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User Designer
Introduction
The BJSS Academy is our Early Careers pathway into technology, business consulting, and user research and design roles. On the programme you’ll be helping our clients conceive, design, build, and support business solutions for the digital age.
What are the entry criteria?
Primarily we are looking for individuals with a background in design and experience with design tools (e.g. prototyping, using different frameworks), running design projects or portfolios. We want individuals who are passionate about design, have a people first approach and mindset, with good presentation skills, and ability to effectively convey ideas to teams or clients.
What’s different about the scheme?
Well, firstly you join as an employee from day one. We don’t operate a “golden handcuffs” policy where you must pay back an amount of money for your training if you leave inside some arbitrary period. We believe people do their best work when they are trusted and empowered – so that’s exactly what we’ll give you.
As an employee, you’ll be subject to the same probation period of six months as everyone else, and get annual reviews and remuneration updates.
Where will I be based?
Where do you want to be based is the question? We’ve had people join the Academy from Leeds, London, Bristol, Sheffield, Manchester, and Nottingham. You will join the central function to start with, and we’ll deliver your first two weeks of training from our Leeds office so we can get you together to begin with. After the four weeks, you’ll join your local office, wherever that may be.
What will I learn?
We’ve got four weeks to teach you a foundation in all things Product Design. We’ll go through presentations, scenarios, and group work, and cover the following main topics:
- Design Thinking Methodology.
- Research Best Practice.
- How to work in a Multidisciplinary Team.
- Core Consultancy Skills.
- Enterprise Agile.
- Accessibility and Inclusivity.
What does the first year look like?
You will go through an initial four weeks of training at the beginning of your career at BJSS. Once the four weeks is up, you’ll join a project as a shadow resource for three months with one of our more experienced Product Designers.
We’ll ensure you’re supported and mentored throughout. Once we feel you’re ready, we’ll place you on a billable full-time project, leading work and growing your career. We’ll also ensure you’re fully supported through our mentoring programme and have access to learning material for your continuous development.
How will I be supported?
You will have many people to support you through your journey. You’ll work closely with our Academy Co-ordinator for the first four weeks, who will ensure you’re all prepared to join project.
You’ll have a Squad Lead and they will be your ‘go-to-person’. They will be there to support with your career, as well as approve holidays and enable your project preference. You’ll have regular one-to-ones with your Squad Lead to discuss your personal development and career. Your Product Design Buddy is there as a friendly face to support you with anything you may need in your first month. They will help you with any designer-related questions, especially when you join your first project. Your Academy buddy will be one of the first people you’re introduced to. They will have already been through the User Research Academy so ask them anything, they will be able to help.
The Practice Lead will assist you in teaching you the skills you need to become a great designer. The SPARCKie Connect Partnership will introduce you to your mentor. They will be there for you to learn from in whatever way you wish.
Finally, the Design Leadership Team champions the culture, delivers excellent products, and grows our business. You will meet them during week one and they will be on hand to check in with you.
What work will I be doing?
There isn’t really a ‘normal day’ at BJSS, it’ll depend on project, and what pieces of work need to be done. However, as a quick overview you’ll be working alongside designers and a multidisciplinary team to understand the goals of a project, script writing, research planning, interviewing users to gather needs and pain points, and testing early designs with users in order to amend them. You’ll be testing live products for iterative testing and evolution of a product, workshopping with stakeholders, and problem solving.
You’ll experience working with content designers to ensure the content is suitable, working in line with GDS guidelines and principles to ensure products are suitable for everyone, accessibility research and testing, presenting user need insights back to the team and stakeholders, feeding into the long-term user-centred design strategy, and collaborating with internal researchers and the research community.
What career opportunities are there for me?
We offer multiple career opportunities through the Product Design Academy, which include:
- Learning from industry-leading colleagues.
- Joining the mentoring program.
- Opportunity to learn from other practices/cross skill.
- Opportunity to become a Squad Lead.
- Running internal and client projects.
- Joining a Practice.
What is the interview process?
We’ve tried to keep the interview process as simple as possible. After you apply with your CV it will be reviewed, and if you are successful one of our friendly Talent Team will give you a call to discuss your application further and answer any questions you might have.
Once we decide to move forward with your application you will prepare a presentation based on a megatrend you’re particularly interested in. The aim of this is to make the presentation as creative as possible, slides are not always necessary. You’ll need to be prepared to discuss your ideas and thoughts around:
- How it’s impacting industry and society.
- How the Design Team could support.
- If you were in charge of a Design project team, what would you do to prove its potential.
The final interview is a culture fit interview with a member of the Design Leadership Team in the office you have chosen. Here you can ask any questions about the office itself, the clients, projects etc., so please come prepared.
