Week 24 Guide: Career Positioning & Next Steps
24-week programme, final week. Turn your portfolio into a realistic, honest plan.
The Real Problem This Solves
Skill without direction drifts. This week you decide, from evidence, where you are now and what your realistic next step is, so the momentum of the programme carries forward instead of fading.
Key Ideas You Need First
1. Position from evidence, not hope
Describe yourself using what your two projects prove. Claims your work does not back up will not survive contact with a real interview.
2. A realistic next step beats a grand plan
One achievable next step, a live brief, a skill to deepen, a place to apply, moves you further than a vague five-year dream.
3. Keep practising the cycle
The design cycle you learned works on any problem. Applying it to a new small project keeps your skills sharp.
Tools And Materials Needed
- Your finished two-project portfolio.
- The CV Narrative Worksheet.
- The Final Presentation Checklist for any interview or pitch.
Step-By-Step Walkthrough
- Write your positioning statement from the strengths your work evidences.
- List where your skills fit, honestly, from real examples.
- Choose one realistic next step and write how you will start it this month.
- Plan to keep practising the cycle on a new small project.
- Finalise your portfolio and CV lines.
Demonstrated Example
Positioning: "An early-stage designer who is strong at user research and turning testing evidence into practical improvements, shown across two tested projects."
Next step: "Redesign a local community noticeboard as a third project over the next month, to add a public-facing piece to my portfolio, and share it for feedback."
Why this is strong: the positioning is backed by evidence, and the next step is specific, achievable, and soon.
Submission Checklist
| Upload item | Pass standard |
|---|---|
| Positioning statement | Backed by evidence from your two projects. |
| Next-steps plan | One realistic step with a start this month. |
| Finished portfolio | Both projects packaged and consistent. |
Assessment And Pass Criteria
- The positioning is honest and evidence-based.
- The next step is specific and realistic.
- The portfolio is complete and coherent.
Common Mistakes
- Overclaiming. Only claim what your work proves.
- Vague plans. "Get a design job" is a wish. Name the concrete next step.
- Stopping practising. Keep running the cycle on new problems.
Extension Challenge
Write the first message you would send to someone in a role you want, using one project as proof. Practising the ask makes it real.