I’m a senior product designer at Pattern Data currently writing a book to explore a question many early designers wrestle with: if every UX job requires experience, how do you get your first one?

To answer it, I’ve been interviewing designers across the industry to uncover their own paths into the field. I’ve spoken with designers at Apple, Todoist, Google, CarMax, and beyond about how they built credibility, created opportunities, and navigated uncertainty early in their careers.