Rukky Ayinde’s Post

🤐The Struggles Designers Face Today: Navigating Scam Job Offers & Internships As designers, we put our heart and soul into our work, always looking for opportunities to grow and make an impact. But in today’s competitive job market, one of the biggest challenges we face is dealing with scam job offers and unpaid internships that waste our time and energy. I’ve seen and experienced firsthand how some companies post fake openings, offer unclear job descriptions, and lead us down rabbit holes, only to ghost us or demand free work in the name of an "internship." This creates frustration and doubt in our own capabilities. But we don’t have to settle for this! Here’s how you can navigate these challenges: 1. Research the company: Look at their website, reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, and LinkedIn employee profiles to verify legitimacy. 2. Red flags: If a company asks for free work, payment upfront, or provides vague details about the role, walk away. 3. Network smart: Build connections with genuine professionals and mentors who can refer you to trusted opportunities. 4. Stand your ground: Your work has value! Don’t hesitate to ask for clear contracts and fair compensation, even as an intern. On a positive note, there are real job vacancies available in the design field right here in Kerala. From startups to established firms, companies are actively seeking talented UI/UX designers, product designers, and more. Let’s share these opportunities within our community and grow together. If you’re struggling to find a reliable role or need guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s build a network that supports genuine growth for all of us! #DesignerCommunity #UXUI #Internships #JobOpportunities #StayAlert #Growth

💡 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗨𝗫 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 As we talked about teaching yourself to be a designer in the first part, we’ll discuss how to get a good internship. 📍 Network Well Make connections and get to know people in the industry. Building a brand for yourself is important. 📍 Create a Strong Portfolio Make three good case studies and put them on a platform like Behance, Dribbble, Notion, or as a PDF. Recruiters should see everything in one place. 📍 Join UX Communities Get feedback on your portfolio from others and improve it. 📍 Reach Out Ask for what you want. Contact recruiters, hiring managers, and designers through email or LinkedIn. 📍 Attend Events Go to UX meetups and networking events. Build relationships with people. 📍 Apply for Internships Look for UX internships on job boards and apply. 📍 Try Freelancing Start doing freelance work. It can lead to great opportunities in the future. #uxdesign #uxresearch #uxcommunity #internships #uxinternships #uxportfolio

Earn upto 500 Euro Per Month during your 3 month of internship and mentoring by industry experts. you will be selected based on your portfolio and test to qualify for this program. Visual Thinkers, Graphic Designers, Dreamers, Creators, and Visionaries Are you the kind of Artist who feels the connection and engagement your creation will have before it is Created? A Visual Thinker and Design Thinking Enthusiast whose ideas break boundaries and make the impossible tangible? Someone whose passion for creativity is matched only by the desire to make a positive mark on the world. This is your sign. We're on a quest to find YOU—the bold, the brilliant, the inspired. Whether you’re still sketching your future as an intern or ready to paint your career masterpiece full-time, there’s a place here where your talent, ideas, and heart will shine. Here’s what you’ll find with us: 🎨 A canvas as big as your dreams—Projects that challenge convention and redefine what’s possible. 🌟 Mentors who ignite your spark—Guidance from leaders who see the artist in you. 💡 A community that celebrates YOU—Collaboration that makes your ideas soar. 🌏 A global stage for your brilliance—Impact that echoes far beyond borders. 💌 Who are we looking for? Visual Thinkers, Dreamers, Artists, Digital Designers who see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Designers who balance innovation and emotion with ease. Storytellers who weave magic through visuals and form. Your art, your vision, your YOU deserves to be seen. Together, let’s create the future of design and visual storytelling. Ready to make magic with us? Drop your Portfolio, Your Story and Dream at [email protected] , Because when creativity meets opportunity, the world changes. 🌈✨ #DesignYourFuture #ArtistsUnite #CreativityWanted #GlobalTalent #DesignCareers

Feel like getting lost in the sea of DESIGNERS? This is Day 16 of my journey: THE LUNAR TRACK🌝 Waning Crescent Moon; Illumination Today: 9% 🌘 We all know how crowded and fierce the competition is in the design field! Designers, engineers, career switchers, and many others from various backgrounds are all in the mix. When applying for jobs or internships, we often find ourselves up against 1000+ applicants. I faced the same issue when I was applying for internships. What I observed is that many people don't realize our field is unique; the diversity of applicants can be one reason. One misconception I had: ↳ I thought completing a course and having a portfolio with plenty of projects would guarantee me a good internship. It definitely helped, but isn’t that what everyone is doing? Clearly, that approach doesn’t make you stand out in such a big crowd! I took a few minutes to think about what was actually missing. Was it my portfolio? My experience? My skills? The point is that we often get so caught up in polishing these aspects that we don’t realize we're doing the same things as 99% of other designers. So, what can we do to stand out? Start sharing your knowledge and learnings on LinkedIn! (It doesn't matter whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional) How does this help? ↳ It builds credibility and trust among recruiters. ↳ It enhances your resume by showcasing not only your design skills but also your communication skills and personality, which 90% of resumes lack. ↳ You learn from your own mistakes. ↳ You'll receive feedback on your work because social media is full of critics! ↳ It helps build a strong network. ↳ You won’t have to chase opportunities; you'll attract them (thanks to Kendall Jenner for this awesome quote). 📌 Sharing your knowledge isn't about visibility; it is about sharing who you are beyond being a designer. Let's make our mark and attract the opportunities that are due to us. Keep pushing, keep creating, and let's build something unforgettable! 📌 Check out comment section for how to start on this journey! . . #UIUX #Design #GraphicDesign #Content

🎉 Just wrapped up my first task at Prodigy InfoTech during my internship journey! 🚀 A fully functional hotel website! layout 🖥️ From sleek design to seamless navigation, I brought it to life using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. 💼 Grateful for the chance to learn and contribute to the team's success. Excited to see where this journey takes me next! 💻 Feeling accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to learn. #InternshipSuccess #WebDevAdventure What is this website? 🏨 Hotel Website Project (Grandeur Hills) just a dummy name here 😅 🎨 Design: Crafted a visually appealing layout for the hotel website, ensuring it reflects the brand's image and style. 🌐 Navigation: Implemented an intuitive navigation system, allowing users to easily explore different sections of the website. Maintaining few laws of UI 🎨design principles, Keeping the webpage alive and minimal, so as not to overcrowd the visual experience of the user in a single frame. It holds a basic functionality of navigation for users to get information about the hotel, it's services and branches. 🖥️Keeping in mind that it's a hotel/resort website , I have chosen eye catching colors(mostly shades of red) and maintained the balance with white to keep the aesthetics alive. 💡 What suggestions do you have to enhance the user experience? Can't wait to hear your thoughts! #FeedbackWelcome #ContinuousImprovemen

🌟 Internships vs. Externships: What’s Best for Aspiring Graphic Designers? 🎨  Choosing between an internship and an externship can be pivotal for your career as a graphic designer. Each option offers unique benefits that could shape your creative journey. Let’s break it down!  --- 💼 Internships for Graphic Designers - Hands-On Creativity: You’ll work on real projects—logos, social media graphics, branding materials—building a portfolio that speaks volumes. - Skill Development: Learn industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite or Figma while collaborating with a team. - Networking Opportunities: Build connections with clients, designers, and marketing teams, which could lead to future gigs or full-time roles.  Why Choose an Internship? If you’re eager to dive into the creative process, solve design challenges, and produce tangible results, internships are the perfect way to gain in-depth, hands-on experience.  --- 👀Externships for Graphic Designers    - Observe and Learn: Shadow seasoned designers or agencies to see how they handle design briefs, client interactions, and tight deadlines. - Industry Exploration: Gain insight into different design fields—advertising, UI/UX, branding—to decide where your passion lies. - Quick Exposure: Ideal if you’re curious about graphic design but not ready to commit to a long-term role.  Why Choose an Externship?   Externships are a great starting point for those exploring career paths or transitioning into graphic design. They help you gain clarity without the pressure of deliverables.  --- 🎯For Graphic Designers, the Right Choice Depends on Your Goals! 🔹 Want to build a killer portfolio? Go for an internship. 🔹 Still exploring where your skills fit best? Start with an externship. 🔹 Want both? Use an externship to decide your niche, then apply for an internship to sharpen your skills in that area.  --- 💡My Advice: Graphic design is a versatile field with endless possibilities. Whether you’re designing sleek UI interfaces or crafting memorable brand identities, internships and externships are valuable steps to turn your passion into a thriving career.  🚀 Ready to Take the Next Step?  Let’s talk! Drop a comment below or DM me if you’d like guidance on finding the right design experience.  #GraphicDesign #Internships #Externships #DesignCareer #CreativeJourney #PortfolioBuilding

🌟 Calling all aspiring UX/UI designers! 🌟 Are you ready to kickstart your career in UX/UI design? Consider interning or doing pro bono work for real-world experience to enhance your design portfolio. 💼✨ 🚀 Internships: Offer hands-on experience in a professional setting. Pros: 1️⃣ Gain Practical Experience 2️⃣ Mentorship Opportunities 3️⃣ Networking Potential 4️⃣ Skill Enhancement 5️⃣ Portfolio Boost Cons: 1️⃣ Time Commitment 2️⃣ Unpaid Work 3️⃣ Limited Autonomy 4️⃣ Competitive Nature 🔍 Own Prompts: Provides creative freedom and flexibility. Pros: 1️⃣ Creative Freedom 2️⃣ Flexibility 3️⃣ Portfolio Building Cons: 1️⃣ Lack of Real-World Context 2️⃣ Skill Development Challenges 3️⃣ Portfolio Relevance 4️⃣ Networking Limitations 5️⃣ Accountability 💡 The verdict: Starting with personal projects to build your portfolio and improve your skills, internships and pro bono work can bring you closer to your goals. Combining internships or pro bono projects with personal prompts can offer the best of both worlds. Overall, while there may be challenges associated with internships and pro bono projects, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. So seize the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, learn from industry professionals, and kickstart your career in UX/UI design! 💡💪 #UXUIDesign #Internship #ProBonoProject #CareerDevelopment

Good morning LinkedIn. I am so happy to compose a post after such a long time. A month has passed since I started my internship at iConz and it has been nothing short of an extraordinary experience. Every one there has been a big help and the things I've learned thus far are invaluable. I had always been struggling with ideation when it comes to design as well as designing on the spot without any prior templates, and now, although I am still a long way from perfect, I am more comfortable now with designing things like flyers and posters on the go. As an aspiring UI/UX designer, the intricacies of the design have eluded me many a time and some aspects such as layouts, components and other parts of reusable design were difficult to grasp, but in the past month, I have started understanding the underlying mechanics behind some aspects of design I has previously not had any idea about. Lets not forget the miscellaneous aspects of our internship. The manager at iConz always says we are not here (at iConz) to learn how to build apps or develop systems, but to solve problems by creating innovative solutions. And so we have to learn everything solving problems entails. Whether it be getting user input, knowing how to carry out data driven decisions or how to interact with users about our product. I was assigned the task of carrying out customer support and so far it has been a very instrcutive experience. Last but not least, the issue of teamwork. In the world of tech and the job market as a whole, several times we will have to work with others to realize certain projects and after just one month, that has become crystal clear to me. As the second month starts, I hope to continue improving my skills and learning more, so that by the end of my internship period, I will be one step closer to my goals. Thank you to everyone at iConz and I will keep putting in my best to improve and do better this coming month.

