Changing Careers - How to become a User Experience Professional

Over the past 5 years, I have been approached by friends and colleagues outside the UX industry asking for advice on how they can break into the user experience field. They questioned if they needed a Masters degree (MSc) like the one I completed at University College London and if I would personally recommend it. Others have seen short or intensive UX courses advertised and wondered if it’s a quicker way to find a UX role into the industry. I have always given the same advice over and over which prompted me to write this short post which I hope will help anyone considering making this move - even during this strange pandemic.

So..Should I make the move into the UX field?

 If you’re truly interested in understanding people's behaviours, their habits , needs and pain points and would like to help them achieve their goals ( this could be through building physical products , services or digital apps and websites ) then it’s definitely a career worth pursuing.

The UX field is varied and there are many roles within it - UX Researcher, UX Designer, Information Architect plus others (I recommend you do some googling to decide which path is right for you ). UX is a multidisciplinary field, so as a UX professional you will be applying psychology, design, technology and business knowledge. You will also have the opportunity to work in a variety of industries such as Healthcare, Fintech, E-commerce - the possibilities are endless! You’re able to work with different teams and in different industries whilst helping people, which is what makes it such an interesting and fulfilling job. 

I personally made the transition from a Business Analyst & Project Manager 15 years ago and it’s been the best career decision I have ever made. And I'm also happy to say that those people who reached out to me for advice have since become UX professionals and haven’t regretted their career change.

 How can I transition into a UX role?

• Route A  - The  ‘faster’ ( and cheaper way) to make the transition Based on my experience the fastest way is having a business support you in your transition. This could be through your current employer providing you with training or a new junior position to learn from your peers. It could also be their first UX position which will allow you to read and learn at your own pace and grow within the role. This would require a lot of dedication on your part to constantly learn independently. A lot of people ended up in the field this way, maybe transitioning from development/engineering to a junior UX designer. This means you don’t need to stop earning as you will learn on the job but you may need to take a pay cut  - but it’ll be worth it! It's obviously easier for people to do this from related fields and some background in research, design, tech or psychology - but it hasn't stopped others. So don't let it put you off.
• Route B - The longer route ( probably more expensive!) Doing an intensive course or going back to university to complete a bachelors or masters degree. This may be more expensive or may seem to take longer but it will give you good academic grounding in various subjects ( psychology, ergonomics, usability , design etc) . It should also give you practical skills in different tools such as prototyping and wire framing. Some courses may also help you with your CV and put you in touch with people in the industry to help you get started.  I personally loved the Masters degree I completed at UCL and found it gave me great academic experience to set me up for my career in the field. And I personally valued the course a lot more as a ‘mature’ student than I did with my first degree. I knew what I wanted to do by then and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But… It's a VERY competitive field!

The fact is - it's a very competitive industry, convincing a current employer to train you up is probably quite rare and even with a course or degree there’s still a lot of people looking for their first role in the industry. So regardless of which route you take you will still need to do more. You only need to do a search on Linkedin to see how many people respond to a job post  ( particularly junior ones requiring little working experience)

So what else can I do?

• Stand out - Be enthusiastic and show you’re serious about this. Consider why you want to be a UX Designer or Researcher? Utilise the endless content online and various books. Some even in your local library or second hand on eBay. Use online groups and slack channels to discuss various topics and meet new people. Show to your potential future employer you’re serious and passionate about this. They may run a google search and find your twitter feed and how much you value research and design and realise you’re perfect for their junior UX role.
• Tools and Applications - So many tools and apps are available for free ( some as trials), so take advantage of this and the many youtube videos to learn how to use them. This could be for wireframing, prototyping, remote user testing. Once you’re confident with these you can then add them to your CV.
• Work Experience - Look for work experience or small projects to allow you to have real practical experience. Contact businesses and charities and offer for a small fee to help them improve the usability of their website or app. Or offer to do some user research for them with a report of recommendations. You can also ask to work shadow a UX Designer/Researcher and attend meetings to see the process first hand. Having this experience and work examples will allow you to work on the next point. Your portfolio!
• Portfolio  - Create a portfolio. Show your transferable skills from your current role.  Did you work as a client manager? It means you know how to communicate with a variety of people. Did you work as project manager? You have great skills managing time and projects and so on! Explain why you want to work in the UX field, what attracted you to it ( helping people, curiosity, problem solving ?). In terms of UX projects you have done ( work experience, your own expert review etc), make sure your portfolio shows the process you have followed and what activities you completed and be honest about what work you delivered and which were part of a team effort. Make it digital ( lot’s of debate on this online but my advice is digital is best ) so it’s easy to access and circulate. There are lots of of wordpress templates and free portfolio sites available online to speed up the process.
• Recruiters Are Your Friends -  Reach out to recruiters, ask about the industry, share your portfolio and other work experience ( there will be a lot there you can transfer to your new UX career), attend the events they’re hosting ( currently remotely) and ask their advice. Many are there to help and will put you in touch with hiring managers. Some of the best advice I’ve had has been from great managers and recruiters.
• Don’t Give Up - it probably sounds cheesy but don’t give up. Keep applying and learning and eventually you’ll land that dream role. Like any career change you may need to take a pay cut as you make it up the ladder again but if it means you’re doing a job you truly love then it will be worth it. Just be yourself and keep showing how keen you are to learn and grow in the industry and put yourself out there. 

I really hope this post has answered some of your questions and helps you make the right decision.  If you have any questions I would be more than happy to help, feel free to reach out! 

Did you transition into a UX role from something else? What was your journey into the User Experience field? Do you have any advice to someone who is keen to make the transition?

(Photo by David Travis on Unsplash)