I interviewed ten aspiring UX designers, spending over 30 hours conducting interviews about what UX mentorship was like from both sides of the table. This article reflects my best thinking on how to approach UX mentors, and a counterintuitive way of thinking about mentorship in general. It’s no lie: mentorship can fast track your learning in a new field. Having … Read More
Should You Take Time Off Between Jobs?
When I was transitioning into a UX career, my mother advised me: “Don’t quit your job until you’ve got another job lined up.” Sounds sensible enough. So I proceeded to do exactly the opposite and quit my job without another one lined up. In this article I’ll share with you some ideas that helped me make this tough decision, and … Read More
Complete Guide to UX Resumes + 3 Free Templates
Step by step guide on how to craft a UX resume for getting a UX job. The resume has been around for some 500+ years now, thanks to Leonardo da Vinci. Today there are more subtleties and challenges around the resume than ever. We’re talking file formats, resume types and the relevance of applicant tracking systems (ATS)…just to name a few. … Read More
Two Common UX Career Paths
If you’re looking for a UX job, there are two primary UX career paths to explore: technical and managerial. Which one is the best for you?
How to Get a UX Job with No Professional UX Experience
It’s not unusual to come across a UX Job posting that reads like this: “7+ years of professional experience as a UX Architect, expert in interaction design, front-end web development…” And that’s not even for a senior / principal designer role. Whoever does have that much experience should be a top-dollar consultant, has his/her own business or wrote a book … Read More
The 1% Designer
You’re in UX design now? How did it happen that quickly? Catching up with old friends one night, I didn’t expect this comment. To them, my career trajectory changed vastly since they last saw me. It came as a surprise because all the changes – becoming a UX Designer, picking up design skills – felt rather slow and gradual to … Read More
How to evaluate UX jobs at Agencies vs Startups vs Big Companies
Searching for your first UX job is a big deal. If it’s going to be something that consumes at least 8 hours of your day, every day, for the next X months years, you better know what you want, and what you’re going for. In your job search, you’ll come across an extremely diverse set of companies looking for UX talent – … Read More
Applying to jobs makes you a better UX designer
Job hunting is brutal. Looking for a UX job is no exception. Let me know if you’ve ever felt like… An impostor designer who doesn’t belong No company is giving you a chance, or worse… Companies show interest in initially, then ghost you Comparing yourself to those amazing designers on Dribbble or Medium Job descriptions seem unreasonable, even for entry … Read More
To transition into UX, don’t ignore your past
2 things surprise me about students transitioning into UX. The first is their diversity of backgrounds. I’m talking architects, nurses and engineers. The second is that they often dismiss their prior professions. “How do I transition into UX from a TOTALLY different background?” As a UX career coach, I challenge my students on this. “Is it so different?” I don’t … Read More