Visual Designer

01.1Resume

CoreBeginner3–5 h

A one-page resume you can defend line by line.

What this covers

• One-page format — Reverse-chronological, clean fonts, no photos or tables that confuse parsers.
• Project bullets — Action + what you built + a number (users, speed, accuracy).
• Skills section — Only skills you can answer questions on for two minutes.
• ATS readability — Export a text-based PDF and check it with a parser.
• Working links — GitHub, LinkedIn and a live project link that open.
• Tailoring — Reorder bullets to match the job description.

What to practise

• Run your PDF through a parser test
• Rewrite each bullet as action + result
• Remove any skill you can't explain for 2 minutes

Common questions

• Walk me through your resume.
• Which project here are you most proud of, and why?
• Why is this skill on your resume?

Free resources

• OpenResume — Free ATS-friendly resume builder and parser test (Free)
• Jake's Resume (Overleaf) — The LaTeX resume template most SDE freshers use (Free)
• Resume Worded — Resume and LinkedIn scoring (Free plan)
• Jobscan — Match your resume against a job description (Free plan)

Free courses

• Professional Resume Writing — Alison (Free course)
• Resume, Networking, and Interview Skills — Fullbridge (Free to audit)

01.2Tell me about yourself

CoreBeginner1–2 h

A 60–90 second answer: present, past, why this role.

What this covers

• Present — Who you are now: degree, year, focus.
• Past — One or two proof points: a project, internship or result.
• Future — Why this role and this company next.
• Length — 60–90 seconds; stop before you list everything.
• Delivery — Calm pace and eye contact, not a memorised script.

What to practise

• Write it, then say it out loud 5 times
• Record yourself and cut anything over 90 seconds

Common questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why should we hire you?
• Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• BBC Learning English — Structured free English lessons and podcasts (Free)

Free courses

• English@Work: Basic Job Interview Skills — The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Free to audit)
• Job Interview Preparation For Tech Professionals — University of Cape Town (Free to audit)

01.3Design portfolio

CoreIntermediate15–30 h

Case studies that show your process, not only final screens.

What this covers

• Pick 2–4 projects — Depth beats volume.
• Case study structure — Problem, research, options, decision, result.
• Your role — What you did vs the team.
• Outcomes — Usage, feedback, what changed.
• Presentation — Readable on a phone, fast to skim.

What to practise

• Rewrite one project as a full case study
• Ask two designers to review your portfolio

Common questions

• Walk me through your portfolio.
• Which project would you redo and why?

Free resources

• Nielsen Norman Group articles — Free research-based UX articles (Free)
• Figma Learn — Official Figma tutorials and guides (Free)
• Canva Design School — Free design basics courses (Free)

Free courses

• UX Portfolio — Great Learning (Free course)

02.1Visual design

CoreIntermediate6–10 h

Typography, colour, layout and hierarchy.

What this covers

• Typography — Type scale, pairing, readability.
• Colour — Palettes, contrast, meaning.
• Layout & grids — Spacing and alignment.
• Hierarchy — Guiding the eye.
• Consistency — Design systems and components.

What to practise

• Redesign one screen focusing only on hierarchy
• Build a small type and colour system

Common questions

• How do you choose a colour palette?
• What makes text readable?

Free resources

• Google Fonts Knowledge — Free lessons on typography (Free)
• Material Design — Google's design system and guidelines (Free)
• Canva Design School — Free design basics courses (Free)

Free courses

• Essential Typography Principles for Graphic Designers — Alison (Free course)
• Intro to Graphic Design with Photoshop — Great Learning (Free course)
• Graphic Design Essentials — LCI Education (Free to audit)

02.2Brand & graphic design

CoreIntermediate8–12 h

Logos, identity systems and layouts for print and social.

What this covers

• Logo design — Concept, simplicity, scalability.
• Identity systems — Colour, type, imagery rules.
• Brand guidelines — Documenting how to use it.
• Layouts — Posters, social posts, packaging.
• Print basics — CMYK, bleed, resolution.

What to practise

• Design an identity for a local business
• Create a one-page brand guideline

Common questions

• Walk me through how you designed this logo.
• How do you handle a client who dislikes the concept?

Free resources

• Canva Design School — Free design basics courses (Free)
• Google Fonts Knowledge — Free lessons on typography (Free)
• Figma Learn — Official Figma tutorials and guides (Free)

03.1Design critique

CoreIntermediate2–4 h

Giving and taking feedback on designs.

What this covers

• Critique an app — Goals first, then issues by severity.
• Heuristics — Usability principles to anchor feedback.
• Taking feedback — Listen, ask, decide.
• Accessibility lens — Contrast, size, labels.
• Suggesting fixes — Specific and prioritised.

What to practise

• Critique three apps using usability heuristics
• Record yourself critiquing for five minutes

Common questions

• Critique this app's onboarding.
• How do you respond when an engineer disagrees with your design?

Free resources

• Nielsen Norman Group articles — Free research-based UX articles (Free)
• Laws of UX — Psychology principles behind good interfaces (Free)

03.2Portfolio presentation

CoreIntermediate4–6 h

Presenting one case study in 15–30 minutes.

What this covers

• Story arc — Context, problem, process, outcome.
• Timing — Know what to cut when time is short.
• Decisions — Why you chose this over alternatives.
• Questions — Invite them; do not get defensive.
• Slides — Few words, clear visuals.