This post will be shouting about the amazing work our intern Sana Jayaraj has been doing over the past 4 months. 🧡 Sana has been our Graphic Designer intern for the past 4 months, and we’re so proud of the work she’s done. No coffee runs or basic research tasks found here - working alongside our Creative Director, here’s how Sana has delivered outstanding visuals for us and our clients.  1/ Social media 📲 Sana put together a variety of graphics together for numerous clients during her time with us. Whether it was a client in recruitment, tech or for our own agency, she delivered visuals that not only looked fantastic, but received excellent engagement.  2/ Website antics 👩💻 Without any previous website design experience, Sana attacked this with passion in her stride. She added some fun icons to our site and experimented with colour contrasts, spicing it up in a very Small City way. But she didn’t just do our site - she also assisted in designing a website for a tech client of ours. So yes, her skills are super transferable across different industries!  3/ Photoshoot guru 📸 As Small City was going through their rebrand process, Sana suggested that the Directors should get some sparkly new photos to really showcase our personality. So that’s what we did. After putting together a mood board and ideas for video / stills, we think the end result came out pretty good, if we do say so ourselves.  4/ Animation 📹 Coming soon! Small City’s new website has a very fun video on the homepage. Sana not only filmed the footage, but added some text animations to the video once it had been edited by our Creative Director. It’s funky, it’ fresh, it’s very us. 👀 So, that’s that. As a business leader, if there’s anything you can take away from this - it’s that investing in young talent and trusting them to get the job done is 100% the right route to take. 🤝 Well done Sana, we’re so proud of all you’ve achieved during your time with us!  Big thank you to all the The Manchester Metropolitan University team and Kenny L. for helping us with this internship opportunity!  #InternshipProgramme #MMU #MMUIntern #RiseInternship #Internship #AgencyIntern

At times, our purpose drops into our laps, as if the heavens threw it by accident... Usually, I save this story for interviews, but today felt like a good time to share it here. So, here's how I wandered into UX and discovered a passion I didn’t see coming. In my second year of undergrad, I came across AIESEC, a student exchange platform. They offered summer internship opportunities all around the world, and the idea of spending six weeks in a new country, exploring on my own and learning along the way, was too exciting to pass up- so I signed up! To my surprise, I heard back from a company in Egypt called Devolum - ديفوليوم This was huge for me. Not only was it my very first real interview, but Egypt was also at the top of my bucket list. I couldn’t believe my first job offer came from a place I’d always dreamed of visiting! I landed the role, and before I knew it, I was packing my bags and heading off to Egypt. Talk about surreal! 🙏 On my first day, my manager asked if I knew how to use Photoshop, and I was like… NOPE. I was there for a web development internship, and as an engineer, I had never touched design tools like that before. But as the days passed, I was given tasks I didn’t expect. Preparing questionnaires, conducting interviews, and gathering insights. To be honest, I had thought I’d be coding all day. But instead, I found myself constantly thinking. Thinking about the real problems, right users and meaningful solutions. All for an online learning platform the company was developing. It didn’t even feel like work. At one point, I got confused—the work was so enjoyable that I forgot I was actually working! I even panicked a little, thinking I was somehow cheating on the job. Before I knew it, I was learning Figma, Photoshop and designing screens based on the insights I gathered. Eventually, I developed those screens. By the end of my internship, I was in this weird state of confusion, it didn’t feel like any internship I had imagined. But it was amazing. That’s when my managers and mentors told me, “This is UX Research and Design.” And that was the moment I realized I’d found my thing. You know that saying, "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life"? I understood it. I still remember, on my flight to Egypt, I had met someone who asked me, “Why go all the way to Egypt for an internship when India has such a thriving tech market?” At the time, I didn’t have a clear answer. I questioned it myself. But looking back, I can say one thing with certainty. It was my calling. ✨ And I’m so glad it was because I traveled all around the country and fell in love with it. Egypt's not just a desert and historical sites. The waters are stunning, and the people are incredibly nice. (You might even get a few spontaneous marriage proposals- true story!) 🙊 And although I didn’t manage to get a perfect photo with the pyramids, that just gives me a reason to go back someday. 😇