This is a common question with many unique factors and no definitive answer. I will try to break it down a bit in this post.

1.) How many YOE (Years of Experience) is it asking for

2.) How many YOE do you have in related jobs and unrelated jobs

3.) What does the competition look like?

4.) How well do you match the job description outside of YOE

1.) How many YOE (Years of Experience) is it asking for

For the first one, the gap is less important the higher the YOE requirement is. For example, if a job posting is stating 15 YOE preferred and you have 10, it could still be worth applying because likely they are looking for a very specific fit for a role, and if you are a great match for it (#4), you might still net yourself an interview.

If the job is asking for 3-5 YOE, they are likely looking for a designer in the “intermediate” range. What that means is that once a designer has 3+ years in their belt, it is expected that they should have worked on a few projects and have experience running through typical product design flows. This means there is no expectations to “teach them” what to do.

That is not to say it is not expected to be learning at the 3-5 YOE seniority, but the onboarding should be more about project, product and team specific processes than “how to do UX”. If you don’t have that critical minimum of 2-3 YOE of UX-specific experience, then you might find yourself lacking guidance and unsure of how to proceed (similar to My first job in UX is as the sole designer of a small team... I feel lost) and find yourself frustrated in the role.

If you have less than 3-5 YOE and still end up nabbing a 3+ YOE job then that’s GREAT! Just keep in mind that you will likely be expected to bowl without bumpers. It is expected that you will be the expert in your area and if you make some calls that don’t turn out well, it is likely you will also be the one who needs to take responsibility for it. While some people may be excited about this responsibility, if you don’t have some experience to back up your decisions, it may be hard to feel confident you are making the best calls for each unique situation.

If a job is for 0-1 or even 1-3 YOE, there is an expectation that once the new designer onboards, there should be a senior designer or mentor who will be paired with them to show them the ropes. This is ideal for early-career designers as they will be in a safe environment to learn and grow to convert their textbook knowledge into real-project experience.

For more on why YOE is important to employers, check out: Why Experience in UX Design matters to employers

2.) How many YOE do you have in related jobs and unrelated jobs

Unfortunately not all YOE are measured equally when being considered for an open job role. Here are some factors to consider: