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Design internships: how to find one and make it count
How to find a UI/UX or graphic design internship: the types, where to look in Ukraine, how to put together an application, what selection stages to expect and how to leave with a case study and a recommendation.
- Know where to look for design internships and which words to search for
- Put together an application a hiring manager can review easily
- Leave your internship with a real case study, not just a line on your resume
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How to find and complete an internship: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Understand the types of internships
- 2
Step 2
Look in several places
- 3
Step 3
Put together an application that's easy to review
- 4
Step 4
Get through selection
- 5
Step 5
Leave with a case study and a recommendation
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This guide is for you if you are
A student
You're at university or on a course and want your first experience in a real team.
Without commercial projects
You have a portfolio of study work, but junior roles don't invite you to interview.
Already invited
You've been asked to an internship selection and want to get through it without surprises.
In short
- An internship is the shortest path to a real case study and a recommendation. Search for Intern, Trainee and “стажування”.
- DOU has a courses and internships block in its First job section, Work.ua has a Students filter, Djinni a No experience filter.
- Competition can be tough: Nielsen Norman Group reviewed 875 applications in one intern-hiring round.
- Make your application easy to use: all details in place, PDF files with your name, working links.
- During the internship, document your tasks right away: they'll become a portfolio case study.
How to find and complete an internship: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Understand the types of internships
“Internship” covers different formats. Before applying, find out exactly what's on offer:
- a company internship: work on real tasks under an experienced designer;
- a training program with selection: learning first, after which the best may be invited to the team;
- paid or unpaid, remote or in-office, full-time or a few hours a week: all of this should be stated in the terms;
- status restrictions: some programs are for students only, like Nielsen Norman Group's research-assistant program for undergraduate and graduate students.
💡 Ask who your mentor will be, how often you'll get feedback and whether there's a chance to stay after the internship. The answers say more about a program than the job post does.
- 2
Step 2
Look in several places
Internships are posted both on job sites and on company career pages. Where to look:
- DOU: the “Перша робота” (First job) section with a “Курси і стажування” (courses and internships) block, and the junior_dou_ua Telegram channel;
- Work.ua and Djinni: Students and No experience filters, searching for Intern, Trainee, “стажування”;
- career pages of companies whose products you use: some programs open once a year in specific months; at NN/g, for example, February to March;
- your school: Nielsen Norman Group advises students to reach out to professors of relevant courses, alumni and career services, and to attend career fairs.
💡 Apply early. Describing its own hiring, NN/g writes that applications sent in the first two weeks got more attention: reviewing started before the deadline.
Prepare your application with the community
In the community you can show your resume and portfolio before applying, ask about a company and hear how other members got through selection.
Get feedback on your applicationFree. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
- 3
Step 3
Put together an application that's easy to review
After reviewing 875 internship applications, Nielsen Norman Group described what held candidates back. You're applying for a UX role, so your application should be usable too:
- every detail in the application itself: the full name of your school, its city and country, the program type and your graduation date;
- files: resume and cover letter as PDF or Word, no archives or passwords, with your name in the file name;
- links: to your portfolio and LinkedIn, clickable and checked;
- answers to the posting's questions: when you can start, how many hours a week, where you'll work from.
💡 NN/g advises putting your interests in the cover letter and stating honestly whether a project was a class project or a job. For interns, they write, how you got a result matters more than the result itself. How to write the letter is in Designer cover letter.
- 4
Step 4
Get through selection
Internship selection stages resemble regular hiring, only shorter. In Nielsen Norman Group's research-assistant program, for example, they are:
- a resume and cover letter;
- a short online quiz;
- a usability analysis of a given webpage, in effect a test assignment;
- a final interview.
💡 Prepare for the test task with Design take-home assignment and for the conversation with Designer job interview. And spell the company name right: NN/g mentions applicants who confused it with other companies.
Looking for an internship? Ask the community → - 5
Step 5
Leave with a case study and a recommendation
Nielsen Norman Group writes that an internship provides case-study material that strengthens a weak portfolio. To get it, plan from day one:
- write down tasks, decisions and feedback right away, while you remember the context;
- find out which projects you can show in your portfolio and which are under a nondisclosure agreement;
- ask your mentor or manager for a LinkedIn recommendation: it records how you worked together and your position at the time;
- at the end, ask about staying on the team or about open junior roles.
💡 After the internship, update your resume, LinkedIn and portfolio the same week, while the details are fresh. How to shape the case study is in Designer portfolio.
You're not alone with these questions
We counted what people ask about most in our community. Jobs and vacancies are among the six most popular topics, next to portfolios and learning.
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Questions and answers
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Can I do an internship if I'm no longer a student?
It depends on the program. Some internships are open to students only: Nielsen Norman Group writes that applications from people who were no longer students simply weren't considered. Other programs accept any beginner, including career changers. Read the requirements carefully before applying.
Should I accept an unpaid internship?
Weigh what you'll get: a mentor, real tasks, a portfolio case study, a chance to stay on the team. If an internship gives neither feedback nor real tasks but asks for a lot of your time, it's free labor, not learning. Terms, duration and format should be set out before you start.
What do I show in my portfolio with no experience yet?
Two or three study case studies that show your process: the problem, research, options, the solution, lessons. Mark honestly that it's a study project or a design game. NN/g notes that for interns, how you worked matters more than impressive numbers. How to build case studies is in [Designer portfolio](/en/guides/designer-portfolio).
How is an internship different from a first job?
An internship is usually shorter, with more training and supervision, and lower expectations. A first job means full responsibility for your tasks. An internship often becomes the way into a first job: at the same company, or thanks to the case study and recommendation. How to look for a first role is in [First design job](/en/guides/first-design-job).
Is the Spaceberry community paid?
No, Spaceberry Community is completely free. It's supported by Spaceberry Foundation, a non-profit public organization. All you need to join is a Telegram account: tap the button on this page, introduce yourself and ask your first question. The community has 1,504 designers who share their work, give feedback and take part in design games with the same brief for everyone. Conversations are in Ukrainian.
Internships are easier to find when your peers share them
Join 1,504 designers who share opportunities for beginners. Show your application before submitting it and hear how others got through selection. The community talks in Ukrainian.
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Updated · Spaceberry Foundation
Sources:
- Nielsen Norman Group — 5 Tips for UX-Internship Applicants
- Nielsen Norman Group — User Experience Research Assistantship Program
- Nielsen Norman Group — Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market
- DOU — First job in IT (in Ukrainian)
- Work.ua — Designer vacancies (in Ukrainian)
- Djinni — job search
- LinkedIn Help — Request a recommendation