What to practise

• Present one case study to a friend in 15 minutes
• Prepare answers for "why not X?"

Common questions

• Why did you choose this design?
• What would you do with more time?

Free resources

• Nielsen Norman Group articles — Free research-based UX articles (Free)
• Canva Design School — Free design basics courses (Free)

Free courses

• The Complete Presentation Skills Guide for All Occasions — Alison (Free course)
• Presentation and Speaking Skills for Webinars — Alison (Free course)
• Presentation Skills — Alison (Free course)

04.1Mock interviews

CoreBeginner3–5 h

At least two full practice interviews before the real one.

What this covers

• Realistic setting — Same format, time limit and dress as the real round.
• Common questions first — Introduction, motivation, experience, weaknesses.
• Feedback — Ask what was unclear or too long.
• Recording — Watch yourself once; fix fillers and pace.
• Role questions — Add 3–5 questions specific to your field.

What to practise

• Do two mock interviews with a friend or senior
• Use a spoken practice tool and read the transcript

Common questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why this role?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Pramp / Exponent peer mocks — Free peer-to-peer mock interviews (Free plan)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)

05.1Behavioral & STAR

CoreBeginner3–4 h

Stories about teamwork, conflict and failure, told with STAR.

What this covers

• STAR structure — Situation, task, action, result. Spend most of the time on action.
• Story bank — 6–8 real stories you can reuse across questions.
• Teamwork & conflict — Disagreeing respectfully and what you changed.
• Failure & weakness — A real one, what you learned, what you do now.
• Ownership — Times you took initiative without being asked.
• Common HR questions — Why us, why you, strengths, relocation.

What to practise

• Write 6 stories in STAR form
• Map each story to 2–3 common questions
• Practise one story with a friend

Common questions

• Tell me about a time you failed.
• Describe a conflict in a team and what you did.
• What is your biggest weakness?

Free resources

• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)
• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Pramp / Exponent peer mocks — Free peer-to-peer mock interviews (Free plan)

Free courses

• Master Behavioral Interviews (for Software Engineers) — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• Behavioral Interview Practice for Computer Science Students — CodeSignal (Free to audit)
• Soft Skills For Tech Professionals — University of Cape Town (Free to audit)

05.2Strengths & weaknesses

CoreBeginner1–2 h

Honest strengths with proof, and a real weakness you are working on.

What this covers

• Strengths with proof — Pick 2–3 and back each with one short example.
• A real weakness — Not a disguised strength; something you are actively improving.
• What you are doing about it — The habit, course or system that shows progress.
• Fit to the role — Strengths that matter for this job, not any job.

What to practise

• Write three strengths with one example each
• Practise the weakness answer until it sounds calm, not rehearsed

Common questions

• What are your greatest strengths?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• How would your friends or teammates describe you?

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• Indeed career guide: interviewing — Articles on common interview questions and answers (Free)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• A Complete Job Interview Skills Guide — Alison (Free course)
• English@Work: Advanced Job Interview Skills — The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Free to audit)

05.3Common HR questions

CoreBeginner2–3 h

The questions almost every HR round asks, answered honestly and briefly.

What this covers

• Why this company — Specific reasons from your research, not praise.
• Why should we hire you — Match two needs of the role to your proof.
• Gaps and changes — Explain gaps, backlogs or a branch change without excuses.
• Relocation, shifts, bonds — Know your real answer before the interview.
• Career goals — A realistic next step, connected to this role.
• Notice period and joining — Facts you should have ready.

What to practise

• Write short answers to ten common HR questions
• Say them aloud to a friend and cut anything over a minute

Common questions

• Why do you want to join us?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• Are you open to relocation?
• Why did you choose your branch or degree?

Free resources

• Indeed career guide: interviewing — Articles on common interview questions and answers (Free)
• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)
• AmbitionBox interviews — Interview experiences and company reviews from Indian candidates (Free)

Free courses

• Software Engineering Job Interview – Full Mock Interview — freeCodeCamp (Free video)
• A Complete Job Interview Skills Guide — Alison (Free course)
• Interview Preparation Skills for Accountants — Alison (Free course)

06.1Company research

CoreBeginner1–2 h

The product, the role, the job description and recent news.

What this covers

• The business — What it sells and to whom.
• The role — What the job description really asks for.
• Recent news — Launches, results, announcements.
• Interview format — The rounds, if the company shares them.
• Your fit — Three reasons, matched to the job description.

What to practise

• Write 3 reasons you want this role
• Match 3 JD lines to your experience

Common questions

• Why do you want to work here?
• What do you know about our product?

Free resources

• GeeksforGeeks — Company-wise questions and theory (Free plan)
• Tech Interview Handbook — Free guide to coding and behavioral interviews (Free)

06.4Final checklist

CoreBeginner30 min

Logistics, documents, setup and a calm night before.

What this covers

• Logistics — Time, timezone, link or address.
• Documents — Resume copies, ID, certificates if asked.
• Tech check — Camera, mic, internet, charger.
• Night before — Sleep, light revision, no new topics.

What to practise

• Do a 5-minute tech check the day before
• Lay out documents and clothes the night before

Free resources

• Google Interview Warmup — Free spoken mock interview that prints your transcript (Free)