What’s the best way to gain real-world experience when starting in service design?

What’s the best way to gain real-world experience when starting in service design?

These are the ways I've personally used to get more experience in Service Design and that I found worked well:

Work in a consultancy

Working in an agency is great because you'll get to work on a ton of different projects in a small amount of time. The agency culture isn't always the most healthy, but you'll get a lot of real-world experience, plus you get paid for it.

Volunteer to improve an existing non-profit service

You can help a local NGO to improve its service. For example, by doing a little research project for them or trying to improve things in the backstage to improve their efficiency. Here, you'll learn a lot about the political side of things and how to bring change in complex organisations.

Build your a service, startup idea or side project

Build something by yourself or with a few friends. Here, you'll learn to build something from scratch, and you can really use your full toolbox.

Q&A: Career in Service Design

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Starting a career in Service Design

  • How can we get more junior Service Design positions?
  • Is it possible for a junior service designer to do freelance work?
  • What’s the best way to gain real-world experience when starting in service design?
  • I’m x years old is it too late to learn service design?
  • What does a junior service designer do?
  • What skills do you need to become a service designer?

Finding a Service Design job

  • Why am I not getting any interviews for service designer jobs?
  • ▶️ Are there enough Service Design jobs out there?
  • How to do networking as a Service Designer?
  • Should I try to find a passion or an ideal job?

Job interview tips for Service Design practitioners

  • ▶️ What are your tips on verbal communication Service Design job interviews?
  • ▶️ What are job interview tips for new Service Designers?

Transitioning to Service Design

  • What is a good background for a service design/strategy consultant?
  • ▶️ How can I use my past career when transitioning to Service Design?
  • ▶️ How can you work in a service design job if you don’t have a service design degree?
  • ▶️ How can I realise that I bring lots of experience when I transition to Service Design?

The different types of service designers

  • What are the archetypes of service designers?
  • Can an introvert thrive as a Service Designer?

Daily Service Design work

  • How to practice and not give up on Service Design?
  • ▶️ How to apply Service Design insights in your daily work
  • ▶️ How to tackle the impostor syndrome?
  • ▶️ How can you show that different backgrounds contribute to the service design work in valid ways?
  • ▶️ How do you best communicate what's the role and what isn't the role of the Service Designer

State of the Service Design job market

  • Where do Service Designers work?
  • ▶️ Service Design in big organizations?
  • Can service designers work from home or remotely?
  • Do people recommend a service design career?
  • Can I work part-time as a service designer?

Career development

  • ▶️ Six Sigma or Service Design certification?
  • ▶️ What are Service Design communities I can join?
  • ▶️ How to grow as a mid-level service designer?
  • What are the most important things to consider when becoming a senior service designer? How can people achieve this goal?
  • ▶️ Can a service designer survive a recession?
  • What are the mental health challenges a service designer will be faced with?