One fine day I started researching UX design while being in 3rd year of college and caught interest immediately. Going through case studies on behance to being amazed by cool UI designs on Dribbble was something that got me hooked to this side of the design industry. I was enrolled in an Industrial design course so design methodologies and rules were not something very new to me. I took a leap of faith and began by educating myself about UX principles, laws and colour psychology by watching youtube and going through blogs. Around this time my college started nudging students to find an internship for the last semester. I finally made up my mind to put up a UI/UX portfolio and switch my field. In about 3 months I built a portfolio. Trust me I faced numerous challenges as I made a mistake of not seeking help from anyone but eventually I was happy that I had 2 case studies and some graphic design work.
Applying to internships
In January 2024, I started by applying to any and all posts or job listings I see on Linkedin and Internshala. Soon I realised it is going to take a very long time to actually get shortlisted and start working. So, I started cold mailing agencies and studios which did not work as well as most of them were full with interns mid-january. I got a call back from 3-4 studios out of 50 I had applied at, one of which was Feelpixel. At Feelpixel, I had a telephonic interview followed by a design assignment. I completed the assignment with dedication and applied all the knowledge I had gained which I then presented to the founder during the interview. I got shortlisted and finally secured the internship! I was so relieved and happy to finally be able to gain hands-on experience and industry exposure. It was a nervous but exciting opportunity for me to start exploring my capabilities and strengths.
My Experience
From day one, I felt motivated and energised by listening to work done by designers on a daily catch up call. First week into my internship was really challenging as I was given a design task to test my strengths and weaknesses. It was my first time presenting my work to a bunch of seniors who were far more experienced but supportive. Second week onwards I started working on a real project where I attended my first client call ever with a fellow designer. I lacked confidence and was nervous to ask questions or doubts which made me lose focus and I messed up while taking notes but meetings after that kept getting better and easier as I gained confidence to explain designs and certain decisions. By the time I started working on the second project I had gained confidence and experience to present designs and ask questions to the client. A fair share of my growth also goes to the founder who took out time and taught me a lot of things personally. Each day brought new challenges, but also new opportunities to learn and grow.
My learnings so far
1) Challenges make you stronger
Encountering challenges helps you grow and be stronger. It is the part of the process which also proves that you are trying something. Embrace the challenges and move forward.
2) Asking for help
One of the most important lessons I learned was the value of asking for help. Asking for help demonstrates initiative and a willingness to learn.
3) Importance of internship for undergraduates
Internship provides real-world experience and exposure to professional environments. It offers an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom to practical, hands-on scenarios.
4) Time management
You learn to manage you time throughout the day. As an intern you might have a bunch of small tasks lined up which you need to priortise according to the time available.
5) Trust the process!
Initially you feel left out when your peers are much advanced with their skills and you are a newbie but with time you learn and grow.
To learn more about our projects, visit our projects page.
