My First UX Gig: A Crash Course in Trusting Your Gut

Hey there! I'm Nishi 👋

A UX designer who, funnily enough, didn’t plan on freelancing but somehow ended up here.👩‍💻

It’s been a wild ride, and I’ve worked on a few of projects since I landed in Canada. But there’s one project I’ll never forget—my very first gig! It was an eye-opener, to say the least, and packed with lessons I wish I’d known before diving in.

The Excitement of Starting Fresh

I just touched down in Canada,🍁 ready to kickstart my career in a new country. I was buzzing with excitement and a bit of nervous energy. Like any ambitious newcomer, I turned to LinkedIn, hoping it would be the gateway to endless opportunities. Not long after, I got a message from someone on LinkedIn. He seemed friendly, maybe a little too eager, but I was in "let’s-get-to-work" mode, so I said yes to his offer without thinking twice.

The Gig That Seemed Too Good to Be True

The deal? Redesign a website for one of his startups. Sounded simple enough, right? I was new to the freelancing game in Canada and had zero clue what to charge. So, when he asked for my rate, I pulled a number out of thin air—$500 CAD. I thought it was fair, and honestly, I was just happy to get started.

He agreed instantly and even sent me an advance. Score! Or so I thought. But then, things got weird. He asked for my ID card. Uh, what? That’s when my Spidey senses started tingling. But instead of listening to my gut, I brushed off the weird vibes. Before I knew it, he was yelling at me over the phone, demanding I send the ID. Panic set in. I’d dealt with toxic bosses before, and let’s just say I wasn’t in the mood for another showdown. So, I caved. I sent him an ID card from my home country and got to work.

When Things Went South—Fast

What I didn’t realize was that I was stepping into a complete mess. This wasn’t just a website redesign—it was a disaster recovery mission. Untangling domain issues, fixing backend chaos, and trying to make sense of the whole thing was way more than a $500 gig. To make matters worse, the client was a nightmare. Disrespectful, demanding, and just plain awful to work with.

Three days in, I knew I had to pull the plug. I was drowning in a sea of problems that weren’t mine to fix, and I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I did what any sane person would do—I refunded the advance, walked away, and chalked it up as a hard lesson learned.

Lessons I’ll Never Forget :

1. Trust Your Gut: If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t ignore those gut feelings—they’re there for a reason.

   
   

2. Know Your Worth: Research market rates before throwing out a number. Undervaluing yourself can lead to way more work than you bargained for.

   
   

3. Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries from the get-go. If a client crosses a line (like demanding personal info), don’t be afraid to push back.

   
   

4. Don’t Tolerate Toxicity: Life’s too short to work with jerks. If a client’s giving you grief, it’s okay to walk away.

   
   

5. Freelancing = Learning on the Fly: Every project, even the rough ones, teaches you something. Take those lessons and use them to grow.

   
   

This project was a total trial by fire, but it was also a turning point. It taught me to trust myself, value my work, and set the kind of boundaries that keep the crazies at bay. It wasn’t the easiest start to my UX career, but hey, it made me the designer I am today.😃✏️🖥️