In May 2022, I graduated from the UX/UI Design Bootcamp at Ironhack in Berlin. After completing the bootcamp, the focus shifted to finding a job. Since then, I’ve likely had around 30 to 40 job interviews.

The job search can be quite enduring and challenging, sometimes resembling an Odyssey.

You apply alongside a hundred others for the same position, and with a bit of luck, you’re invited to the interview. The application process to secure a job as a UX/UI Designer isn’t any better.

There are several stages in a job interview you must pass to receive a job offer.

(1) The first interview is merely an initial acquaintance between you and the recruiter, who often has limited understanding of UX Design. (2) After that, you’ll either be invited to a Design Challenge or have to present a Case Study to the Head of Design. (3) If you pass that, you proceed to an interview with developers where your technical understanding is assessed. (4) Afterward, there’s usually an interview with the managers. But by then, it’s mostly routine, and a job offer is almost certain. However, you have to make it that far first.

If you make it to the Design Challenge, you can already consider it a victory, and you’ll need that kind of resilience in a competition as tough as this. But getting that far is an achievement in itself.

I myself have probably had around 30 initial interviews with recruiters, and I often heard the same questions over and over again.

Many recruiters have only a limited understanding of UX Design and repeatedly ask the same questions to gain insight into whether the candidate possesses the necessary knowledge for the job.

I want to share my experiences. Hopefully, this will help more Junior UX Designers make it to the Design Challenge so that they can demonstrate their design talent.

Let’s go.

15 Questions in Junior UX Design Job Interviews:

Here are the common questions that you’re repeatedly asked in an interview for a Junior UX Designer job:

1. How do you define User Experience Design?

You must answer this question for yourself because everyone defines UX Design differently. For me, it’s one of the simplest questions, but it’s just the starting point for the following questions that should actually test your knowledge.

2. Would you say that Wireframes are part of UX Design or UI Design?

This question is straightforward for recruiters as there’s only one right answer, and it’s quite black and white. The correct answer is UX Design, as Wireframes determine the flow of User Experience. I’ve been asked many such questions, like: What is A/B Testing? What is a Design System? What is Agile/Scrum? These questions are all about rote memorization.

3. What is your design process?

This is a question I’ve been asked almost every time. Remember, when others ask what, explain why. I think interviews usually don’t have standard answers but rather involve sharing and exchanging viewpoints. You can highlight why you use certain methods for designing. The design process might vary slightly. You can ask if the company is currently working on any projects and define a suitable design process for them. This might be the best way to answer the question.

4. Please share some of your favorite apps.

When you mention an app you like, you should also explain it in the context of UX/UI Design. For example: It meets the needs of the target users, because (…). It provides a good user experience, because (…). It has a very clean interface, because (…).

5. In the UX industry, which related groups or individuals do you usually follow?

I genuinely think this is a fundamental question that you absolutely can’t mess up. This kind of interview question mainly aims to understand the interviewee’s self-learning abilities. Here are some examples:

Nielsen Norman Group: Their content is quite comprehensive, though a bit technical, but it’s a very professional organization.

UX Planet on Medium: very good Articles related to UX Design.

There are many more. I just wanted to give a small example. You probably have your own groups that you follow in the industry.

6. What tools do you use?

Designers fresh out of a bootcamp probably use only a few tools. The most well-known is Figma. But professional UX Designers use a variety of tools. You come across as more professional if you can mention multiple tools, like Jitter, Maze, Adobe XD, Sketch, Miro, Mouseflow, Google Analytics, Photoshop…

7. How do you handle design feedback and criticism?

This is a very important question. Many designers struggle with criticism and take feedback personally. In a team, this can lead to issues. You can say that you value criticism, take it seriously, and appreciate it, but you also take it with a grain of salt.

8. What are your career goals?

Where do you see yourself in 5–10 years? Sometimes recruiters want to know if you have a plan for your career. If a candidate has a goal, they are probably more motivated or see themselves more established in their professional life. You should definitely have an answer for this question.

9. Share a story of something very challenging that you completed and that you’re proud of.

10. How do you handle conflicting design preferences from team members or stakeholders?

11. Do you prefer working alone or in a team?

There are plenty of other general questions that recruiters ask.

12. Why do you want to work for this company?

If you’re applying to a larger company, you can say that you value their expertise and want to develop quickly. If it’s a smaller company, you can say that you want to grow with the company and take on more responsibilities. Recruiters want to know that you’re curious and can develop quickly.

13. What are your weaknesses and strengths?

Your weakness might be that you have a limited amount of professional experience, but your strength is that you are eager to learn and quick to learn.

14. What have you done in your past that is relevant to this job?

Previous experience in working within a team is always beneficial for working in a company, as well as experience with stakeholders.

15. Why should we hire you? (the most important question)

This question is something you need to answer for yourself. I often say, and I truly mean it, that I aspire to improve myself as much as possible, and I believe that your company possesses the know-how and knowledge to help propel me forward in my professional career.

answering questions correctly is crucial in a job interview. However, asking questions is also important. It demonstrates interest and knowledge. When you ask the right questions, recruiters perceive that you truly want the job and are motivated.

Of course, it also helps you gauge whether the company is suitable for you. A company that lacks the resources to support proper research might not be the right fit for you.

In general, you definitely shouldn’t let yourself get discouraged if things don’t work out at the beginning.

You will have to go through several job interviews to get a sense of what recruiters focus on. With each job interview, you’re getting closer to your dream job. Each interview helps you become more confident and better at answering questions more precisely.

That’s it; I hope the interview goes well today. Good Luck! 🙂

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Also Read: A great short story on why you should invest in yourself.