX groups here where every member is at least interested in building a good user experience and some are job hunting every 3-5 posts so keep an eye out.
Some online schools or bootcamps do teach the basics of UI/UX design well these days and I’ve personally found someone I trained up to be a product designer from an internship before.
Remember not everyone in these groups would be job hunting or not from Singapore. The beauty of these platforms is they have people who are product managers, front-end developers, designers - basically anyone with an interest in UX design
They will be more than happy to share your internship with their connections and potentially connect you with your next intern who would be interested in the opportunity.
Most companies would:
Evaluating how they will fit in with the design team is key during this process.
That takes too long without testing their practical skills so an alternative I find works well is this:
Self-explanatory - just make sure they don’t list a fake degree, get a good understanding of their previous experiences or skills they learned so you know what you will get to work with to which role they could potentially fill in the team.
Virtual Interview
Treat it like a conversation. Here’s a few questions you could ask:
This stage allows you to test their knowledge of the industry and job they applied for.
This is where you get to test their design skills.
We created a simple test where candidates for the internship had to think like designers to design prototypes of actual work we’ve done for a client account before.
Each candidate had to do usability testing on their work, assuming all elements and interaction on their designs had to be focused on helping the user navigate each page as smoothly as possible.
The outcome of their work gives us a good idea of their current level of work, skills they have and which skills we need to teach them.
Based on their overall performance we discuss the performance and give feedback to each candidate on their work and see how they take it, because a good intern takes feedback well.
The best attitude with at least a good basic understanding of what is a good UX gets to start with us while the others have to look for other jobs.
Think of all the different stakeholders this intern will be dealing with on a daily basis. Networking events are great opportunities for interns to connect, share experiences and potentially find job or internship opportunities in the UX design field. Consider all the tools this person will be using and the processes your team uses. Different companies have different workflows so even if they have done an internship with another company, brief them as if they are new to work anyway.
You should create a checklist for them to get started. Here was ours:
Just cover the essentials with them on a call/in person then give them the rest to read in their own time.
Creating a welcoming environment is key to a successful UX design internship program. Start by providing a comprehensive onboarding process that introduces them to your company culture, values and expectations. This sets the tone for a good experience from day one.
Regular training and workshops on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are a must. These sessions make sure all team members understand the importance of creating an inclusive environment. Encourage open communication and feedback so interns can share their thoughts and ideas freely.
Fostering a sense of community is also important. Organize social events and team-building activities that promote collaboration and bonding. Give them opportunities to work on projects that align with their interests and skills and support them throughout their journey. By creating a welcoming environment you set the stage for a successful UX design internship.
Good management and mentoring is key to a successful UX design internship program. Start by setting clear expectations and goals for the internship so interns know what they need to do and what’s expected of them. Regular feedback and guidance is important so give them opportunities to ask questions and seek help when needed.
Encourage them to own their projects, support and guide them throughout the process. Create a sense of accountability by setting deadlines and expectations and have regular check-ins to make sure they are on track.
Give them opportunities to learn from experienced designers. Mentorship and guidance from senior designers can make a big difference in the learning experience. By managing and mentoring well you help them develop their skills and prepare for a UX design career.
Creating a mentorship program is a great way to support and guide your UX design interns. Start by identifying designers who are willing to mentor interns. Provide training and support so mentors are equipped to give good guidance.
Pair interns with mentors who have similar interests and skills so they can learn from them. Encourage mentors to give regular feedback and guidance and support throughout the internship.
Create a sense of community by having regular mentorship meetings and events. These sessions give interns a chance to connect with their mentor and other team members. Review the mentorship program regularly and make adjustments as needed to make sure interns are getting the support they need.
Feedback and guidance is key to a successful UX design internship program. Have regular check-ins with interns to make sure they are on track and to give feedback and guidance. Encourage them to ask questions and seek help when needed and create an environment where they feel supported.
Create a sense of accountability by setting clear deadlines and expectations. Give them regular feedback so they meet their goals. Give them opportunities to learn from their mistakes and support and guide them throughout the internship.
Review the feedback and guidance and make adjustments as needed to make sure interns get the support they need. By giving feedback and guidance you help them develop their skills and grow as UX designers.
In a nutshell you know your company best and you should design the internship to be a good learning experience because your UX design interns might one day be a part of your team.
Treat them like they’re going to work with you long term and who knows you might just create the next powerhouse that will make impact like Grab does in the world of UX. If you can’t decide yourself, save yourself the headache and consider using a recruiting agency service.
Hiring a UX design intern can bring many benefits to your company. Interns can bring a fresh perspective and new ideas and insights that can help improve your products and services. Plus hiring an intern is a cost effective way to bring in new talent to your organization and reduce the costs of hiring a full time employee.
UX design interns can also free up time for other team members by taking on tasks and projects. Hiring an intern can boost morale by giving team members a chance to mentor and guide a new team member. And hiring a UX design intern can build a talent pipeline and a source of future full time employees.
When hiring a UX design intern, avoid common mistakes that can ruin the internship. One common mistake is not providing clear expectations and goals for the internship which can lead to confusion and frustration for both the intern and the organization.
Not providing enough training and support can be bad, intern will lack of confidence and competence. Communication is key so avoid poor communication that can lead to misunderstandings and frustration.
Having unrealistic expectations of the intern will lead to disappointment and frustration. And not giving regular feedback and guidance will hinder the intern’s growth and development. By avoiding these mistakes you can have a successful and good UX design internship.
A user experience intern or UX design intern is someone who wants to get into the nitty gritty of user experience design. This person is usually at the beginning of their career or a student who wants to apply theoretical knowledge to real world applications especially in user interfaces.
UX is a big and evolving field. Jobs for fresh graduates include:
Having a master’s degree can be an advantage but it’s not always a requirement. Many organizations value a bachelor’s degree plus genuine interest in UX, demonstrated skills and a good portfolio. Remember it’s about what you can bring to the table!
UX researchers look for interns who have a mix of curiosity and analytical skills. They want someone who can get into the user’s world, gather data and work with design teams to shape that data into tangible design solutions.
UX design internships can be found through many channels. Online job portals, company websites, academic job boards and niche design platforms post these jobs. And don’t forget the power of networking – attending design events or seminars can open many doors!
Going for a full time UX internship is like stepping into a world of deep learning. To get a UX design internship focus on building a strong resume, prepare well for interviews and hone your job hunting skills. You’ll get to work with experienced professionals, work on projects that impact real users and sharpen your skills in user interface design and research. And who knows it might just be your stepping stone to a full time role in the future!
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