Today, we’re excited to announce the biggest set of improvements to UX Academy since our massive revamp of the program in 2017.
Designlab is already in a class of its own when it comes to career support—but we’re now adding to that through an expanded Career Services program, and portfolio panel review.
More Career Services Sessions
In our last major update to UX Academy last year, we introduced Career Services. It’s included in the price of UX Academy, but it’s effectively a follow-up course that allows graduates to work 1-on-1 with a Career Coach to add further polish to their portfolio, get help and feedback on job applications, as well as practice and improve their interview skills.
Compared to other design education programs, Career Services already represents unparalleled support for the transition from training to employment. But we are always looking for ways to improve the support we offer our graduates, and for this reason, today we’re announcing an increase in the number of 1-on-1 Career Coaching sessions from six to twelve.
We’ve been piloting this level of support within the program over the last few months, and have found that the updated curriculum and guidance has really helped students with their job prep.
You can find full details of Career Services on the UX Academy homepage.
Introducing Panel Review
Our goal with UX Academy is to train every student to become a designer who is ready for a junior level UX design position in the industry.
Particularly as we open up more opportunities through Designlab Talent, it’s essential for graduates to get high-quality feedback on their final portfolio, and to be able to demonstrate to potential employers that their work is of the highest standard.
To meet this objective, we’re pleased to introduce Panel Review. This is now the final step prior to graduation from Phase 2 of the program. A panel of designers review and rate each student’s portfolio, and where the portfolio does not meet the required standard, students are offered additional time and 1-on-1 mentor sessions for further iteration.
Platform improvements
As well as these major additions, we’ve also made a lot of smaller improvements to the Designlab platform in recent months. These include more mentor-facing tools to help manage student progress, as well as better timezone support and commenting on more file formats.
At Designlab we’re constantly looking to the future of design education, and how we can best serve the needs of creative people whose hearts are set on a new creative career. Your feedback is crucial, so whether you’re a current student, a course graduate, or a design professional, let us know what you think of these updates!
Looking for a change of careers?
Designlab’s UX Academy program offers rigorous curriculum, personalized mentor support, and a thriving, global student community. Ready to launch your new career as a UX designer? Get all the details here.
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