UX design and UX research often find their way into "top jobs" lists, so we often hear questions from aspiring jobseekers about choosing and getting jobs in UX.

One question some aspiring UX designers don’t know to ask about is the differing experiences and expectations that a designer might have working at an agency vs working in-house.

Though every situation is different, here are some of the differences we hear about:

• Agency can mean diverse assignments, while in-house can mean depth of understanding. In-house design projects often center around one audience and one brand, so you get to know that one space very well. You’ll likely understand far more about the departments and operations impacted by your design projects, and you may have the opportunity to see it through to the end, analyzing and measuring its success. Agency work can mean totally new assignments every few months, or concurrent work for very different clients. Agency work can be great if you like variety, although it might mean that you don’t get to know as much about each project or follow its success through to the end in the same way.

• Agency can mean getting to know new clients frequently, while in-house, you may work with the same personalities a lot. Establishing trust and rapport with new people rapidly can be challenging, but it is an invaluable professional skill. On the flip side, working with the same people means knowing what to expect each day, which can be comfortable... or it can get old fast, depending on your personality and preferences.

• Agency can mean staying outside of corporate politics, while in-house can mean learning to work with them. When you’re in-house, you are living with the decisions (and the values, and the decision-making style) of one "client team" year-round. With time, you will learn how to navigate the politics to make a bigger impact, which is a valuable skill. At an agency, the nature of how decisions are made will vary from client to client. The level of influence you have as an outside consultant often depends on who hired your firm, and what they hired you for.

• Agency can mean staying high-level, while in-house can mean "keeping your hands dirty." Agencies are often hired to help establish a direction, but many companies will not hire an agency to fill in all the details—it becomes costly. In-house, you’re plugged into the tools and systems of your company’s everyday workflow. You may spend time in deep details like detailed specs, specific edge cases, or even detailed result metrics. If you like knowing a system in and out, in-house is more likely to offer that.

• Agency can keep you on the cutting edge of your discipline, while in-house can mean slower pace of change. Agencies are constantly selling their services to new clients and looking for technological efficiencies, which means they need to stay on the cutting edge. In-house, there is less incentive to use the newest tools and methods, because pushing changes through can be time-consuming.

• Agency can be more exciting, while in-house can mean fewer unknowns. Agency life involves continually selling and proving your firm’s value, so every successful presentation can feel like a game-scoring touchdown. In-house presentations can sometimes have high stakes, too, but you may feel that your impact on the business is less significant.

Of course, these are all generalizations, and every situation is different.

But there are some common myths, that don’t prove out in my experience.

• Agencies pay less—Not necessarily! In order to attract talent, agencies have to pay attention to the going rates. Many agencies compensate very well.

• Agencies require crazy hours—Not all of them. At Slide UX, we actively monitor overtime and strategize with our team on how they can correct a trend of overwork.

Which is better? That depends on your personal preferences, your stage of life, and the specific opportunities you’re comparing. I recommend that designers try both agency and in-house roles early in their careers to figure out what they like best.

UX skills are in high demand right now, but it is still very difficult to get one’s foot in the door. Some pointers:

• Get experience through freelancing or volunteering. If you’re interested in being considered for freelance work with Slide UX, please complete this form.

• Consider free or low-cost UX career courses like our partner Joe Natoli’s UX 365 Academy.

• Continue to follow Slide UX on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you hang out to learn about new openings.